Welcome to NZ

Foley Towers – of course Fawlty Towers immediately spring to mind and yes Basil was on the wall in every room!! It was an OK place we had a flat not a room with our own bathroom. The sleeping patterns were all to pot waking at 4 in the morning and wrecked by 3 o’clock.

I forgot to mention in the last dose that in an attempt to stay awake we wandered into town after dumping the bags at the digs and sat and had a beer – Macs Wheat beer – then saw a Maori performance in the square where there were also jugglers, preachers, an array of crafts, fast food and a giant chess game. Most entertaining.

However, on our first full day in Christchurch the sun shone so we had a stroll to the car hire spot to pick up our wheels for the next six weeks. A very easy task compared to the paperwork minefield you have to go through in the UK!

We then had a run out to the Christchurch gondola and took a ride to the top and back – not up to much exercise as yet!! A good couple of hours was had here overlooking the South Pacific and the distant views over Christchurch out to the southern Alps. Leaving here we headed south towards Banks peninsula and a small French settlement called Akaroa. The French claimed it as the first settlers to the region here but sadly were a few years after the true originals but hey, let them have their little bit of NZ and very pretty it was too.

We then had the daunting task of getting some supplies in so we headed back to Christchurch in search of a supermarket. Sadly we hit the city at rush hour so we weren’t moving very fast. We eventually found a place and got set up with the basics. As we were still a little zombified from the flight, cooking dinner was not an option so we called in at a Korean place on the way back to the digs and got some form of noodles with beef (we hoped) and sauce and it was hot and tasty. Then back to Foley for some more kip!!

Pix are from top left down Basil from Foley Towers, local Maoris in dance, Christchurch Tram, view from top of Christchurch gondola and a Maori meeting place in Akaroa.