Christchurch (The Garden City)

My flight arrived in Christchurch at 7:30 this morning. I definitely didn't sleep at all last night since I was at the All Blacks Rugby match yesterday. I almost left for the airport with black paint still on my face! Airport security for domestic flights is very relaxed. I was never even asked for my ID! When I arrived in Christchurch, I didn't really have a plan for the day nor did I know where I was going, but I grabbed a map and hopped on a bus to get to the city center and hoped I could find my way from there.  A tricky thing about Christchurch is that many of the streets at the heart of the city don't go through due to a tragic earthquake that struck the city in February of last year. Walking though the streets was actually quite eerie because many of the buildings are still in shambles. It felt like I was on a movie set. After checking into my hostel (The Old Country House), I took a bus to Lyttelton and took the Diamond Harbor Ferry to go on a nice hike. When I returned to Christchurch, I walked to the Christchurch Botanic Garden, which was gorgeous! After a long day, I relaxed in the spa and called it an early night in preparation for my Stray bus pickup in the morning to begin my 2 week South Island Adventure!

To see more pictures: Photo Album from Christchurch