SPL#2 - NZ Trip (1-11Nov 07) Day 1 & 2

DAY 1 - Nov 1, 2007

We were all prepared and ready and left our home at 4pm. Normally we would have gone on the ECP but we heard there was a massive jam there that day so we used the PIE instead.

So we got there, checked-in and had our dinner at Swensen's as planned. Which was good, as it turned out to be.

Dinner at Swensen's

Hmm.. what are we going to have?

On flight dinner (or you could call that supper, as it was served at 10pm, 2 hours after the flight took off) was served, and there was supposed to be a choice between chicken and beef, but when they got to us there was no chicken left!! And as you know I do not consume beef and mutton because of the smell, so I was like err.. okay.. luckily I had Swensen's earlier, otherwise I would have starved, like literally.

And for the rest of the night, it was really about frantically trying to catch some sleep. There was so much movement, people walking about, going to the toilets, people adjusting their luggage, and so on. It was irritating and I couldn't wait to arrive in Sydney.



DAY 2 - Nov 2, 2007

We landed in Sydney at 6am Australia time, which is 3am our time. Another round of security checks and transit desk registration at Kingsford Smith airport, and off we were on our flight to Christchurch.

Our flight to Christchurch was delayed by about 30 minutes, not that we were too energetic to bother about that though. This was a good time to catch on some sleep, and so we did!

After another 3 hours on the plane, we finally arrived in the "most English looking city outside of England". First thing I did upon arrival? Oh that's easy, dash out of the airport to take in some of that cold, fresh air. It was lovely - just yesterday everything felt so hot and humid.

Outside the Christchurch Airport

Very happy to be back in NZ...

Beautiful spring flowers that lace the pathways

Next stop, Belle Bonne motel. The cab ride cost us $35. But our motel wasn't even that far away from the airport. But this is with taxi rides in New Zealand - you pay four times as much as you would in Singapore.

Belle Bonne motel

It was already 4pm when we arrived at the motel. We were still tired from the lack of sleep, but that wouldn't be an acceptable excuse for not checking the city out. It's nearing summertime so nights are short and days are long, therefore some shops and attractions extend their operating hours. And that is just perfect for tourists like us who need more time to explore the city.

We took a cab down to Cathedral Square, which is in the heart of Christchurch city. We bought some groceries there so we could prepare dinner when we returned to our motel. But since none of us wanted to wait that long for dinner as we were already famished from not having any breakfast or lunch, we bought some food from the street stalls to temporarily relieve our hunger.

Cathedral Square

Cathedral Square tram station

It was an extremely windy evening, gusts after gusts of cold wind blew in our faces as we made our way around. After dinner and doing some shopping in the vicinity, we decided to go for a tram tour around the city.

And surely after being hit continuously by gusts of cold wind outside, the warmer temperature inside the tram was of much relief to us!

Interior of the tram

The blossoms which remind us it's springtime

Hagley Park

A couple of rides around the city, a few more photo stops, a stroll in Hagley Park and then we were back in the comfort of our motel. And what's better than some instant noodles and hot chocolate drinks before we go to bed!