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A Glimpse of Christ Church
Never been on Airbus A380 before. And that was what I had been waiting for so keenly, mainly because of my peculiar habit of counting the different types of aircraft I have stepped into during my foreign travels. At last. This time it was to be an Emirates flight from Sydney to Christ church.
Our Australian tour had come to an end and almost all of us were looking forward to our next destination, Australia’s next-door neighbour! The direct flight from the Kingsford Smith Airport, Sydney would take us a little over 3 hours to reach Christchurch, one of the most important cities on the South Island of New Zealand.
New Zealand is a peaceful country, hardly creating undesirable ripples. Yet it was not without some feeling of apprehension that I stepped out of our plane. New Zealanders, I had learnt from my friends, are exceptionally protective about their biosecurity and national health. So, would the authorities check the soles of my shoes to locate any kind of dirt, would they object to my carrying a few packets of biscuits, would they slap a hefty fine, to be paid in New Zealand dollars! Thankfully, no one from our group was questioned, but one British youngster had to balance on each leg while his shoes were being thoroughly examined!
Once inside the Scania luxury coach, the excitement of seeing a new country drove away another lurking fear. Earthquakes. In the past decades there have been several instances when such natural calamities struck real hard and levelled several blocks of this very picturesque city that was to be my home for the next couple of days.
Photo credits: Inside 1: en.wikipedia.com; Inside 1A: stuff.co.nz
Were we in New Zealand? Or was it England? I could see several British-styled cottages of different sizes and colours lining the roads. Complementing the same were the street name markers displaying Clyde Road, Worcester Boulevard, Rolleston Avenue and so on. A very strong reminder indeed of the British influence on this country, still a part of the Commonwealth with the British Queen as its current monarch.
Our coach rolled on towards our hotel. A Kolkata person, I loved the tramcars, painted in bright red and yellow, plying quietly on the streets. Soon, traditional cottages and houses made way for more modern structures. The City Council building and the Container / Re:Start Mall caught my attention, as we whizzed past them. The mall is a temporary shopping destination, built entirely out of separate different-coloured shipping containers. It is a more of a ‘response’ to the City Mall that had been partially levelled by an earthquake, as some brochures clarified.
It was quite a windy day, with occasional showers. The bus ride to our hotel was a quiet and peaceful one, with no stops in between. We were booked at the Ibis Hotel on Hereford Street. Like hundreds of tourists from all corners of the globe, we had had to wake up quite early for our morning flight from Sydney. So it was nothing unusual for the receptionists to see a big bunch of very tired, yawning Indian tourists walk into a Christchurch hotel at about 2 PM,asking for LUNCH! But no, no Ibis lunch awaited the hungry mouths. It was to be a pure Indian lunch at a local Indian diner, 45 minutes later.
Photo Credits: Inside 2: eazydiner.com; Inside 2A: restaurantindia.in
Post checking in, all of us rushed to one Tandoori Palace, a simple but elegant Indian restaurant serving us a pure desi meal. As a matter of personal preference, I desperately try to avoid Indian meals during my travels abroad but generally in vain. The Indian travel companies somehow force themselves to feel that Indian meals are what most Indian tourists prefer and so it is Roti, rajma, achar in Greece, Chana masala, fish Amritsari, dahi, papad in Spain, Dosa, idly, vada in Dubai!
Photo Credits: Inside 3: en.wikipedia.org; Inside 3A: neatplaces.co.nz
Meal over, I decided to take a little evening walk along the road with the city map as my sole companion. A quick stroll took me around the Christchurch Central City area, a bustling shopping and cultural district set around a landmark cathedral damaged by the 2011 earthquake. Cafes and shops lined the streets, which seemed to be the pulsating heart of this city. The New Regent Street, built in Spanish mission style architecture and painted in soft pastel hues, houses several of these. It had become quite chilly by then. However, I kept walking in my quest to find out more about the area and also for my ever- relentless effort to gather travel brochures. It took me approx. 2 more hours to finally sign off for the day.
The next morning was bitterly cold and I could hear my teeth chatter, even though it was the month of October, spring/summer in the Southern Hemisphere. After another round of an early wake-up call and breakfast, it was time for a tour of the city in our luxury coach. Couldn’t I hear loud voices? There was a quite a commotion near the bus... a fiery debate was on with our Tour Manager trying to be a successful moderator. Topic of the morning... Seating Arrangement! Why should just one family occupying the front seats the day before, bag them again? Why should the others have to adjust? Why can’t others take the 1st row? This went on for some time until good sense prevailed and the tour started. I say- sometimes it pays to be a back bencher. In almost all my tours, I have always taken the last seat in the coach- the one good seat which will never be argued about or fought over. No one realises that it’s the best option if you want a hassle-free journey.
Photo Credits: Inside 4: en.wikipedia.com; Inside 4A: architectural-review.com
We drove round the city, catching a glimpse of the old and the new. The partially destroyed Christchurch Cathedral at Cathedral Square stood with a modern “Chalice” structure beside it. Repair work was on to bring it back to shape. The earthquake memorial consisting of 185 white chairs, tells the tale of one heart-wrenching moment when several innocent lives were lost in a sudden, devastating natural calamity. The Cardboard Cathedral, built as a transitional church that temporarily replaced the Christchurch Cathedral, caught our attention. It was more than evident that the city was trying its best to cope up with its share of natural disasters. Some of the levelled city blocks had been turned into parking lots. Renovation work too was on and that too in full swing.
Photo Credits: Inside 5: theplanetd.com; Inside 5A: mustdonewzealand.co.nz
In Christchurch, Nature has not been unkind all through, one has to agree. We got an amazing view of the scenic hill side on one hand, which is actually Mt. Vernon Park. Moreover, to add colour to the scene were the sudden bursts of way side flowers, mainly Azalea and Lupin. Full of greenery, Hagley Park, part of whichis the world famous Hagley Oval Cricket Ground, acts as the lungs of Christchurch. The Avon River flows through the city and keeps reminding a traveller of the picturesque British countryside. Activities such as Punting are quite famous here. Along with the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, the park adds to the natural wealth of the area and acts as a refreshing change from concrete jungles. No wonder, Christchurch is referred to as the Garden City.
Photo Credits: Inside 6: depositphotos.com Inside 6A: theplanetd.com
As we drove on, we were shown memorials such as the Bridge of Remembrance and the statue of Captain James Cook. We were also able to catch a glimpse of a portion of the campus of the University of Canterbury, an old and prestigious institution of the country. That Christchurch has a rich past is evident also from the Canterbury Museum and the art galleries.
My stay in Christchurch was short, too short for my liking. There was so much more to see and enjoy. So, I do intend going back at least once again and walk through Madras Street, visit a neighbourhood called Cashmere and finally have just one meal in Mumbaiwala Indian Street Kitchen!
Photo credits: Banner Left: tripadvisor.in; Banner Center: mustdonewzealand.co.nz; Banner Right: inpinimg.com
Our Australian tour had come to an end and almost all of us were looking forward to our next destination, Australia’s next-door neighbour! The direct flight from the Kingsford Smith Airport, Sydney would take us a little over 3 hours to reach Christchurch, one of the most important cities on the South Island of New Zealand.
New Zealand is a peaceful country, hardly creating undesirable ripples. Yet it was not without some feeling of apprehension that I stepped out of our plane. New Zealanders, I had learnt from my friends, are exceptionally protective about their biosecurity and national health. So, would the authorities check the soles of my shoes to locate any kind of dirt, would they object to my carrying a few packets of biscuits, would they slap a hefty fine, to be paid in New Zealand dollars! Thankfully, no one from our group was questioned, but one British youngster had to balance on each leg while his shoes were being thoroughly examined!
Once inside the Scania luxury coach, the excitement of seeing a new country drove away another lurking fear. Earthquakes. In the past decades there have been several instances when such natural calamities struck real hard and levelled several blocks of this very picturesque city that was to be my home for the next couple of days.
Photo credits: Inside 1: en.wikipedia.com; Inside 1A: stuff.co.nz
Were we in New Zealand? Or was it England? I could see several British-styled cottages of different sizes and colours lining the roads. Complementing the same were the street name markers displaying Clyde Road, Worcester Boulevard, Rolleston Avenue and so on. A very strong reminder indeed of the British influence on this country, still a part of the Commonwealth with the British Queen as its current monarch.
Our coach rolled on towards our hotel. A Kolkata person, I loved the tramcars, painted in bright red and yellow, plying quietly on the streets. Soon, traditional cottages and houses made way for more modern structures. The City Council building and the Container / Re:Start Mall caught my attention, as we whizzed past them. The mall is a temporary shopping destination, built entirely out of separate different-coloured shipping containers. It is a more of a ‘response’ to the City Mall that had been partially levelled by an earthquake, as some brochures clarified.
It was quite a windy day, with occasional showers. The bus ride to our hotel was a quiet and peaceful one, with no stops in between. We were booked at the Ibis Hotel on Hereford Street. Like hundreds of tourists from all corners of the globe, we had had to wake up quite early for our morning flight from Sydney. So it was nothing unusual for the receptionists to see a big bunch of very tired, yawning Indian tourists walk into a Christchurch hotel at about 2 PM,asking for LUNCH! But no, no Ibis lunch awaited the hungry mouths. It was to be a pure Indian lunch at a local Indian diner, 45 minutes later.
Photo Credits: Inside 2: eazydiner.com; Inside 2A: restaurantindia.in
Post checking in, all of us rushed to one Tandoori Palace, a simple but elegant Indian restaurant serving us a pure desi meal. As a matter of personal preference, I desperately try to avoid Indian meals during my travels abroad but generally in vain. The Indian travel companies somehow force themselves to feel that Indian meals are what most Indian tourists prefer and so it is Roti, rajma, achar in Greece, Chana masala, fish Amritsari, dahi, papad in Spain, Dosa, idly, vada in Dubai!
Photo Credits: Inside 3: en.wikipedia.org; Inside 3A: neatplaces.co.nz
Meal over, I decided to take a little evening walk along the road with the city map as my sole companion. A quick stroll took me around the Christchurch Central City area, a bustling shopping and cultural district set around a landmark cathedral damaged by the 2011 earthquake. Cafes and shops lined the streets, which seemed to be the pulsating heart of this city. The New Regent Street, built in Spanish mission style architecture and painted in soft pastel hues, houses several of these. It had become quite chilly by then. However, I kept walking in my quest to find out more about the area and also for my ever- relentless effort to gather travel brochures. It took me approx. 2 more hours to finally sign off for the day.
The next morning was bitterly cold and I could hear my teeth chatter, even though it was the month of October, spring/summer in the Southern Hemisphere. After another round of an early wake-up call and breakfast, it was time for a tour of the city in our luxury coach. Couldn’t I hear loud voices? There was a quite a commotion near the bus... a fiery debate was on with our Tour Manager trying to be a successful moderator. Topic of the morning... Seating Arrangement! Why should just one family occupying the front seats the day before, bag them again? Why should the others have to adjust? Why can’t others take the 1st row? This went on for some time until good sense prevailed and the tour started. I say- sometimes it pays to be a back bencher. In almost all my tours, I have always taken the last seat in the coach- the one good seat which will never be argued about or fought over. No one realises that it’s the best option if you want a hassle-free journey.
Photo Credits: Inside 4: en.wikipedia.com; Inside 4A: architectural-review.com
We drove round the city, catching a glimpse of the old and the new. The partially destroyed Christchurch Cathedral at Cathedral Square stood with a modern “Chalice” structure beside it. Repair work was on to bring it back to shape. The earthquake memorial consisting of 185 white chairs, tells the tale of one heart-wrenching moment when several innocent lives were lost in a sudden, devastating natural calamity. The Cardboard Cathedral, built as a transitional church that temporarily replaced the Christchurch Cathedral, caught our attention. It was more than evident that the city was trying its best to cope up with its share of natural disasters. Some of the levelled city blocks had been turned into parking lots. Renovation work too was on and that too in full swing.
Photo Credits: Inside 5: theplanetd.com; Inside 5A: mustdonewzealand.co.nz
In Christchurch, Nature has not been unkind all through, one has to agree. We got an amazing view of the scenic hill side on one hand, which is actually Mt. Vernon Park. Moreover, to add colour to the scene were the sudden bursts of way side flowers, mainly Azalea and Lupin. Full of greenery, Hagley Park, part of whichis the world famous Hagley Oval Cricket Ground, acts as the lungs of Christchurch. The Avon River flows through the city and keeps reminding a traveller of the picturesque British countryside. Activities such as Punting are quite famous here. Along with the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, the park adds to the natural wealth of the area and acts as a refreshing change from concrete jungles. No wonder, Christchurch is referred to as the Garden City.
Photo Credits: Inside 6: depositphotos.com Inside 6A: theplanetd.com
As we drove on, we were shown memorials such as the Bridge of Remembrance and the statue of Captain James Cook. We were also able to catch a glimpse of a portion of the campus of the University of Canterbury, an old and prestigious institution of the country. That Christchurch has a rich past is evident also from the Canterbury Museum and the art galleries.
My stay in Christchurch was short, too short for my liking. There was so much more to see and enjoy. So, I do intend going back at least once again and walk through Madras Street, visit a neighbourhood called Cashmere and finally have just one meal in Mumbaiwala Indian Street Kitchen!
Photo credits: Banner Left: tripadvisor.in; Banner Center: mustdonewzealand.co.nz; Banner Right: inpinimg.com
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