Christ Church was an amazing place. We were there after the first Earthquake, and fortunately before the last earthquake, when most of the city was damaged.
It was such a beautiful day
We drove up into the mountains for a lovely view of the bay! Spring flowers were abundant, and the colors so lively
We sat for a while on a picturesque bench, and enjoyed the smells, sounds and sights of the countryside
Christ Church sits in a valley between the mountains and the ocean
An easy drive to the beach, so different from our Florida beaches.
Why oh why is my hair ALWAYS blowing in the breeze! As you can guess, the weather was cool and clear and windy!
Me having fun! I just loved the rocks and caves...I felt like I was all alone in the universe.. and apparently quite happy about that!
Even the vegetation was unusual....This tree seemed to never end...all twisted and waiting for spring to burst upon the scene.
Flowers were blooming in all the gardens.
And the amazing parks....
The hillsides
and of course a beauty among the blooms..Hee Hee
The children were at lunch in a private school
I wonder where these boys were going!
We had booked a private tour in advance with our cruise critic friends. Our 8 hour tour in a van, $50 pp
Ship tour for a 4 hour Christ Church tour...$99 pp
hmmmmm which would you choose!
Our next port of Call was Dunedin
We hopped on a bus into town, and were able to secure a spot on this train...leaves only once a day and we did't want to miss it!
A fully restored car ...this is the cutest conductor I know!
The insides were beautiful and comfy, we had the best meat pie ever, and a local beer...all for 4 USD pp
All the wood had been restored, and enhanced the lovely views outside, as we traveled through the countryside
Going over bridges
and through the valleys. Look at the river below, and the bright yellow flowers on the hillside.
A view, as we were passing between the cars.We are just about to go over the old wooden bridge!
The most amazing part of this was the price....The ship offered this as a tour for over $200 pp
It included lunch, and the train picked you up at the dock.
We paid $10.00 for the shuttle into town, $45 for the train trip
and $4 bucks for lunch!
Total of $59 dollars pp.....Same train, better lunch!
Woo Hoo...I love private tours!
