This was a full and interesting day for sure. We learned a new one at breakfast, something called “trim milk” which is not “full milk”. It’s either, skim, 1% or 2%, go figure!

We did a walking tour of Christchurch’s Central Business District learning about the history of Christchurch, and impact the earthquake made in the area. We joined some Maori guides who instructed us in playing a game like musical chairs with Waka oars. Then we all rowed down the Avon River in a Waka, which is a Māori watercraft. We all rowed in unison while our Maori guide called out the cadence.

We checked out the Botanical Gardens and could smell the roses well before we could see them. They were spectacular! It was one of the best gardens we had ever seen. Then we split a meat pie– a NZ staple– for lunch and checked out the Cardboard Cathedral. This building is formally called the Transitional Cathedral, in Christchurch and is the transitional pro-cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch, replacing Christchurch Cathedral which was significantly damaged in the 2011 earthquake. It is called Cardboard because it is made with cardboard tubes. For more see: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cardboard-cathedral#

We were hosted for dinner by a local couple, Leesa and Patrick Coyle who picked us up at the hotel and brought us to their lovely home outside of Christchurch for a delicious dinner that included home cooked lamb, with pavlova for dessert. They were fantastic hosts and we had a great time with them and their daughter Amelia.