04/02
We wake up early, we clean the van, we sort out the bags, we are giving Pepe back to its owners. On the way, we stop by the Coachman, our hotel tonight, a large Victorian building of four storeys where we store our bags on the way.
Some complaints later (we are able to get a refund for 2 nights of van) we go back into town for an afternoon of shopping. Christchurch is full of souvenir shops ... difficult to find something else, it is very touristic... It takes a while to find a more sympathetic Christchurch, gardens, Victorian houses etc. etc. The buildings are low rise and Victorian, many in stone. Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island and the 2nd largest city in New Zealand. It is known for its cathedral, gardens, parks, museums. We knew the city was very British, but we are both surprised by this influence... The museums and official buildings although recent are similar to some English churches, we could be in England, with canals, boats-punts as in Cambridge, red telephone booths etc etc ... Very different from the rest of New Zealand. The weather is grey today and it is cool.
We go for a wander, we are getting used to the cit, slowly, it has 400,000 inhabitants, a 'great' city here, but the centre is small enough, we quickly get a feel of it, waling around. It is actually very good. After the great outdoors and wildlife , a gentle immersion before the real urban environments of southern Australia, good for us. Last dinner in NZ, a Thai restaurant, then we go for a digestive stroll on the main square in front of the cathedral and in the cultural district. Back in our room for a small glass of champagne, before a good night. Our first night warm, in a real bed, with no bugs, wind, humidity for a month. It is very pleasant, we get re-accustomed very quickly to a minimum of comfort, but we miss something…yes the good old Pepe... we will remember this van fondly!!
05/02
Again we wake up early this morning, after a real good night sleep in our (large) room, it has four beds (but we are just two !!!!). We ge the bags ready, go to the post to send a parcel, back home... We decide to spend the last morning in the Museum of Canterbury, and then depart for the airport.
We are stuck in the airport for two hours. The plane that we should take is victim of a bird attack (!). Apparently, a plane crashed in Boston few weeks ago for the same reason...quite serious! We need to change aircraft, a brand new airbus. And once again, we receive an upgrade (we have more space for our legs, good). Fab is happy! 3 and half hours later we touch the Australian soil in Melbourne. It's hot and clear here. We go for a small bus ride, the city resembles an American city, highways, motorways, an impression of grandeur, a huge change from the cities in New Zealand. We arrive at our hotel located in the heart of Melbourne. A little faded, a small room without bathroom, but the Internet is free! A great luxury for us as we have to do lots of planning and booking...
We go for a quick walk through the neighbourhood, the CBD, the city centre, we are tired but not hungry, we ate again in the plane around 4pm, so off to bed and no alarm clock tomorrow, no specific program... Ah, idleness, finally! We still have these desires to see everything, learn, explore everything but we need to do less... Not yet clear and easy but our pace is slowly changing...
We wake up early, we clean the van, we sort out the bags, we are giving Pepe back to its owners. On the way, we stop by the Coachman, our hotel tonight, a large Victorian building of four storeys where we store our bags on the way.
Some complaints later (we are able to get a refund for 2 nights of van) we go back into town for an afternoon of shopping. Christchurch is full of souvenir shops ... difficult to find something else, it is very touristic... It takes a while to find a more sympathetic Christchurch, gardens, Victorian houses etc. etc. The buildings are low rise and Victorian, many in stone. Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island and the 2nd largest city in New Zealand. It is known for its cathedral, gardens, parks, museums. We knew the city was very British, but we are both surprised by this influence... The museums and official buildings although recent are similar to some English churches, we could be in England, with canals, boats-punts as in Cambridge, red telephone booths etc etc ... Very different from the rest of New Zealand. The weather is grey today and it is cool.
We go for a wander, we are getting used to the cit, slowly, it has 400,000 inhabitants, a 'great' city here, but the centre is small enough, we quickly get a feel of it, waling around. It is actually very good. After the great outdoors and wildlife , a gentle immersion before the real urban environments of southern Australia, good for us. Last dinner in NZ, a Thai restaurant, then we go for a digestive stroll on the main square in front of the cathedral and in the cultural district. Back in our room for a small glass of champagne, before a good night. Our first night warm, in a real bed, with no bugs, wind, humidity for a month. It is very pleasant, we get re-accustomed very quickly to a minimum of comfort, but we miss something…yes the good old Pepe... we will remember this van fondly!!
05/02
Again we wake up early this morning, after a real good night sleep in our (large) room, it has four beds (but we are just two !!!!). We ge the bags ready, go to the post to send a parcel, back home... We decide to spend the last morning in the Museum of Canterbury, and then depart for the airport.
We are stuck in the airport for two hours. The plane that we should take is victim of a bird attack (!). Apparently, a plane crashed in Boston few weeks ago for the same reason...quite serious! We need to change aircraft, a brand new airbus. And once again, we receive an upgrade (we have more space for our legs, good). Fab is happy! 3 and half hours later we touch the Australian soil in Melbourne. It's hot and clear here. We go for a small bus ride, the city resembles an American city, highways, motorways, an impression of grandeur, a huge change from the cities in New Zealand. We arrive at our hotel located in the heart of Melbourne. A little faded, a small room without bathroom, but the Internet is free! A great luxury for us as we have to do lots of planning and booking...
We go for a quick walk through the neighbourhood, the CBD, the city centre, we are tired but not hungry, we ate again in the plane around 4pm, so off to bed and no alarm clock tomorrow, no specific program... Ah, idleness, finally! We still have these desires to see everything, learn, explore everything but we need to do less... Not yet clear and easy but our pace is slowly changing...
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