Happy New Year! We had a very quiet NYE, not too different from the usual actually. Today we left Blenheim and traveled to Christchurch on the train. We have lucked out with weather on this trip and today was no exception, not too warm and variable clouds throughout the day.
The views were spectacular and most of the trip was right on the coast. We passed several kilometers of beach that were not accessible by any roads, only the train tracks went nearby. We both spent a good amount of time in the open air car, which was not very crowded. Surprising as it looked like almost every seat was booked. I was very impressed with the service of the train staff, when an older man seated near to us found out we’d be arriving at his stop a half an hour early he was concerned about having to wait for the taxi he’d booked. One of the train staff contacted the taxi service and arranged for them come earlier, very sweet!
We made good time and got into Christchurch early, which gave us the opportunity to pick up dinner at a local pub. We found a lovely spot overlooking the Avon river, in the Botanic Gardens, which were just across the street from our hotel. It was a beautiful evening, the Canadian geese even left us alone! There is fantastic public art all over the place in Christchurch, even on our hotel.
