Christchurch, New Zealand

After 3.5 hours in an A320 plane, we arrived safe & sound into Christchurch airport at 10.45pm (later than planned, but such is life).  I was met by the Super Shuttle who took us over to Base Backpackers in down town Christchurch, literally the city centre, for any of you who know this area, we're just off Cathedral Square!

Went right to bed that night.  Friday was a "free" day, so first things first, Sara had to go buy some shampoo, conditioner, and bandages for her leg.  The pharmacist was very nice & even looked at the cut to make sure it was okay, she didn't want to sell the wrong product.  She did admit that had we been in a more developed country, Sara would have probably gotten 5 stitches, but with the bandage Kate had given her the cut will leave a scar, but it's not infected & will just take a bit longer to heal, but no point to go get stitches now, it's too late.  So, she agreed to just purchase more of the surgical patches which Kate had given Sara & just hang in there.

In the afternoon Sara visited the cathedral, wondered around the city, bought a pair of jeans as it's bloody cold here compared to the past 4 months of summer we've been experiencing and also bought a nice wool shirt at Katmandu cause they were having a MASSIVE sale, 50% off the sale price (read: NZ$110 long sleeve shirt, marked down to NZ$90, bought for NZ$45).

Saturday, Sara went off to the Banks Peninsula to see fur seals, blue backed penguins, and the smallest dolphin in the world, Hector dolphins which only grow to be 1m long (size of a 5 yo child they liked to tell us).  Had a 2 hour cruise on the harbour, visited the Benny's Bay Cheese Factory - YUM, visited Littleton, and a beach name I've forgotten now where there are semi precious stones mixed in among the rocks.

Today, Sara went off to see Mt Cook, stopping along the way to see a few other glacier lakes.  Luckily for her she thought ahead & brought many warm layers . . . wool socks, jeans, wool long sleeve shirt & fleece in order to not freeze to death :-)  Others on the trip were not so prepared & were freezing cold all day long.

Off to Dunedin early tomorrow morning . . . catch ya later