So Much to Do

In recognition of the exceptional weather which some of you are having right now (ðŸĨķ), I thought I’d send you a few pics from Christchurch’s springtime fireworks to help warm you up…you know, since the 4th of July is right around the corner!

The fireworks below were part of the annual Guy Fawkes celebration which took place on the beautiful New Brighton beach and pier.

Rebuilding Christchurch

We wanted to share with you a few more images of the rebuilding efforts still underway following the back-to-back earthquakes that occurred in Christchurch in late 2010 and early 2011.

The two quakes caused unimaginable damage to Christchurch, leaving around 100,000 buildings damaged and over 10,000 buildings which would ultimately need to be demolished.

Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament

Christchurch Cathedral

Back to the Fun

With only a few days left to enjoy the rest that Christchurch and the surrounding region had to offer we decided to get back to the basics. That’s right, food and drink!

We kicked off the day with an amazing breakfast at Unknown Chapter before heading out to the Waipara Valley to visit a few more of New Zealand’s great wineries.

With their exceptional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Black Estate, Bone Line and Pegasus Bay were a few of our favorites. And yes, we’re doing our very best to drink all the bottles we bought before our adventure ends, but we could definitely use some help! ⏰

If you ever find yourself in the Christchurch are, be sure to spend a day out on the beautiful Banks Peninsula. Once a giant volcano, the area is now an outdoor adventure paradise with miles of hiking trails and endless coves for kayaking. The picture above was our view from the top of Stony Bay Peak overlooking the French settlement town of Akaroa.

Christchurch Adventure Park

Ready for an adrenaline rush, we decided to check out New Zealand’s longest chairlift which happens to sit in the middle of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest downhill mountain bike park!

It was an unbelievable day…particularly because we all survived relatively unscathed. That said, at 45 (😎…thanks for the heads-up dear sister) 44 years old I did encounter my first ever ASS-OVER-TEAKETTLE moment! ðŸšĩ‍♂ïļ

If you’re wondering, I’m fine…and if you’re ROTFL, I’m fully blaming the incident on the fact that in New Zealand they flip-flop the front & back handbrakes. Case closed. ðŸ‘Ļ‍⚖ïļ

With just one weekend left in Christchurch before heading out to the wild west coast, we decided to go back into the mountains for a hike through Castle Hill.

The massive limestone rock formations are the eroded remnants of limestone formed somewhere between 30-40 million years ago when most of New Zealand was covered by water.

The reserve was beautiful and the kids loved playing on and around the huge rock formations. The only thing working against us was the impending storm which was quickly approaching from the west! ⛈

Here in fact is the last picture that we took before quickly scurrying down the hillside. Fear not, everyone is safe & sound. If you happen to be wondering what the $#@! is going on with my hair, I guess you’ll just have to come see for yourself in New Zealand!

See you on the west side…

5 thoughts on “So Much to Do”

  2. Hehe…that hair shot will haunt you all the days of your life. Sorry, it just had to be said especially with the hair insanity that belongs to you, your Dad and Pepere. More great blogging, thanks

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  3. So amazing, and I would love to be there to finish the wine with you!
    The rock formations are incredible, I can just imagine Caden and Keira running all over them! And Tara, a route just for you!
    As for your hair, love it……runs in the family…..except your father and grandfather.
    Love to all,
    Grammi

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