After some 10 hours flight, we finally arrived at Christchurch. Although the pickup van turned up quite late at the airport, we managed to embrace ourselves through the incessant cold wind that almost got us frozen up. Phew! This city was severely damaged by the quake and it was kind of a waste that many of the places were barricaded. But we were lucky enough that the Cathedral Square was partially re-opened to the public despite the main city centre area still being cordoned off for safety.
For the first few days, we had the longest walks that we ever had. Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island, so getting from one place to another on foot was really strenuous. The effect was even more significant under the hot and cold weather. Yup, the sun was scorching hot especially in the noon and yet when there’s that gust of wind, you’ll just get the chill down to spine!! Just make sure you have some real thick clothes, jacket, socks and gloves. Snug into your cosy blanket and don’t get into the streets when the sun sets……We haven’t got the opportunity to actually check out the sea and mountain views of Christchurch as we were in a hurry to get to another place, but we will be back soon…….Some recommended places are the Botanic Gardens, Hagley Park and Canterbury Museum. The reason: because they are free of charge!!
After we got our Subaru Legacy 1994 at the price of $1800, we left Christchurch to our next destination – Akaroa. It was a beautiful, quaint village which was previously a French settlement area. The French bay was simply an awesome sight, with crystal clear blue water spanning across the Banks Peninsula. There were some ongoing activities there like swimming with dolphins, penguins viewing, wildlife cruises, sailing and kayaking, but you’ll need to pay some hefty amount for that. As backpackers, that’s a big no-no. So, after spending two nights there, off we go heading towards the south with our next stop at Oamaru. The route to Oamaru took about 4 hours. Driving in New Zealand is so much different compare to that in Malaysia. The state highway allows speed limit of 100 km/h, but in the city, only 50 km/h is allowed. Back in Malaysia with that speed, I’ll be cursed to hell. =.= By the way, being a pedestrian in NZ makes you feel like a king…Hell ya!!
Oamaru is well known as home for the blue and yellow-eyed penguins, and it’s a must do to catch a glimpse at those cuties. One can choose to pay to view the penguin colony, but there’s a better option of not having to pay a cent for it. We got on to the Waterfront Rd and waited till dusk set in; the blue penguins eventually climbed up to the shore and crossed the road to get back to their colony in the woods. These blue penguins are the smallest in the world. As such, they move in a flock, two members at least. They are afraid of the lights, so it’s advisable not to use flash when capturing them. The next day, we headed down to Moeraki village and made our way through to the Kaitaki point near the lighthouse. Guess what? Several yellow-eyed penguins and fur seals “greeted” us…Haha! It’s just about timing, seriously good timing. We saw some dolphins too, but they were really far off, so it was merely a glance, but hey, that’s better than nothing!! Prior to that, we stopped by at the Moeraki Boulders to catch a few snapshots on the remarkable sphere-shaped stones formed due to geological effects several million years ago. It was another fruitful day. Another not-to-be-missed place is the Oamaru Public Gardens. The landscapes of the garden were beautifully crafted and the bountiful flowers in various shapes and sizes have filled the air with freshness.
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