Wednesday morning we woke up early and headed to the Blenheim train station to catch our bus to Christchurch. We'd heard the coastal drive was beautiful and that post-earthquake Christchurch was worth a visit so we bypassed a flight direct to Queenstown in favor of a more scenic trip.
The bus ride was a little bumpy and the weather wasn't perfect but we were treated to some pretty great views on the drive down the south island's eastern shore. We stopped in Kaikoura briefly for lunch (not great - someone really should open a fast sandwich shop there!) and a few snapshots of the water.
Waterway along the coast of Kaikoura.
The rocky beaches nearby were pretty empty.
This was the coastal drive we had in mind!
The whole journey took about five hours and we were definitely ready to exit the bus once we arrived in Christchurch mid-afternoon. We grabbed a taxi to our B&B for the night, Designer Cottage, and were charmed by the historic setting and lovely rooms. Our host Steve was super helpful in getting us settled and we'd definitely recommend a stay here if you ever stop in Christchurch.
After dropping off our bags - and armed with a map and restaurant recommendations - we headed to the city center to explore for a bit. We knew about the devastating 2010 and 2011 earthquakes but walking around the demolished city was still very sobering. Nearly all of the high-rise buildings and hotels have been demolished and the rebuild seems to be going very slowly. Additionally the city feels almost eerie after 5pm - very few people and not many open shops or restaurants.
The badly damaged cathedral.
We liked browsing through the re:start container mall and checking out the historic Canterbury Cathedral but felt somewhat like disaster gawkers while examining the ruins. We met some really friendly people in Christchurch so can only hope that the recovery continues and the city regains its footing.
Before the temperature started to drop we moseyed over to the Botanical Gardens for a while. The grounds have been nicely preserved and we even saw a few people enjoying the lawn for an evening picnic.
At the suggestion of our host Steve ("If you only have one night, head here...") we ended up at Café Valentino for dinner. Known for its lamb and meat dishes, the restaurant did not disappoint - we all had meat-laden entrees that were tender and delicious.
Two very happy customers!
We walked off a little of our feast on the way home and warmed up with some tea before calling it a night.
Thursday morning was overcast so instead of doing more sightseeing Alex and I headed to a nearby cafe to catch up on the computer and sip flat whites. We had a great lunch at the new The Colombo and are heading back to meet my dad and Judy now. Next stop: Queenstown!