Around the World I

Day 19 - Tue 29 Apr 2003

Okay - absolutely shattered - made it through immigration, the woman could not quite believe that I was going to visit New Zealand in four days! She should work for the tourist board! I changed all my HK$ into NZ$, and caught a local bus in to Christchurch for NZ$4. The hotel was a bit of a trek but a bit of a find - a bit like Faulty Towers, but without Basil, but a couple of 'Major' types. All for NZ$75, and a cooked breakfast thrown in. Had a wander around town, but had to some back for a sleep! After that made it back out, and did my free tram ride to see all the sights!

Tourist Tram, Christchurch

Christchurch is a bit like Oz, a bit like the USA, but not (if you know what I mean). It's got covered sidewalks, second hand bookshops outdoor gear, a backpacker culture, with e-mail access on each corner - nice colonial streets, with old brick buildings with modern concrete blobs trying to muscle in. Anglo Saxon streetnames with Chinese, Japanese and anything else restaurants, and just as many languages being spoken and shouted. Elderly buskers plying their trade. Old Rover's and Triumph's race Subaru's and Holden's.

I was going to post the Lonely Planet Japan back, but it was Ł8, so I'll lug it a bit closer and try again. Watched a bit of telly in the TV lounge in the hotel. A UK soap opera was showing, but about six months behind the UK! Then got chatting to two women, one of them has done a lot of travel in Europe and the Far East. She said that I could easily spend a day in Changi airport in Singapore.

Christchurch is a British version of Reyjarvik - which I guess makes sense, since one is far south and the other far north!

NextView my route around the world here