Category Archives: Travel

Christchurch City Drive (Pre and Post Earthquake)

Leave a reply

So, I’m leaving Christchurch. There are a multitude of reasons, most of which are too boring to mention here, but the best way to explain is probably visually.

Whilst playing around on youtube, I found the following clip which was created before the earthquakes that have devastated the city. It made me think of the Christchurch that I visited last time. Not only that, it runs right along the area where I have been living the past few months. I was inspired to do the drive as it is now, and recorded the experience for posterity.

Pre-Earthquake:

This is what the same drive looks like, June 2014. It’s iPhone only I’m afraid, but much of the bounce is simply due to the warping of the roads:

It is a completely different world. Even so, this only captures a small part of it. It’s a shame that I couldn’t get them completely in sync due to the natural traffic variations, but you can still get the idea.

Things To Do In Queenstown: Gondola and Luge Experience

Leave a reply

Queenstown is adventure capital of the world according to most people you speak to over here. Home of the bungy jump, zorbing and plenty of other high adrenalin activities. If you want a quick thrill in the southern hemisphere, then this is definitely the place to come. Just make sure you have adequate insurance, of course.

For those who want to do something a little more sedate, but without wussing out completely, then the gondola and luge experience is a good combo. It is definitely the best way to get spectacular views over Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu:

Queenstown Horizon

 

There is always the option to walk to the top, but for those who are short on time or fitness, the chair ride to the top is an equally spectacular way of getting to the top. Once there, take the time to walk around and take in the views. There are plenty of different angles to take awesome photographs from.

The luge comes in two flavours: gentle and speedy. Confession: I went on the scenic route both times. I actually found I was enjoying the views way more than the speed on the first time round, so dispensed with my original intention to try both. Slower gave me more opportunity to enjoy the experience. Given that there were some seven year olds on the speedy track, my gut feel was that it didn’t strictly fall under the term ‘extreme’ anyway. As you can see, the tracks are fairly wide and well maintained.

Queenstown Luge

For those who don’t have too much time to spend in Queenstown, I would definitely include this in the one day experience. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t great overnight during my stay, otherwise I would also have taken advantage of the star gazing experience also on offer.

 

Canada Totem

Road trips: San Francisco, Vancouver, Alaska

Leave a reply

So, I have been on the road now for the best part of a month. The purpose of this was twofold: for writing research and for pleasure.

It has been, without a doubt, a very interesting and busy few weeks. Having flown from New Zealand back in time, we covered San Francisco, Vancouver and surrounds, as well as Alaska. One thing has certainly be cemented this year, and that is the fact I am clearly more of an outdoor person than a city person. Which is not something I think I ever really realised before. Whilst I’ve never felt compelled to move towards the big lights, I could never really say I was much for tramping in the woods either. Perhaps it is something that is becoming more defined as I get older, or perhaps people are becoming less appealing? Who knows.

Canada Totem

 

I’ve certainly got a notebook full of ideas and places, characters that are calling out to me to be written. Turns out the Fieldnotes books are the perfect size for that length of stay. So the trip itself was definitely a success.

The next month will definitely be a busy one as I try to do something with it all…

Plus, I finally purchased a fountain pen in my bid to get back to handwriting some of my work. I’m loving it so far and can really notice the difference, compared to banging out the words on a computer. Review to come shortly.

 

Things To Do In Queenstown: Fergburger

4 Replies

When someone told me I had to have a Fergburger in Queenstown, I thought they were having a joke at my expense. Or perhaps being euphemistic about something incredibly rude. Especially as it was supposed to be the best in the world.

True, I think we could make Ferburger a verb if we have to. But what they were actually referring to was a very real burger joint.

The first trip was a washout as I was far too hungry. By 5pm there was already a long line and then a further forty minutes wait once you’d placed your order before the burger was due to arrive. I opted for something else instead, with the cunning intention of coming back the next day for an early lunch.

Convinced I’d be okay (after all, Queenstown is a backpacker hotspot and no self-respecting backpacker would be up before noon, right?), I turned up at 11:30. There was already a line and a twenty minute wait. Determined not to leave town without getting fergburgered, I placed my order and then dutifully took a walk around town for a while until it was done. Was it worth the wait?

fergburger

 

I’ve eaten in burger places all over the world. A good burger is an amazing thing. I’d give this one a 9/10 score. With a reputation for being one of the best burgers in the world, I can see how they manage it.

Firstly, the meat was pink and juicy, rather than the overcooked brown shoe leather of most places. A good chunky ketchup and a garlic aioli gave it the required condiment kick. There was a decent amount of salad and the bun was sturdy. It held its shape and contents right through to the last bite, despite the meat juice/sauce to bread ratio. Even the side order of fries was pretty good. I had the fergburger with cheddar option, but there were plenty of others on the menu I’d choose if I was staying there for a while.

So, I would definitely add this to the list of things to do if you’re in Queenstown. Just be prepared to wait if you expect to stroll up to the doors and grab something to eat.

Pro tip: phone your order in, then stroll down when you’re ready and save yourself the long line.

When A City Falls: Film review of the Christchurch earthquake

Leave a reply

Firstly, I really enjoyed this film.

Secondly, I’m not sure I could have watched it if I had actually been in Christchurch for any of the earthquakes. The trauma of it would simply have been too much. All credit to those who were there and braved this film anyway.

When A City Falls

 

Opening with scenes from before the first September earthquake in 2010, I saw the Christchurch that I remember from my travels a decade ago. Calm, relatively peaceful. Actually quite English, in all the ways it used to market itself as.

For me, the power of this film comes from the fact there is no narrator. Other than a few captions to give some sense of date, the raw footage is allowed to tell the story itself. Gerard Smythe and his team put together film that did not shy away from the painful reality, but nor did it seek to sensationalise it. Over the course of a year, you see people get up, dust themselves off, only to be knocked right back down.

It doesn’t take long living in this city to know all these places and be able to relate to it on some level. The aftereffects of the earthquakes touch your lives daily here; there is no escape. Having seen this film, I have nothing but admiration for the people who, unlike me, are not outside observers to the aftermath, but the ones who still can – and often do – relive it like it was yesterday.

Link to the trailer can be found here: When A City Falls

Saying Goodbye to the Pallet Pavilion, Christchurch

Leave a reply

I have said in previous posts that one of the most encouraging things about being in Christchurch is the inventive and creative ways they have come up with using the devastated empty spaces left over by the earthquake. The Re-Start Mall is still one of my favourites, but closest to me is the Pallet Pavilion. Sadly, this came to an end this weekend.

 

palletpavillion

 

The Pallet Pavilion is exactly what it says on the tin: a community event space built out of pallets. Part of the GapFiller project, it was one of many temporary pieces of architecture created by volunteers to utilise a space that would otherwise have remained a dull and depressing piece of waste ground.  It has also been a lot less temporary than first intended; so popular that it has been kept open until the cost has simply become too much.

Being halfway between my apartment and the library, I have probably walked past this structure more times than anywhere else in the city. From the moment I arrived it became part of my psychological landscape. I know that the next time I walk past it will be gone and that’s going to be a sad thing. But it also means that there is progress. The city around me is rebuilding even as I sit here, three months in, and it is ramping up to an even faster rate.

Created by a population that was coming together and building something out of nothing, I hope that spirit continues on as winter comes and the fourth anniversary of the biggest and original quake – a cracker with a magnitude of 7.1 – rolls around in September, with so much still left to do.

Things To Do In Christchurch: Akaroa Kayak Experience

Leave a reply

Me in a kayak? Anyone who knows me also knows the concept of me doing anything requiring balance is an amusing concept. After a particularly bad bout of vertigo several years ago which left me unable to stand upright for a few weeks, tightrope walking was most certainly ruled out as a career option.

Still, being brave, I signed up for the kayak adventure with Pohatu Penguins. Unsure of what to expect, my main goal was not falling in the water. Firstly, the drive to get there was amazing. The Kayaking itself was in a marine reserve, so finding it was deliberately difficult. But the scenery from the top of the mountain was breathtaking. Unfortunately, the slight haze and the fact I only had my iPhone meant that I couldn’t really do it justice.

akaroa

 

Following the descent back into the bay, there was surprise sheep feeding (why not?) and an up close experience with two tiny and adorable penguins that were being nursed back to health after being found weak and exhausted. Discovering that during breeding season they would make the way to the top of the mountain certainly gave that some perspective. I’d want more than a few fish to recover from that.

With only one other couple in the group, it was a very personal experience and we had the bay to ourselves. Having done mass tourist experiences a handful of times in the past, I would always forsake the slick and commercial for the small and passionate. There was plenty of time to chat with the guide and the whole experience was fun and informal. I would certainly consider doing the bigger package next time and getting to see more of the wildlife. Getting splashed by a playful seal whilst out on the water certainly gave us a taste for the great outdoors that was missing after spending so much time in the city. Having spoken to the guide, they also do a slightly modified version for cruise visitors to the area. Companies such as Royal Caribbean tender here now, due to the port damage in Christchurch caused by the earthquakes.

I can also recommend getting fish and chips from Murphy’s on the peer afterwards. Kayaking is strenuous activity, after all.

Serendipitous Field Notes, Black Estate Winery

Leave a reply

I have been hearing an increasing amount about Field Notes, first brought to my attention by the amazing Pen Addict Podcast. Whilst they have achieved cult status in the US, getting hold of them internationally is not so simple. Especially somewhere the back of beyond like New Zealand.

I was therefore surprised and suspicious when I saw that there was an alleged supplier a mere hour’s drive away from here at Black Estate Winery. I had to go past it on the way to somewhere else, so I decided to pop my head around the door to just double check that I must be mistaken. Which is where I found myself wrong and now the proud owner of:

Fieldnotes

I wasn’t sure what to expect as there is only so much you can do to judge a notebook without actually having it in your hands. In some ways they should be bland and nothing special. Yet the moment I first picked them up, I knew I could be completely sucked in. (I also stayed for a very nice cup of coffee, because I didn’t want to seem like someone with a notebook problem. I’ll go back there again and do a separate review at some point, I’m sure).

I opted for the graph paper, having used both plain and lined pocket notebooks plenty of times before. It feels like a natural fit; providing some structure if I need it, without being restrictive. Depending on how it goes, I feel this could become my format of choice.

I’ve decided that it is the perfect size to test on my trip to the US and Canada that is coming up. Marketed towards being rugged and durable, a road trip should be the most exertion I would normally put it under. If it holds up to that, then I might just be tempted to buy more once I’m out there. The new Shelterwood collection would be a no-brainer for me.

 

Book Review: Down Under by Bill Bryson

Leave a reply

Confession: this is not the first time I have read Down Under. The first time was just before I visiting Australia a decade ago. I didn’t actually buy the book for me. It was a Christmas present for my mom after I somehow got confused about her request for the latest book by Bernard Cornwell. Don’t ask.

The book itself gave me so much help in planning my trip. I had twelve months to travel and the guidebooks were all so uniform. Catering to either the backpacker (party!!!) or the high end tourist (out of my budget), they were great for the overview. There was something different about Down Under though. It made Australia seem alive to me before I even got there. It certainly made me want to visit places I would never have normally considered.

Now I find myself tantalisingly close to Aussie again, but yet still so far away. Despite the fact it is closer now than it has been in a good many years, my next planned trip out of New Zealand is going to be to the States and Canada. That’s been planned long before my sudden move and not going to change now. So, in an attempt to remind myself of what I had been holding onto for so long, when I saw Down Under in the library I couldn’t resist getting it.

Even for those that have never been, Bryson’s storytelling is instantly accessible. He is evocative without ever being grandiose and at times brutally honest in a way that anyone aiming for a commercial tourism book would never be.

downunder

 

From his terrifying assessment of the wildlife (why is it so likely to kill you anyway?) to exploring the cities (I personally think Canberra gets an unfair rap), Bryson covers it all. Plus he’s right; unless you live there, you never remember the name of the Prime Minister. Sometimes, I suspect, you don’t remember even if you’re Aussie born and bred.

So, this wasn’t the first time I read it and it won’t be the last. Hopefully, at some point in the next twelve months, I’ll be in a position to see it all for myself again too…

Finding Stephen King at twilight: Christchurch post-earthquake

Leave a reply

It is a very surreal experience when you take a wrong turn down a city street as the sun slips below the horizon, and find yourself inside a Stephen King novel. Really, that was how it felt. An entire row of abandoned shops, dust settling eerily on furniture that was just left after the earthquake struck. Like this florists, where the flowers were now most definitely dried rather than fresh:

shop

 

As if the spooky quiet and cracks in the walls weren’t enough to deter entry to the abandoned block, this friendly graffiti  sprayed onto the window was sufficient to send me hurriedly on my way…

skull

 

…before I could get invited in by a curious old man who would no doubt drag me into an eternal nightmare….