Thursday, November 30, 2006

Visit New Zealand - Day Three


I wake up at 4.30am because I fell asleep so early last night! I pass the time until anything opens by reading in my room, then check out the Centre of Contemporary Art (left) before my meeting at the conference begins. I’m pretty nonplussed by all of it, although the retro posters for old TV shows like ‘I Love Lucy’ are quite interesting.

After the meeting, I scuttle back through the rain to my hotel, where Canterbury Tours call me to cancel the gondola trip and Maori dinner due to the bad weather. Booh. Instead, I eat at Dux De Lux (right) again - crab cakes, salad and another pint of Ginger Tom - and wandered to Cathedral Square and back before going to bed.

Feel slightly disheartened and lonely tonight. I can't really socialise with the conference delegates because I'm not a doctor, and I'd rather meet some backpacker types or people my own age anyway. I just don't know how to do it - people seem to be in pre-formed cliques. Tried looking for suitable openings at the pub but chickened out. Hopefully things will be better once I'm on the bus.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006

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.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Visit New Zealand - Day One


I arrive in Christchurch and get a shuttle to my hotel, The Classic Villa on Worcester Boulevard. On the minibus, I chat to a couple who have just been visiting their daughter in Sydney and discover that she went to Sheffield University and lived just along the road from where I lived when I was a student (‘small world’ example #1). What I see of the city from the window of the minibus looks lovely – very green, a combination of tranquil parks and a city buzz. After a shower and relax in my room, I wander around to the YHA to pick up my travel documents for the bus tour.

On the way back I pass the Bard on Avon where Birral was a regular when he lived in Christchurch. I stop in for a Guinness and a chat with Liz who remembers him. Chilling outside in the sun, my boss calls me and I go to meet him at his hotel to make sure we’re up to speed for our meetings at the conference. He invites me to the welcome dinner, but as well as being very jet lagged, I realise I haven’t brought smart enough clothes with me.


Instead, I treat myself to dinner at Sticky Fingers (an amazing pasta dish called Farfalle Mediterraneo – sunblush tomatoes, olives, pine nuts, basil and parmesan – and a glass of ace local red wine). Back at my hotel, which is very chilled and homely, I force myself to stay awake until 9pm by watching TV (weirdly they show Coronation Street on the main channel at prime time over here!) then succumb to sleep.

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