All Summer Long

Drifting across country from the West Coast of New Zealand, we spent a couple of days in Christchurch and it’s surrounding areas before departing finally from the South Island.

The city has been devastated by earthquakes and a drive through town will see you marshalled through traffic cones, past its stadium which has been dispensed with entirely. They’re doing a brilliant job rebuilding it though, and we absolutely loved our time there! At least they have an excuse for the roadworks. Birmingham, we’re looking at you. 

As you approach the centre of Christchurch, you can spare the city from suffering further grief as you take on Space Invaders with an oversized joystick. The story is literally that the aliens are robbing off with the traffic cones. Watch the screen on the other side of the street as your spacecraft dissolves into pixels, then head round to Little High for food in one of the locals’ favourite hangouts. Street arcade and a simple meal suits us fine. The botanical gardens were ace as well!

We spent the rest of our time at the city’s limits and beyond – in beaches, valleys, summits. Our highlight was the French settlement of Akaroa, which sits snug in the bottom of a valley, beside its harbour, at the end of a twisting road. Ask for a fork with your fish and chips and you may get called a Pom! We climbed a rock at Sumner Beach and watched a seagull scream at the ground. It just kept screaming with its beak down. Who knows what that means.