A Day in the City

It has been an especially quiet couple of days as most of the group has been off in Queenstown and Connor and I have been trying to make the most of our free time without spending too much money. Our first choice was paragliding but it turns out that it's closed for the winter around here, so we also looked into hot air ballooning, horseback riding, and even skydiving but they all proved to be too expensive. We made the most of it, though, and spent one day out in the city of Christchurch. Christchurch is the closest city to Lincoln University, where we're staying, and it's not what I would call a big city by any means. The damage from the earthquakes in September 2010 and February 2011 is still readily apparent and, although the city has a great spirit of resilience, it's obvious that Christchurch isn't what it used to be. I've noticed that New Zealand cities (at least Auckland and Christchurch) don't have the same bustling and busy feel that American cities do. I guess it's because the entire population of New Zealand (about 4 million) is less than that of any one big American city, but the cities here feel sort of desolate and empty. Despite that, Christchurch does have a certain charm and I like the innovative ideas they've had to make the most of the post-earthquake devastation and rebuilding.

One of Christchurch's distinctive sculptures

One of the ways Christchurch adds color and character

The Christchurch Cathedral

Connor and I took the bus from Lincoln to Christchurch and explored the Restart Mall (aka the Container Mall) which is a shopping center built entirely from freight shipping containers and some of the local shops for most of the morning. We stopped at Dimitri's Greek Food - a food truck right next to the Restart Mall - for some delicious falafel pitas and then at a café in a container for coffee. We filled the rest of the day with more exploring and ended the day with a drink at a local bar made from old school buses and then took the bus back to Lincoln. 

The Restart Mall
(All these photos were taken in when I was there in December,
hence the reindeer on the roof)

Yesterday was just a day of relaxing and working on class journals. I also spent much of the day looking for jobs for when I arrive in Perth, WA. There are certainly plenty of opportunities out there and I've applied for a few but I'm still waiting to see what works out. Only one more week until this course is finished and I fly to Australia!
All the best,
Sam