Day Five – Seafood, Seals, Sheep and some more Stunning Scenery

I couldn’t leave the Marlborough region without trying their Greenshell mussels farmed from the Marlborough Sounds… I’ve never seen mussels so big!!  They definitely lived up to the hype!!

I then started my four and a half hour drive to Christchurch along the eastern coast of the South Island.  The scenery was absolutely breathtaking.  Rolling hills, steep mountain peaks off in the distance and turquoise water lining the coast.

I stopped in Kaikoura, a seaside town known for its plentiful marine life.  If you’re going to eat while in town, crayfish is a must… so I tried a crayfish fritter.  It wasn’t what I was expecting, but good nonetheless. I drove out to the Seal Colony on the peninsula and was up close and personal with an entire pod of seals.  I made friends with this adorable pup who was just chillin’ in the shade hidden away from the water.  Although, I think our friendship might be one-sided… He doesn’t look to thrilled that I’m crashing his nap, haha.

I also think I saw more sheep today in my travels than I did people… which prompted me to jump on google and turns out New Zealand has just over seven sheep for every person.  Have you ever watched a group of them for a few minutes?  They were making me laugh (or maybe I was just really bored on the long drive).  Check out these two, who were all about taking a quick break from grazing to jump in my selfie…

I arrived in Christchurch early evening.  I have always been intrigued by this city.  First, the name is so unusual.  And when I worked as a sports reporter, I covered the Kiwi track cycling team who would train in Pennsylvania during their off-season and I distinctly remember Christchurch being mentioned in conversations and interviews.  So naturally I was curious about visiting when I planned my trip to New Zealand.  Christchurch, the largest city on the South Island, had been hit by a series of strong earthquakes in 2010 and 2011.  I had been told by several people not to bother going or if I do go, not to spend too much time because the city still hasn’t recovered.  I guess I wasn’t prepared for how true that statement is.

I’ve never seen anything like this.  You can’t drive more than a block without seeing more cranes, construction sites and even red zones.  I spent more than twenty minutes driving in circles trying to get to my hotel because so many roads were closed that it was next to impossible to get where I was going.  You can feel that the spirit of the city was destroyed when the earthquakes hit… it’s sad.  References to staying strong and rebuilding are spread throughout, like a new shopping area appropriately named “Re:Start” and a 46-meter neon light message lining the side of the Art Gallery reading, “Everything will be alright”.  The city is undergoing major change and re-growth and I’d be curious to come back down the road and see how Christchurch has been transformed.

I turn in my rental car tomorrow morning and fly to Queenstown!  Let the party begin!!