Supported my KOSMA Translator software again in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Articles written about this deployment include:
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The weather was good, so I took a walk around the city to see what has changed. Much has. See my trips from 2015 and 2013 and try to see the differences.
The Christchurch Cathedral: The debate to restore a little, a lot, or put up something completely different goes on |
The Chalice |
New building on High Street |
Restart Mall at the back left, new building on the right nearly complete, with the Bridge of Remembrance at the back |
The arch at the Bridge of Remembrance without scaffolding |
The Arts Centre with the conical roof in place and scaffolding removed |
The Peacock Fountain |
Looks like this space by the Cathedral Square will become the Convention Centre |
The new Casa Publica building at the head of the New Regent St (previously mislabed as the Gloucester Arcade, which is one block away) |
The ballerina mural is now obscured by a new building |
The inside of the Transitional Cathedral |
All new art and buildings |
The Vodafone building and building to its left behind the short green building are new since last year |
Contrast of the condemned and the new |
A penguin mural |
The Commons, which was previously a pallet stage |
Six of us took an off-day for a drive. We repeated an itinerary from one of my drives last year. Because it was pouring, I kept the camera in the bag for much of the day.
We enjoyed lunch at Bully Hayes in Akaroa, a French settlement in the harbor of the same name in the Banks Peninsula. We drove through Lyttelton, a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour that was badly hit in the earthquakes of 2010 - 2011.
Finally, we stopped in New Brighton, a coastal town that was also badly hit by the earthquakes. We wandered out on the long pier and watched the surfers until we froze. We then warmed up with some tea at the Pierside Cafe.
Ronan, Goran, Anna, Robert, and Ed on the New Brighton Pier |
Goran, Anna, Robert, Ed, and me on the New Brighton Pier |
Friendly seagull on the New Brighton Pier |
Surf's up! |
Robert and Anna at the top of the New Brighton Mall, which is a ghost town in the winter |
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Changing lights on the pier |
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The GREAT team unwinds in the Commodore bar |
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This was a spontaneous day.
Robert, Ed, Ronan, and I piled into my car. I started the engine. I asked, where to? Ronan said the mountains. Ed said the coast. I pointed my car in a direction that would get both.
Just before we hit the tunnel to Lyttleton, we saw a sign to the Bridle Path, which is one of Christchurch's top five walks. We followed the signs, parked, and hit the trail. Straight up. It was cold and windy at the top, but there was a cafe at the top of the gondola where we could warm up before dropping back down the mountain after sunset.
We felt like having Burmese for dinner. We had heard that the Bodhi Tree had moved and been renamed, but it wasn't clear where it had gone. So we drove to the old location, read a sign on the door, and headed back into town to have a nice dinner at the Rangoon Ruby. By coincidence, Anna, Denise, Miguel, and Helmut showed up at the restaurant a few minutes after we ordered.
Ronan at the beginning of the hike |
The trail is steep and we're already high above Heathcote Valley |
The boys trudge up the trail |
Seeing triple at the top |
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Lyttleton from the top |
Ronan captures Christchurch at sunset at the top of the gondola |
The Crater Rim |
Lyttleton Harbour |
New Brighton and the Alps in the distance |
Ed and Robert at the cafe at the top of the gondola |
Bill and Ronan with their tea |
Proper pinky etiquette |
Ronan herds some sheep high above Christchurch |
The Commodore Hotel exudes hospitality. They treated Maureen, Jeff, Nancy, Naru, Charlie, Edith (Chris' wife) and I to a trip to Hanmer Springs and threw in a box lunch.
Hamner Springs is a town built around many thermal pools of differing temperatures and minerals. Some had jets and some did not. Massages and steam baths are also available. Edith and I opted for a hike up the Conical Hill, while the rest went for the hot tubs and massage.
We capped off the day with wine tasting at the excellent Pegasus Bay Winery. The sommelier said that their wines should be available at Beltramo's, which is--alas--closing, and K&L liquors, so I should be able to stock up when I get home!
The top of conical hill |
The Hanmer Plain |
Edith at the mountain spotter |
We were surprised by three dreamcatchers on a small hidden trail |
Edith hikes down the narrow bike track |
California redwoods in New Zealand! Planted in 1930 |
One of New Zealand's giant earthworms, which can grow over a meter in length |
Downtown Hanmer Springs |
Pegasus Bay Winery |
The bottling room, which aptly looks like a church |
The lovely grounds |
Jeff, Maureen, Charlie, and Naru sample the fine wines |
I went downtown to pick up a Metrocard, which is like a Clipper card for the Christchurch buses. Afterward, I took a long, leisurely stroll around the Christchurch Botanical Gardens.
The Central Rose Garden, still with a few blooms |
The Cuningham House, one of several conservatories |
Tropical flowers inside the Cuningham House |
The lush tropical garden inside the Cuningham House |
Another tropical flower inside the Cuningham House |
The flowering gardens within the Townend House |
The cacti in the Garrick House |
Fearsome carniverous plants in the Gilpin House |
Ferns, mosses, and orchids of the Gilpin House |
Fern House |
Winter flowers in front of the Climatological Station |
Paradise shelduck |
Silver ferns (the New Zealand icon) |
This
kereru is twice the size of our pigeons and landed
just above me! |
The equally fearsome
anchor plant |
The ubiquitous
cabbage tree, which looks a little like our Joshua
tree |
Shrubs that flowered over the winter could be found |
A peaceful spot by the Rock Garden |
The Heather Garden also flowers in the winter |
A
redwood! In Christchurch |
They had
sequoias too. The sign says "Big Tree."
Yep |
The grove of sequoias in the Archery Lawn |
"Regret," by sculptor Sam Mahon |
The Peacock Fountain and Art Centre behind |
SOFIA and the Christchurch Airport lit up in rainbow colors |
Shifting with the left hand! |
Charlie Kaminski's photo in the Antarctic Centre cafe |
The Last Word, a comfy whisky bar on New Regent St. |
Bill and Ed enjoy their whisky in comfy chairs |
Room 227 in the Commodore |
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Copyright © 2016 Bill Wohler Last modified: Sun Jun 19 13:33:30 NZST 2016 About photos |
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