Christchurch Redux

Last night when we arrived there was no parking left in the hotel’s little lot that we thought we could fit our large SUV into.  So we parked it on the street and paid the hour that was left on the street parking with the plan that we would move it first thing this morning.  I went outside this morning so I could report back to Gayle if there was a space available in the parking lot.  We have a large car by New Zealand standards and we have had to park in some tight spots.  Gayle directs while I freak out that I’m going to hit a car.  This morning I decided to overcome my fear and just park the damn car in a tight spot all by myself.  I managed with only one bad interaction with a curb.

I enjoyed my muesli and croissant in the common room of the hotel before heading out to have some adventures.  Gayle stayed behind to rest and save herself for tonight’s rugby game.  We are hoping to minimize her steps.

I asked the woman at reception if I would get a better view of Christchurch and the bay if I rode the gondola or the chairlift. She said, “We don’t have a chairlift.”  Actually, they do have a chairlift.  So I decided to do both of them today and see which one has a better view.  I started with the gondola.  

There is a lovely view in every direction.

You can walk out as far as you dare on this ridge.  

Hang gliders are everywhere.

Sheep dot the hillside.

I spotted the stadium Gayle and I will be going to tonight, with the Southern Alps above it.

I headed over to the Christchurch Adventure Park Chairlift.  It exists for mountain bikers to get their bikes to the top of the hill and ride down.  My Uber driver told me he did it once and he would never dirt bike down the mountain again.  When I arrived I headed for the bathrooms and laughed when I saw that only one is designated for women.  I have entered a man’s world.

Every other chair lift is actually a bike lift.  

The ride up was beautiful.  It was so still. 

Signs dotted the hillside warning of the danger of mountain biking.

Most of the bikers were boys between the ages of 12-16, although there were younger and older people. I only saw one female biker. The bikes were taken up on the lift just ahead of their riders.  As soon as the riders hit the top of the hill they would leap off the chair with their helmets already on, grab the bikes and head off.  

A sign at the top told them which trails were open and which were closed.

I don’t know if this photo gives you enough perspective to see just how treacherous the trail was in spots.

But I had come for the view and it was glorious.  I can’t tell you which one was better.  They were both lovely and I was glad I had checked them both out.

I called an Uber and asked to go to C1Espresso, a restaurant in downtown Christchurch that delivers your food through pneumatic tubes.  I ordered fries and then sat and waited for them to be delivered to the tube nearest me.

I loved the menu.  This was the centerfold. I could tell how C1Espresso feels about the leadership of my country.

To find the toilet in this restroom the bookcase slides open and you decide which Star Wars character best describes your gender identity.  I considered C-3PO since I have had a double mastectomy but went with Princess Leia.

It is a lovely day in Christchurch and I decided to walk back to our hotel.  Business office windows are decorated with shout outs to Christchurch’s rugby team for tonight’s game.  I walked past the Hari Krishna band, the street preacher and the Avon river.  Our hotel is directly across the street from the Art Centre and last time we were here we tried to enter the Great Hall and see the stained glass window but it was closed for maintenance.  I decided to see if maybe it was open today.  It was.  It is dedicated to all those who went to school on this site and served in WWI. It was installed in 1938 but removed after the earthquake in 2011.  Once restored it was reinstalled.

We left our hotel hopeful that an Uber driver could get us close enough to our restaurant for tonight and therefore, the stadium.  Our hopes became reality when we are dropped off directly in front of Pasta Pasta.  While we ate our carbs Gayle read to us about the rules of rugby.  We had already done this but we were left confused.  We had a bit more comprehension when we walked over to the stadium, but not much.  We stopped at the merch trailer.  We each got a beanie hat and scarf.  We wanted to support the Christchurch team and blend win with the locals.

This game tonight is a big deal for Christchurch fans.  The place was packed, every seat was filled. The Christchurch stadium was severely damaged by the earthquake of 2011 and had to be demolished.  The game we were attending was the first game for the Christchurch Crusaders in their brand new stadium. You could feel the excitement.  Before the game began a former player for the Crusaders carried out a stone from the damaged stadium and put it on a pedestal in the center of the field, symbolizing the team’s connection to their history and to the resilience and rebuilding of this city.  It was interesting to Gayle and I that there was an announcement directing us on what to do in the event of an earthquake.

The Crusaders were playing the Waratahs from Australia. I thought maybe we would hear two national anthems.  Instead, Maori performers did a traditional song.  The men blew conch shells.  It felt solemn and sacred.  When the two teams were on the field, the Crusaders team did a warrior chant to begin the game.  It was beyond cool. 

The halftime show was a rapper from Christchurch named Scribe.  People around us all sang along.

The two teams pushing against each other in a huddle formation; 

the way they lifted up one player to catch the ball when it was thrown in from the sidelines; 

and the spontaneous kicking of the ball to try to keep a forward motion were fun to watch.

The Crusaders beat the Waratahs 35-20.  I cheered like I had been a fan my whole life. Gayle and I left a few minutes early to make sure we could catch a ride home.  We found the line of taxis and grabbed the first one.