In the morning, the drive into Christchurch was very nice. Many good hills and mountains. We stopped at a gorge to take pictures of a glacial river, which was actually blue, not like the others.
I had wanted to get a Maori tattoo on my calf to remember my time in New Zealand. After searching around for a long time, I decided to go with Zane from Zealand Tattoo in Christchurch. He specialize in a good mix of modern and traditional Maori style tattoo.
We drove around the city of Christchurch looking for a shading spot because we thought that the dogs would probably ended up staying in the van for a good part of the day! It was not easy to find a shady parking location in Christchurch, and driving around was hard due to a lot of one-way streets. Thanks to Hannah's great attentive look-out, we found a tiny gravel parking "lot" which seemed to be all that was left of someone's home after the earthquakes. It was shady and only $8 for a whole day's' parking. So off I went to get my tattoo while Hannah explored the city.
---Hannah's Interlude---
After Sonny and I split up, I wandered around through Christchurch's central area. One of my biggest regrets in New Zealand is not getting to see the city before the earthquakes. It is obvious that is was once a lovely and sedate city, with a shallow river winding through it, and lots of greens and old buildings. Now however, nearly the entire CBD is a giant construction site, and many buildings stand as empty shells with boarded windows and giant cracks. The worst is the beautiful old cathedral which now presides over the main city square without its famous rose window, or even much of a face at all. It was damaged severely in the quakes, and no one knows what to do with it now, as its uncertain if it can even be fixed - but its historical status creates an impetus to do so. Currently, it is surrounded by fencing and weeds, though in an example of the resilience seen elsewhere, a marae built of living plants stands in front, with messages of hope and perseverance peppering the interior. (Of course there are plenty of so-and-so waz here too.)
Despite the fact that all of the municipal buildings surrounding the square are open, it was still bustling the morning I visited. Several intense chess games were occurring, between opponents from all walks of life. A man sang old Irish hymns and ballads while playing an instrument that looked like a recorder, but sounded far sweeter. There was even a doomsday preacher, begging all within earshot to repent.
Despite the fact that all of the municipal buildings surrounding the square are open, it was still bustling the morning I visited. Several intense chess games were occurring, between opponents from all walks of life. A man sang old Irish hymns and ballads while playing an instrument that looked like a recorder, but sounded far sweeter. There was even a doomsday preacher, begging all within earshot to repent.
After taking in the sights and sounds, I wandered off to the tram building for I planned to take a quick tour of the city on one of the original trams. Its a bit more touristy than I typically do, but it sounded so pleasant to me that morning, that I decided to be a tourist for a bit. And lucky I did, as I ended up sitting next to the Wizard of Christchurch! He is a man who wears long robes and a hat and carries a staff/scepter and a rather magnificent beard. In short, he looks every bit the part of a wizard and he has been going about his daily business in Christchurch dressed so for long enough that he is an institution. It was school holidays and so the train was packed with kids. When the conductor announced excitedly the wizard was coming, the stampede was instant and deafening. I really wanted to get my own selfie with him, but unfortunately the line of kids never stopped. One lucky boy, upon announcing it was his birthday even got a spell for easier homework! :) There was one tiny girl who plopped herself down next to the wizard and hugged his arm with such a huge smile on her face. It was very cute. The wizard got into a conversation with her mom, and I overheard him explaining that he is doing a Phd!
Eventually though, he got off to continue his daily life and my focus turned back out the window. The ride used to be a giant figure 8 and a very efficient way to get around the CBD, but since the quake is now much truncated and even passes directly through some construction sites, where we had to wait for the men to clear machinery. It was a good way to see what was left of the city. Once I had completed a loop, I alighted, intending to slowly browse my way through a market I had seen from the tram, but then I got a text from Sonny stating that he was done already! We met up and I took him on a short walking tour of some parts, including said market before we headed back to the car and set off to find a campsite.
---End Interlude---
By the time we reached the campsite, it was already starting to get dark. Hannah spotted an unoccupied corner, and signalled me to drive over there. As I approached the corner, I noticed from the corner of my eyes, a man and possibly his daughter was staring at us and smiling. As I was driving slowly to the corner, it started to get really bumpy, and Hannah and I realized that something was wrong! However, it was already too late, and we were already trapped in the sand! And people in a nearby campervan were laughing at us! :D The man and his daughter, and the people in the nearby campervan (after being playfully "scolded" by Hannah for not warning us about the sand nor helping us) helped us pushed the van out the spot. That night ended extremely entertaining as Tony (one of the nearby resident) chatted with us, telling us stories of his young, crazy days, filled with drugs and drinks!
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