New Zealand Travel Log: Visiting Christchurch

(Click on any picture to open it up in a larger second window)

Sunday, December 3, 2006: Our first full day in Christchurch, so we toured the Waipara Valley wine country with Eric Vanryckeghem, and we ended the day with a lovely dinner at Tiffany's Restaurant on Oxford Terrace with the Campbells, Ian and Marg.

First stop was Waipara Springs Winery, where the owners couldn't have been nicer. Then we visited the Athena Groves olive farm, where the most fabulous olive oil is made. This is very rural country, but they still have lots of tourist attractions, including the old steam locomotive train (we didn't ride it).

20061203 NZ 001 Nancy, Ted Waipara Springs.jpg (3028123 bytes)  20061203 NZ 002 Nancy, Ted at Olive Farm.jpg (3002037 bytes)

Proceeding along the Waipara Valley wine country, we did another tasting at Torlesse Winery (forgot to take a photo), where the owner Maggie Rayner was delightful, serving us cheese and crackers and telling us all about the area and its history.

20061203 NZ 007 Eric, Ted at Pegasus Bay.jpg (2939299 bytes)Our last winery stop was Pegasus Bay, which has a renowned restaurant that was fully booked. So Eric and I tasted at the bar instead, saving a ton of money (it was an expensive restaurant).

On the return from Waipara, we toured the ocean coast (sorry, no photos), driving back in to Christchurch looking at the many unpretentious small houses along the ocean...

Dec 4 -- While Ted and Eric worked at RCS, Nancy took a walking tour of Christchurch, visited the Art Centre, dropped in and studies the 2 bead stores in the city, and picked us up at the office.

Dec 5 -- Nancy had a big day driving, first to the Rakaia Gorge for jetboating, then to Akaroa. The high point of the day was supper at Campbells -- thank you, Marg and Ian.

20061205 NZ 029 road to Akaroa.jpg (4012252 bytes)  20061205 NZ 037 Akaroa distance.jpg (3434421 bytes)

20061205 NZ 044 Marg, Ted, Nancy.jpg (2682248 bytes)  20061205 NZ 046 Eric, Ted, Ian.jpg (2796045 bytes)

20061205 NZ 047 Nancy, Ted birthday champagne.jpg (2099353 bytes)  20061205 NZ 049 Ryan, Ted.jpg (1437007 bytes)

20061205 NZ 055 Eric.jpg (2632378 bytes)  20061205 NZ 053 Ted, Nancy at dinner.jpg (3007419 bytes)


20061206 NZ 012 N at Arthur's Pass.jpg (4812256 bytes)Dec 6 -- Nancy took the train to Arthur's Pass, spent 5 hours there hiking, and returned by train (where I picked her up at 6:05 at the railway station).

We had dinner in the Crowne Plaza, where there was no charge for bread (!)


20061207 NZ 007 Campbells Nygreens.jpg (1821693 bytes)Dec 7 -- our last night in Christchurch -- had supper with Marg and Ian at "Annie's Wine Bar" in the Art Centre. It was a fitting conclusion to a friendly week in CHC. Thanks to the Campbells for their hospitality.


 

CHC view to South from hotel
20061205 NZ 005 CHC view south.jpg (3018770 bytes)

Dinner with Campbells
20061203 NZ 008 Ian, Marg, Eric, Nancy, Ted at Tiffany's.jpg (1405699 bytes)
 
20061203 NZ 004 tourist train in Waipara.jpg (3601052 bytes)

Dec 4, 2006 Nancy at RCS
20061205 NZ 002 N at RCS.jpg (2635208 bytes)

Dec 5, 2006 Nancy Touring
20061205 NZ 028 jetboat.jpg (3288998 bytes)

20061205 NZ 018 N in jetboat.jpg (2486410 bytes)

20061205 NZ 024 jetboat river view.jpg (2174681 bytes)

20061205 NZ 050 Marg, Ian at dinner(v).jpg (946647 bytes)

20061206 NZ 029 N at Arthur's Pass.jpg (3988529 bytes)


Website comments to tnygreen@alumni.princeton.edu, please. Page last saved 06-Dec-2021.