A walk through Hagley Park… I am told that Hagley Park is the closest I will get to Central Park (my favorite hometown park) so I thought I would take a bit of time to stroll through. To start with it is massive, on this day I mainly explored the botanical gardens. I imagine in the spring time this part of the park is beautiful (it … Continue reading Day 28 in New Zealand: Discovering Hagley Park
The rebuilding of a city… When we visited Christchurch is 2010 it was in between the two big earthquakes that hit the city. The second one that took place in 2011 was the most devastating and had a lasting change in the cityscape. On a rainy Saturday, I took a stroll through the center of the city. It was an interesting experience to see the blend … Continue reading Day 23 in New Zealand: Rebuilding Christchurch
Waipara Valley Wineries…less than an hour north of Christchurch is a neat little wine region. Between the wines and the views this little region makes for a great day trip from central Christchurch. We only had time for three wineries so I am glad we live close by so we can hope over to check out all 31 wineries. Stop 1: Pegasus Bay, the property … Continue reading Day 17 in New Zealand: Discovering the Wines of Waipara
Today, we drove on a dead volcano on our way to Lyttelton, a port town about 30 minutes outside of Christchurch. We discovered an outdoor market that we learned takes place every Saturday, we had a delicious seafood meal, and checked out the views. Continue reading Day 16 in New Zealand: Day Trip to Lyttelton
The past couple of days, most of our time has been spent learning the various neighborhoods, trying to decide where we want to live, and car shopping. Today, after spending the morning looking at properties for rent. We took a drive out to Sumner. It was a beautiful day for the beach. While there I started to think about how cool it would be to live … Continue reading Day 9 in New Zealand: First Look at Sumner
Christchurch…today was our longest drive and we are exhausted but glad to be in our new home city. For the next month we will be staying in an AirBnB with our hosts Kay and Kevin in the Papanui neighborhood. After checking in and getting all of our luggage upstairs we took a stroll around the neighborhood. I strolled upon this sign and it felt very … Continue reading Day 5 in New Zealand: Our Arrival in Christchurch
Entering the South Island…today we got on the ferry to get to the South Island. The ferry goes from Wellington on the North Island to Picton on the South Island. The ride is about three hours but it is a rather comfortable ride with lots of food and beverage options as well as some amazing views from the multiple levels. Here are a few pictures … Continue reading Day 4 in New Zealand: First Views of the South Island
Today, we arrived in Wellington…and I LOVE IT HERE!!! Wellington has two of my favorite things in close proximity to each other…tall buildings and water. The drive from Taupo to Wellington was long so when we arrived we didn’t have much time for exploring…just dinner and a stroll. I am definitely coming back to Wellington at some point so stay tuned. The Eats: The seafood … Continue reading Day 3 in New Zealand: Wellington
Today, we started our drive toward the South Island. We will be spending the night in Taupo but first a visit to Hobbiton. If you are a Lord of the Rings fan or a real estate enthusiast, Hobbiton is a-must-see. Here are a few pictures from our tour: We spent the night in Taupo, a resort town about 3.5 hours south of Auckland and about … Continue reading Day 2 in New Zealand: Hobbiton
Where did Thursday go??!!! After five hours from Charlotte to LA, then a three-hour layover at LAX, then a 13-hour plane ride, then sitting on the tarmac for an hour, then another two hours making it through customs and border patrol…we have arrived in New Zealand. Tonight we will be staying in Auckland at a Bed & Breakfast before starting our four-day drive down to … Continue reading Day 1 in New Zealand: We’ve Arrived!
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