I'm staying in a nice little hostel called The Old Country House. Everyone is very friendly and kind with the exception of one French man (don't steryotype people! There are nice French people here too). There are so many Germans, spent most of my time with two of them (Patricia and Yannick). Theres a Scotsman called Gavin whos great and supports Leeds RL which is a plus. He's 31 and just moved out here for work and has given me a load of advice on travelling around. Spent my first evening at Vivians house (family friend) and had dinner with her family and a french cycle tourist. They live on a hill with a fantastic view of Christchurch and on a clear day, the alps (see photo).
Christchurch is a sleepy little city but it is known as the garden city for a reason. You can find amazing parks and the botanical gardens are something else. Cantebury museum had some interesting things on Maori culture.
I was suprised the mess created by the earthquake is still very much an issue. Lots of buildings have been declared unsafe and have are empty. Including the citys Cathedral which is in dire need on repair. Many of the shops in the city centre are in shipping containers which i guess in Brixton would be classed as 'trendy' but over here is necessary.
Anyway, tomorrow I'm leaving and catching the train to Greymouth through Arthur's Pass which is meant to be a phenomenal journey.
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