south to dunedin, road trip part three

Missed the beginning of my road trip south? I started in Paihia at the beginning of May. Read in order one, two, three, and four for all the dirty details.

27 – 30 May

Aussie Chris picked me up from lunch with Tay and after saying goodbye to her, we found our way into Christchurch proper. On the way, we called a few hostels looking for a place to stay for the weekend and we were able to snag beds in one near the city centre. That evening, we went out for a quick wander – the first big city we had been in in some time. I want to write a long post about Chch, because the city that I saw is vastly different from the city that existed in 2010. For those of you unaware, Chch was hit by two major earthquakes within a few months of each other: September 2010 and February 2011. There was also another one in June 2011. The February earthquake is the one that everyone heard about: 185 people died, buildings collapsed, the cathedral destroyed.

We walked along Worchester St to Cathedral Square. This was my first glimpse of the cathedral and it was sobering. The tower was pulled down after the February earthquake and much of the garden surrounding the cathedral is covered in stone rubble. Everything is fenced off and artists have come in with sculptures and living walls to make the space brighter.

I’ll say it again in my Chch post, but the one thing I loved about the city is the vibe. Groups like Gap Filler came in after the quakes and created art on the construction walls, art on fences, art on the street. The Re:Start mall – the container mall – is a brightly coloured shopping centre created from shipping containers. The Cardboard cathedral gave people a new place to worship. Open spaces became gathering spaces.

On the flip side, the bleakness surprised me. I don’t think I was expecting that. Every block had boarded-up houses, fenced in lots with weeds and broken glass, trash. It felt a bit like what I imagine Detroit to be like. Signs sat in windows notifying passers-by of the problems with that house, this store.

It was grey and cold at the same time, while the vibrancy hummed beneath the surface.

We explored the city by foot, the gardens, the container mall, the river bank. One day, we drove out to Akaroa to see what the fuss is all about. Sadly, it poured the entire time so we spent most of our time there in a cafe near a fire. The drive was spectacular though, and we were both glad we did it (I think – Chris has since been back, so I assume he liked it.)

31 May

We packed up early and headed to Methven. Chris had booked a Lord of the Rings tour and I was content to spend the day in a cozy cafe with my computer and a hot coffee. Along the way – a mere hour+ drive – we encountered one of my more bizarre traffic jams:

In hindsight (20/20, right?) I should have joined Chris on the LOTR tour. It turns out that you can’t get to where they went unless you are part of a tour, AND on top of that, Chris was the only person on the tour. How cool?! His pictures are amazing (I’ve swiped one from his Insta to show you here, but definitely go and check them out.)

1 June

One of the best days: most incredible weather, stunning mountain scenery, snow-capped peaks everywhere you turn, and crystal clear blue lakes. Chris and I left Methven bright and early: destination Twizel. We stopped at Lake Tekapo for a coffee and wander along the lake shore. There is a tiny church – a very photogenic tiny church – on the shore and while carloads of tourists drove up, I walked down from the town centre. The lake is pure blue, glacially fed, and absolutely freezing.

The mountains surround the lake, and with the bluebird sky and the shimmering lake I felt like I was in paradise – a very cold, icy paradise.

2 June

The highlight of my trip. I couldn’t believe how amazing this day was: I hiked the Hooker Valley track in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. For details on the hike, read this post. (<coming soon)

That night, Chris and I had dinner with a lovely couple I met while onboard the NGSB. Don and Jill retired to Twizel and have the most amazing views from their back windows. It was so good to see them and catch up.

3 -6 June

In the morning, we packed up and after some coffee, we headed out of town to Queenstown. This drive was gorgeous. I think I’ll attach our route below, so you can see all of the passes and valleys we drove through – all so stunning.

Queenstown is Queenstown, and that will never change. I adore it – as a place to visit once in awhile. We got settled at Base Hostel and spent the weekend kind of doing our own thing. I took my helicopter ride, wandered the gardens and took in the fantastic light show they had going on, and enjoyed the chaotic, frenetic nightlife that is QT. But all too soon, it was time to move on…

For what I got up to next…. here’s life, dunedin style.

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