It was an ungodly wake up time of 3:45 this morning. We were leaving the hotel at 5:00 and if you hadn’t put your luggage out the night before, it had to be in the lobby by 4:45. We left the Tank Stream and said good-bye to Sydney
The trip to the airport was short. Who else would be up so early? Check in was smooth for our flight to Christchurch, NZ. There was a bit of a delay in boarding, but we departed just a couple of minutes late. Emirates Air was a great experience. The plane was huge with 27 crew. The seats were wide and the selection of movies extensive.
Sharon was sitting near a window and got some good shots of the NZ coastline and Southern Alps as we ended our 3 hour flight.
We were met by Peter, our driver for our time in NZ. Since he knew our hotel rooms wouldnt be ready, he did a tour around Christchurch. From the lookout, we could see down into the town. It is a bit hazy because it is winter here and everyone is using their fireplaces.
Down in the town we passed the Chair Memorial, a tribute to all those 185 who lost their lives in the earthquake.
We then passed the church that was rebuilt from cardboard like materials after the earthquake..
Because of the aid given to the US after 9/11, first responders presented the town with some steel from the Word Trade Center.
We made a stop at the Botanical Gardens and Canterbury Museum. The flowers in tribute to the victims of the mosque shooting were so reminiscent of the Tree of Life remembrances in Pittsburgh.
The flowers are still in bloom and the beds lovely.
It was then on to our hotel, The Pavilions. The room was huge with three queen sized beds. However, the temperature in the bathroom was quite chilly. Either we missed the heater or there was not one there.
We had made reservations for dinner at Twenty-seven Steps on my brother’s recommendation for 8 p.m., but upon arrival, given how early our day started, we opted to try to change them. The restaurant kindly obliged and off we went. Decided 2 cabs would be prudent for the 7 of us. Down a very small lane, we found our destination. What a wonderful meal. Earle, Charles, Barbara, and Sharon all had filet, Lois and Gerald had pan seared grouper. I had lamb that was beyond scrumptious.
Back to the hotel to bed since there was another early morning departure in our future.
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