⚲ Christchurch, Aotearoa/New Zealand (South Island)

Because I only had one full day in Christchurch, I decided to make the most of it and squeeze in as much as I could. It was go time!

Once it was an acceptable time to wake up, I headed back to the city centre for the tram tour. The system dates back to the 1800s, originally running on steam and horsepower, before switching to electricity in the 1920s. It was damaged during WWII and replaced by diesel buses in 1954, but in 1995 the heritage trams made a comeback and now help showcase the city – which is a very cool way to see it all.

Much like the bike tour in Singapore, it was a great way to see a lot in a short amount of time – although this one was only 50 minutes (and thankfully didn’t require any cycling!). While I really enjoyed hearing the history, what stood out most to me was the resilience of the city. Christchurch was hugely impacted by the 2011 earthquake, yet has rebuilt so much. It was fascinating to learn that some of the new buildings can withstand tremors up to 8.5 on the Richter scale, and the hospital up to 9.5 – which is just incredible! Whilst there are still visible remnants of the disaster, the city felt strong, vibrant, and full of life. The importance of community and support networks in overcoming hardship was so evident everywhere, and it was really beautiful to see.

Next, I took a gondola up Mount Cavendish to the Port Hills Lookout.

The ride up was impressive in itself, but stepping out at the top – WOW! I had heard so much about how beautiful New Zealand is, and now I was seeing it with my own eyes. Not a bad start at all!

After taking in the views, I had some lunch and then went for a walk towards the tip of the lookout. The views stayed absolutely stunning the whole way, and I also learned about the Māori deity Kahukura, the “Rainbow Deity”, associated with life and protection. There is an area called Te Tihi o Kahukura (“Citadel of the Rainbow”), and watching the light hit it, it was easy to see why it was named that. This felt especially meaningful to include in my journey, as it connected both to Māori culture and to my family’s affinity with the rainbow following the loss of my sister, Rebecca.

The walk itself was beautiful but very windy (see picture for comedic effect!). In fact, it got so strong that they started ushering people into the cable cars and stopped letting others up, so I felt very lucky with my timing!

Once safely back down, I headed to the river for some punting. Although it covered some of the same areas as the tram tour, it was really interesting to see the city from a completely different perspective. It was also fascinating to learn that people on the water during the earthquake wouldn’t have felt it at all.

Our guide, a lovely Frenchman called Noe, had recently moved to New Zealand, so it was really interesting to hear about his experience adapting to Kiwi life. Like me, he really seemed to see the beauty of the place, which felt quite reassuring for the rest of my trip.

I also got my first close-up glimpse of local wildlife, as a family of pāpangos (New Zealand scaups) joined us on the river. They were very cute and playful, and stayed with us for most of the journey, while Noe showed us how to tell the males and females apart. We also saw a black swan.

With the sun still out, I went to explore some of the city’s street art – an initiative to brighten Christchurch after the earthquake. I loved the variety, especially a penguin mural that reminded me of Mum.

Just before heading for an afternoon treat, I managed to visit the Cardboard Cathedral. I arrived at the same time as two other British girls, and the staff joked that they’d been expecting us and had kept it open just for us! It was such an impressive space, and honestly so lovely of them to let us in. This was built as a temporary sanctuary following the 2011 earthquake, using 98 rolls of cardboard, and some shipping containers! A lot of its decor is cardboard themed too. It stands now as a stunning testament to architectural innovation and the city’s resilient spirit.

I then made my way to Duck Island – probably the most important recommendation I had been given! Naturally, this was an ice cream place and it absolutely did not disappoint. The flavours were so creative that I couldn’t choose just one – so I didn’t! I went for three smaller scoops: white chocolate pomegranate macadamia, strawberry coconut lime leaf, and pistachio honey. I feel like these would have been very Mum-approved choices.

Whilst enjoying my ice cream, I messaged my friend from the plane. We weren’t sure we’d get to meet, but then, as I was walking back into my hostel I walked past her sitting in a doorway! We both did a double take, and ended up having dinner together with two other Brits (it seemed I was only meeting Brits but we do have a habit of finding each other abroad!). We had the most ridiculously funny conversation and laughed the entire evening. They were nearing the end of their trip and shared some great tips for mine, which just made me feel even more excited to be here!

After such a lovely end to a very busy day, and knowing I had an early start, I packed everything up and headed to bed; I was excited to see what New Zealand had in store for me next.

Much Love,
Sara 💛

Song of the Day: “Catching Feelings”, Drax Project (ft Six60). I may have only been here for a day, but I can already tell I’m really gonna like it here…

⚲ Christchurch, Aotearoa/New Zealand (South Island)

(Translation: Welcome!) 

And touchdown – I was in New Zealand! It felt quite surreal, as I had been planning this trip for such a long time, and New Zealand is so far from home – and a whole other hemisphere too! After a whole ordeal with my passport not scanning at the electronic gates, the lovely people at Christchurch Airport helped me out and allowed me entry into their country, and then I was really in New Zealand!

I hadn’t had as much sleep as I would have liked on the plane, and the vegetarian breakfast option was… questionable, so my plan was to check into my hostel, have a quick shower, and then go and find some food. My main aim, though, was not to fall asleep! I really wanted to push through and sleep at night to help with the time difference and jet lag. Although, as many of you have probably guessed, this plan was very quickly foiled!

Check-in wasn’t until 3, so I left my bags in storage and went to find some food and toiletries (specifically suncream, because despite it being on my “do not forget” list, I somehow still forgot to pack it). Once I was checked in, I made the mistake of sitting on my very comfy bed whilst booking my coach to my next stop… and fell into a deep sleep. It was only about an hour and a half, but honestly, that was enough to leave me feeling completely disorientated!

I realised that, as my coach was at 7am the day after next, this only gave me one full day in Christchurch – so I suddenly had quite a lot to fit in! Thankfully, I also had the evening ahead of me, so I decided to head down to the Riverside Market.

As many of you will know, I love a theme, and I love my music – so it felt very fitting that one of my favourite bands at the moment is from New Zealand. I’d had a feeling their music would be the soundtrack to this road trip, so I popped in my headphones, selected Drax Project, pressed play, and off I went.

The walk down to the Riverside Market was lovely, taking me through a pretty park and then, unsurprisingly, along a river – very on brand! The market itself was beautifully laid out, with cute fairy-light lanterns, and just had a really lovely vibe overall. After eating (and enjoying the live entertainment from the table next to me – potentially a joint stag/hen do?), I headed back along the river. By this point, it was getting dark and everything was starting to light up, which looked so beautiful.

By the time I got back, I decided it was just about late enough to go to bed. I was trying hard to fight the jet lag, but I think I held out as long as I could! Even still, I woke up at 2am, wide awake… which was not ideal. I did manage to force myself back to sleep eventually, but it wasn’t easy. I was just too jetlagged and too excited to finally be here!

Much Love,
Sara 💛

Song of the Day: “Toto”, Drax Project. This one opens with “I quit my job” and then goes on to sing about how essentially life is short and we don’t know what will happen, but embracing the unknown and enjoying the ride is the best part. Having quit my job to make time for myself and to travel the world solo, which has always been a dream of mine, this song really resonates with me. I’m looking forward to this chapter of my life, but it is also a risk that I’m taking and therefore, a little scary. Whilst I may feel a little anxiety of leaving the financial security of a job, I feel hopeful about “stepping into the unknown” of this journey. I have got too used to riding the wave that is grief, and I know that will never stop, but hopefully with this trip I can also celebrate and enjoy the ride of chasing a dream, and getting some much needed rest and headspace.(Also we love a reference embedded in a song – especially when it’s a chance to “bless the rains”!)