Our time on the North Island came to an end and we found ourselves on a plane flying down to Christchurch. It was a little bit weird and had a hint of farewell as if we were leaving one country and going to another. People describe the North Island as beautiful, but the South Island has been described to us as “magic”. We have only seen glimpses of magic so far, but having been here for three days, this is our first day out of the city.
It just so happens we arrived in Christchurch during one of the most exciting times of the year. The annual New Zealand Cup & Show Week, referred to as a Carnival. Unfortunately, not the kind with elephant ears, shoestring fries, a 4-H exhibit, and ferris wheels, this carnival is a week full of horse races, fashion shows, agricultural displays, sheep shearing competitions (sadly we missed out on those), and people dressed to the nines and a little happier than usual (probably due to the excessive amounts of alcohol being consumed). Being that this is a once a year event, we decided it was worth joining in on the experience. And it was an experience. Wednesday was one of the big days of the week, offering us a chance to see horse and cart races at Addington Raceway. We imagine this is on a small scale what the Kentucky Derby is like. Everyone is dressed up in fancy clothes–cocktail dresses, suits and ties, heels, and hats, worn mostly by women. These hats were the ultimate accessory. As we walked around we more than just stood out as tourists, we were well underdressed. It was like showing up to play a baseball game in a tutu. Well, maybe not that extreme, but we definitely did not fit in. Regardless, we had a fun afternoon people watching. Oh, and we also saw the horse and cart races too. We even placed two whopping bets of $5 NZD each time on horses. The second bet we placed on a horse named Keeprightondreaming. This should have tipped us off. Keeprightondreaming did not even finish the race. The entertainment value was worth every penny, but don’t worry, we won’t be going to the track regularly.
Another highlight of our time in the Christchurch area was our very first Servas homestay. Servas is an organization that connects travelers and hosts with the goal of building relationship and understanding between individuals of different countries and cultures. We were attracted to this group because of their interest in using individuals to build peace and understanding. This was our first opportunity to stay with a Servas host and we had a great time with Elizabeth and Derry, a couple who have been involved with Servas for over 30 years and have been married for 40 years. Retired university lecturers, Elizabeth and Derry are in their late 60s and are passionate about many things including politics and religion, caring deeply about the world they are leaving behind to their children and grandchildren. They were very welcoming, giving us our own room and bathroom (which we haven’t had in over a month), four delicious meals, good conversation, and a jar of honey from their very own hives. Elizabeth even treated us to homemade pavlova, a special New Zealand dessert we had not yet had the chance to try. We spent two nights in their home enjoying a respite from sleeping in a campervan on the road.
The rest of our time in Christchurch was spent taking advantage of all of the free sites the city offers. We couldn’t believe how many things were free! We went to the Botanical Gardens; the Arts Centre where we saw a very cool print exhibit and thought of our bro-in-law, John Williams, and sampled fudge in The Fudge Cottage (culinary arts count as an art too); the Christchurch Cathedral (Anglican); and even a bike hire from the Art Gallery. The free bike hire was especially cool. We had never ridden on bikes like these before. The wheels were like two Ziljan cymbals smashed together with a rubber tire wrapped around the outside. When the wind picked up, you could feel the bike being pushed around. The best part was how cool we looked sporting matching helmets, safety vests, and cymbal wheeled bikes as we tooled around greater Christchurch. We received many stares and some compliments. You’ve gotta take the good with the bad! There are many more free activities in the city and we look forward to seeing the rest of it when we return at the end of our time on the South Island.
Now off to the Marlborough/Nelson area where we are preparing for our next tramp, the Queen Charlotte Track.
