Auckland to Christchurch, New Zealand

Our Kiwi adventure began in Auckland, but after finally getting all our stinky washing done, the rest of our two days there was spent organising the remaining part of our trip. This involved various missions to the Qantas office, and a lengthy sesh at the travel clinic. Auckland felt extremely familiar with its busy streets and had a very English feel to it, something we felt straight away once on the big fast roads heading into town away from the airport. We had definitely left the South Pacific behind in everything except geography.

We also met up with our friends Warwick and Amanda who we had got to know for all of one night in Costa Rica, nearly 7 months ago. We arranged to meet them in a pub near where they live in the area of Kingsland. Both of us had some trepidation about being able to recognise them, but we need not have worried as they recognised me immediately as I went to walk past them as the came in. We had a great evening, and it was nice to hear some stories from people in the city they live in. Strangely there was a pub quiz on, which added to the home away from home feel, particularly as we were totally rubbish at it as usual.

After checking out some of the quite literally hundreds of car and camper van rental agencies in NZ, we realized it would work out cheaper for us to fly down to Christchurch and rent a car that we could return to Auckland. This is because most people do it the other way, so the one way fee is often discarded for people who can take vehicles back up, and some hefty discounts from Christchurh offices were on offer to encourage you to do it that way. We therefore booked ourselves a bargain flight and made our way to the airport.

Flying in to Christchurch, we got a great view of the Cook Strait separating the North and South Islands.


The start of the southern Alps.


More of them.


Snowy ridges.


Flying over the Canterbury plain on the approach to Christchurch.


The Hurunui River. You can see quite clearly here the vast amount of wind breaking fir trees planted all over the plain. Due to it being so dry and flat, huge irrigation is needed to keep it fertile and the trees stop the soil from blowing away in the dryer season.


It took us a little while to locate a car we were happy with at the rental place we had chosen in Christchurch. This was mainly due to us wanting to have something small, but not so small that we would have to pack everything into our bags to fit it back in the car between camping spots. In the end a very helpful chap managed to locate a Toyota Yaris like all the others that we had seen, but on this one, you could slide the rear seat forward right up to the drivers seat, giving us a load more room in the boot. Ideal Ian Beal!

We had a swift look round Christchurch and it seemed a very civilised pleasant place, with pretty streets and an uncomplicated cheerfulness to it. Hedging our bets in a slightly cheeky fashion, we didn't book ourselves into any accommodation immediately, but instead called our friends Kirstie and Johann that we had met in Galapagos and they kindly invited us to stay at their house 20mins away on the road to Darfield.

It was so nice to see them again, as we had really enjoyed their company on our Galapagos adventure and they're now situated in a huge great place with a lovely garden. They cheerfully lent us the use of their spare room (with a beautifully comfortable bed that Clairy said reminded her of my super mattress back home) although we did offer to stick the tent up in the garden.

Kirstie is a vet and through work she had been given two tickets to the Christchurch Royal Show (a similar type event to the Bath and West Show in the UK, though with some uniquely Kiwi events!). All four of us planned to go, but when Kirstie was called back to her surgery, she very generously gave the tickets to us and me and Clairy went ahead on our own.

One of the first things we came across was this freaky circus game that was apparently established in 1934. We were not sure exactly what the point of it was but the heads rotated left and right in a disconcerting way.


King Kong vs Godzilla!


Check out this beautiful thing. There were some lovely old beasts.


Including this one. The ancient engine put-putted away while he spent an age adjusting and re-adjusting all the bolts on his lathe. He had a large crowd watching...and we stayed for a good 10 minutes but he didn't seem to be any nearer to getting the wood turning. We left him to it and moved on.


I loved this super early British tractor.


Clairy spotted this rather disturbing 'crutch-master' stall for trimming the behinds of sheepies, complete with 'tester' sheep and pretend sheeps behind.


Clairy was also particularly pleased with this composition of miniature Shetland pony accompanied by miniature teenage-cowboy.


'Oh hi! We found a bulbous mirror to take a strange picture in.'


Our next find was a particularly entertaining round of the sheep dog trials. The unfortunate entrant made what appeared to be a fairly small mistake, yet the disparaging remarks that continued all throughout the rest of his round from the miserable commentator belting it out on the P.A. system would surely have been enough to make him give up up the event forever, right there and then. His chances of winning the years supply of Eukanuba dog food were tragically gone.


The next event we came across was one that you definitely don't get at the Bath and West. The wood chopping competition was a real eye opener. It turned out the event was part of the wood chopping world championships with an impressive array of disciplines and contestants from around the world. The first event we watched was the vertical chop. For some reason the official uniform seems to require white trousers which quickly seem to get a rather dirty bottom area...


A case in point. This guy however, won the event, hacking through his log at an incredible pace.


The next discipline required the contestants to hack a massive log in half as they stood on it (surely not the most sensible way of felling a branch in the real world). No steel toe-caps here, they all seemed to be wearing the most lightweight gym daps and you couldn't help but feel a little nervous for their toes.


The countdown was done in such a way as to allow for some kind of handicap system meaning some started before others.


And even though this chap started last...


He motored through...


Chopping with huge powerful strokes...


And completely destroyed the competition to finish first by a long way.


Next was the modified tractor pull competition...one I insisted we go and see! I had watched it once late at night on some obscure cable tv channel, and was entranced. These things are insane. They're basically tractors made into dragsters with huge engines run on jet fuel, and race each other whilst dragging a massively heavy trailer behind them through the dirt.


They make an almighty racket.


And have a big rear extension to stop them pulling enormous wheelies at

Clairy thought it was an hilarious sight to see so many people piling up on this mound of dirt to get a decent view.


Rather unfortunately for the contestants, just round the corner form the deafening modified tractor pull, the llama competition was being judged.


Naturally Clair was right in there. She just can't get enough of them.


This owner seemed to have swept the board with his top quality llamas. They were being rewarded with some well earned carrot slices. The one in the middle seemed to be a right piggy.


But Clairy could see though the greed to her outstanding grace and beauty.


I asked the owner what it meant when their ears move back as below. He cheerfully informed us that it could be 'anything from the mildest irritation to being incredibly pissed off'. He also said that they rarely spit at people, but generally save that unpleasantly physical demonstration of emotion for each other.


Mmmm...Nice hoof.


Clairy had a chat with this nice lady in order to cop a feel. She whispered to her, 'Its not my llama...I keep horses'


Next up was the pie eating contest, a disappointingly amateur affair I felt. If I had known it was going to be as rubbish as it was, I would have taken part myself. All that was required was the consumption of 2 pies and a burger, and the first one to complete this tiny task was declared the winner and got some free beer.


The guy in the red t-shirt here was just plain rubbish. He really didn't have a decent technique worked out at all. Ever since my appalling performance in a charity donut eating competition when I worked at AQA I've felt that I could do so much better, particularly as I noticed the winner hadn't seemed to do any chewing at all...just bite sized chunks and swallowing. Probably horrific for your insides, but who cares when you can win free beer!


These guys don't evidently...I think they maybe just wanted some free lunch the cheeky buggers.


After this we headed to the colossal livestock barns. We saw some lovely sheep.


Some of them looked a great deal bigger than their British counterparts. Strange.


Clairy was extremely excited by the chicken show. This heavy breed section winner in particular.


A silkie...like some kind of Russian hat.


Oh hi!


Me checking out the seriously fancy bantams.


Him again.


This long suffering mum was being pushed around by her chubby piglets. She had the most incredibly squashed face.


And I think this was probably the biggest bull I've ever seen. He was colossal, and so beautiful...I wanted to get in there with him and give him a hug.


No eyes at all.


Aww...this was actually a whole stall of stuffed cows and calfs. Strangely unsettling.


We popped round a corner and what should we see, a little llama, heavily restrained, having a trim. Poor bugger was being held still by the ears as well as being winched to the ground.


Fortunately, it didn't affect my appetite. Not for pie's anyway...I'm not really sure anything could.


Clairy spotted this spectacularly tasteful advert for her furry friends.


Our final event of the day was the nifty sounding Lone Ryders All-Girl Stunt Rider show. I was slightly gutted to find that they were on horses and not motorbikes, but Clairy loved it! The girls were all young and extremely excitable whooping and shouting to get the crowd going.


Check out their moves...


Some of them looked well dangerous, not least because they had to stop rather suddenly in the tiny ticker-taped off section of the arena they were assigned. We later worked out that the rest of the arena was being prepared for the Shetland pony grand national.


They finished each stunt with a ride-by wave for the crowd.


An accidentally-zoomed-in-yet-still-quite-nice shot.


Ah...that's better.




It really felt like a we had had a uniquely kiwi experience at the show. It was a hilarious day. We headed into Christchurch afterwards to get some photos, but seemed to have ended up with just this one from Cathedral Square below. We both really liked this sculpture, and Clairy got this nice shot with the cathedral in the background.


Later in the evening in Johann and Kirstie's garden I finally got the opportunity to repair my thermo-rest. Previously me and the lady had fixed four...yes four god damn punctures caused by something skewering my rucksack on our travels, but it was still leaking. I used our generous hosts vast spa-bath to locate the final hole...and here's me glueing on a patch. A beautiful sight I'm sure you'll agree.


When we were leaving Kirstie and Johann's place the following morning, Kirstie asked if we fancied dropping in on her at her workplace. It seemed like a photo opportunity not to be missed.

'Nurse...I need more bandages...Brightly coloured ones!'


And then we were actually roped into doing some genuine help. Poor Maddy, a lovely little collie, had been run over on her owner's campsite and needed an x-ray. Kirstie suited me up in the lead gown and I got to hold her still while the pictures were taken.


The real vet at work. Thanks for letting us play at your work Kirstie...and lets hope none of your customers ever see these pictures eh!