Visit New Zealand - Day Two

I have a day off from the conference, so my day is devoted to sightseeing. First I visit the Canterbury Museum (left)where I learn about the Maori, the Moa (flightless birds of varying sizes that were hunted to extinction by the Maori and European settlers), greenstone jade, the history of Christchurch, the local environment and its florae and faunae, and the expeditions to the Antarctic that have set off from the city.

After, I call at the Arts Centre (right), a complex of striking gothic style buildings and cloisters, which contain several galleries, artisan’s workshops and craft stalls as well as a theatre and an arts cinema. I eat a light lunch (veggie toastie with three kinds of salad, including an amazing kumara salad) at Dux De Lux, a pub that will become a favourite of mine due to the amazing alcoholic ginger beer called Ginger Tom.

In the afternoon, I mooch about the cathedral (which, although beautiful, is like any other cathedral) and cathedral square (left) where I admire the big metalwork sculpture, the huge chess and the old post office.

After a spot of shopping, I spend a long while browsing around Christchurch Art Gallery (right). I’m not too impressed by the special exhibitions or modern art, but the 'Art Goes Country' exhibition of works reflecting rural New Zealand is very good and the permanent collection contains some gorgeous pieces.

I return to my hotel and despite my best intentions for ‘just having a power-nap’ I fall asleep at 5pm and wake up at 10.30pm. Not seeing the point in getting up, I just go back to sleep.