So the flight from Auckland to Christchurch was really not that bad. Actually quite a good flight, got to see a beautiful sunset and i think the alcohol had pretty much worn off. We did find out that Christchurch had had another big aftershock thing while we were in the air - luckily missed it!
Got back to Christchurch and we were absolutely buggered - although our luggage came out straight away which was good. So we headed to the hotel, watched a little bit of Letterman and then crashed out in prepaaration for a big Tuesday. Also figured out how to work the water temperature in thsi hotel. Just couldn't figure out how to keep the water in the shower and not spread it throughout the bathroom.
Tuesday started pretty late, but with bagels. and not just any bagels - the best bagels in New Zealand. We headed to Cafe Decadence (opposite Christchurch Casino) for the second time because there bagels are just a maz ing! and they remembered us - which was lovely and embarrassing! After breakfast we headed back for some last minute souvenier shopping - both spent a small fortune - and then went to find Fudge Cottage. There was supposed to be a tour - but as usual we were running late and missed it, so we bought some fudge and then headed to the botanic gardens.
We were feeling quite lazy (something new and different for us) so we jumped on this caterpillar thing which drove you round the gardens, while we ate our fudge. it was not, unfortunately, a giant caterpillar that drove you round, it was a bus thing called Caterpillar. Haha - Christchurch must be NZ's city of love coz it was almost third date for me and Chrissy - they gave us a big fluffy blanket for the Caterpillar ride. We though it was a blanket for snuggling but the winds just got really cold at the gardens. Um other than the romantic caterpillar ride, it was just gardens, saw a fountain and some more cool trees and the lady was super duper smart about knowing her foliage.
After thet we hurried back to the hotel to dump our stuff and head to a melbourne cup celebration. Now the nation of NZ does not stop for Melbourne cup - it was bizarre. We went to His Lordships Bar and there was like 9 people there. Crazy. But sipping champagne in Sol Square is not a terrible way to spend the race... We hung out there for a bit, drinking our champagne and watching the NZ races they showed after - discussed owning a racehorse together (named superglue - which i think is mean but Chrissy bagsed naming rights). After that we headed down to find a taxi to get us to Lone Star for dinner. Was wierd coz we were the only drunk people walking down the street on Melbourne Cup day! Which would never happen back home. and the champagne had gone straight to my head, so it was looking and laughing when I thought a pigeon was attacking me and screamed and ran, arms flailing!!!
Lone Star was not as amazing as Rotorua or Wellington, (one good thing about Wellington, which got voted 4th best city in the world to visit or something - unbelievable coz Wellington was both out least favourite places ) but still good. Pretty sad coz the first LoneStar ever got ruined in the earthquake. The taxi driver on the way did try and sret us up with his son ... ew. Taxi driver on the way back was even funnier. He was talking and chatting and then told us he was famous in Australia. we were like Right -o then.... and thought he was a total cuckoo but then I asked what he was famous for and he showed su a photo album - him and his wife are Terri and Steve Irwin look a likes. For real too! His wife actually looked like what Terri Irwin wished she looked like , like a pretty, not butch Terri, and the taxi driver was a bit old but still looked like him. Absolutely crazy! Anyways after that came like a mammoth packing effort - after like 2 hours we got fed up and went for cocktails - they ran out of Wow's after our first so we just drank a few different stuff and shots and then headed back for our last Christchurch sleep.
This morning came another packing session and then I went to move the car close. Took me half an hour to get trhe car to the next street coz i got so lost and confused. oops ... um eventually got our stuff ion the car and went back to Cafe Decadence for bag4els round 3. Seriously, if anyone is in Christchurch - go get bagels. Amazing!
Oh ands sad news - I am heading home minus an aussie sim card and my cowboy boots. How i lost both cowboy boots I have no idea! They were my favourite shoes ever too.
After our breakfast we headed to New Brighton to check out Scribes circle things and thenhad to leave for the airport. Got incredibly lost trying to get back and then, kinda luckily, got pulled over by a police car. She asked how much I though the speed limit was, unfortunately I guessed 80 and it was 50. I felt really bad but there was like paddocks on the side and they don't have a lot of signpost. Not that I bored the copper with excuses, i just apologised and luckily the copper was so nice, got off with a warning and some excellent directions which got us to the airport in no time - At a very respectable 50 km an hour. Lesson learned!
And now we are at the airport, came in over luggage limit, but minusing Chrissys unused luggage was only 3kgs over. Normally that would cost 60 bucks, but the lady was so nice and just gave it to me for free! and now we are just waiting to depart. I am so so so sad to leave. I have a tear and will probably shed more.
