The old Chalet held out quite well overnight, so we assumed it hadn't gotten as cold as predicted. I spotted some toadstools growing under some nearby trees and most likely caused some bemusement amongst locals over my mad gesturing and photo-taking. It was a crisp and clear day, with all of us in good spirits. As we were leaving Hanmer Springs, Lily pointed out some actual snow covering some nearby mountains behind us... it DID get cold after all.
The trip to Christchurch took no time at all, so we decided to pay a visit to the International Antarctic Centre. We were met by an over-sized Penguin, with Hamish making a stoic (and squealing) retreat behind Jen and I, leaving Lily to pose for the camera.
Inside, there was a snow storm simulator, which went from a toasty -8 degrees Celsius to a frost-bitten -18 degrees whilst they had the 'wind chill' (industrial fans) in effect. Lily noticed some hard-packed icy snow underfoot, so thought it would be a great idea to pelt me with a few clumps. Jen assures me the welts will go down with time...
With more one-way streets than even Sydney CBD, Christchurch was an absolute joy to negotiate by car. Once (eventually) reaching our hotel, we were stunned at how close we were to the Cathedral Square (100 metres at most). The lady must have noted my travel-weary (and contusion-riddled) face, and informed me we had been upgraded to a 3 bedroom apartment on the top floor. The place had balconies over 2 floors, and Lily even scored herself a queen-sized bed in her own room.
We made a quick tour around the middle of Christchurch and found it to be both lively and pretty. Somewhat lost without any Shopping Centres to speak of, we managed to track down an ice creamery for afternoon tea (some instinctive mechanism I believe). Jen and I opted for some sushi for dinner and I somewhat foolishly tried 'The Sampler'. The cheese and pineapple sushi roll took some will-power to digest. As lovely as the apartment is, I imagine the novelty of being adjacent to the Cathedral may wear a little thin as it strikes midnight...
The old Chalet held out quite well overnight, so we assumed it hadn't gotten as cold as predicted. I spotted some toadstools growing under some nearby trees and most likely caused some bemusement amongst locals over my mad gesturing and photo-taking. It was a crisp and clear day, with all of us in good spirits. As we were leaving Hanmer Springs, Lily pointed out some actual snow covering some nearby mountains behind us... it DID get cold after all.
The trip to Christchurch took no time at all, so we decided to pay a visit to the International Antarctic Centre. We were met by an over-sized Penguin, with Hamish making a stoic (and squealing) retreat behind Jen and I, leaving Lily to pose for the camera. 
Inside, there was a snow storm simulator, which went from a toasty -8 degrees Celsius to a frost-bitten -18 degrees whilst they had the 'wind chill' (industrial fans) in effect. Lily noticed some hard-packed icy snow underfoot, so thought it would be a great idea to pelt me with a few clumps. Jen assures me the welts will go down with time...
With more one-way streets than even Sydney CBD, Christchurch was an absolute joy to negotiate by car. Once (eventually) reaching our hotel, we were stunned at how close we were to the Cathedral Square (100 metres at most). The lady must have noted my travel-weary (and contusion-riddled) face, and informed me we had been upgraded to a 3 bedroom apartment on the top floor. The place had balconies over 2 floors, and Lily even scored herself a queen-sized bed in her own room.
We made a quick tour around the middle of Christchurch and found it to be both lively and pretty. Somewhat lost without any Shopping Centres to speak of, we managed to track down an ice creamery for afternoon tea (some instinctive mechanism I believe). Jen and I opted for some sushi for dinner and I somewhat foolishly tried 'The Sampler'. The cheese and pineapple sushi roll took some will-power to digest. As lovely as the apartment is, I imagine the novelty of being adjacent to the Cathedral may wear a little thin as it strikes midnight...
What a lovely photo of Jen with the children outside the Cathedral - Joshua is even smiling! Pleased you had so much fun at the International Antarctic Centre. I am sure you will be pleased to reach your accommodation at Fox tonight - a very long day!
ReplyDeleteLove from Nanna. xxxx