The second stop of mid-semester break was Christchurch, positioned on the east coast of the South Island. Recently struck by devastating earthquakes, Christchurch is a city in the midst of rebuilding all that it has lost. Even the church for which the city was named was destroyed by the earthquakes, leaving it open to the elements but still on display for passers by to see. As our first day in Christchurch was rainy, we hit the Museum of Canterbury, one of the many arts and culture museums in the city and explored a bit of the well-known street art downtown.
As Christchurch city center is a mess of construction, we opted for busing to the neighboring towns of Lyttleton and Sumner for our couple of sunny days in the region. The first stop was Lyttleton, from which we took a small ferry to Diamond Harbour, a popular hiking spot in the area. To our dismay, the main hiking trail was closed due to lambing season, an effort New Zealand conservation makes to protect its wildlife during their mating season. We opted to string together a series of shorter routes around the island to satiate our hiking needs for the day. Along our route we found beautiful wildflowers and views, along with some new friends: the famed sheep of New Zealand. New Zealand is known for having a ratio of 7 sheep per person inhabiting the country. Although we had been in the country for two months at this point, it was the first time either I or my travel partner had seen sheep this close up. We watched babies chase after their mothers and some young ones try to get underneath the fence to get closer to us. After our hike and a brief stay on the beach, absorbing the ever so rare sun, we headed back to Lyttleton and enjoyed a banoffee pie at Glamour Cakes, a New Zealand specialty and a famous little cake shop.
The following day we once again took the city bus to a neighboring town, this time it was Sumner. We hiked up quite a ways to get the full view of Sumner Beach and downtown. The hike was through a grassy pasture that stretched for miles, across steep hills and back down and around to the beginning. Stopping to rest along the way we enjoyed views of the east coastline one can only observe from such a height, ultimately ending up on the beach for a relaxing barefoot walk before heading back to Christchurch.
Christchurch is one of the major cities in the South Island, drawing lovers of art, nature, and students alike it left me wanting more. Whether this feeling is a product of the destruction from the earthquakes or the poor weather we encountered on two of our four days, I wish I had found something to love in Christchurch -- although the banoffee pie was lovely. Although disappointed with the city center in its current state, it is still a major landmark for anyone who finds themselves traveling the south island of New Zealand and after a few more years of rebuilding I’m certain it will be just as vibrant and magnetic as before.