It was frosty when I headed out this morning! I’m still struggling to understand that it is cold here in “summer”. Well, the UKs summer! It was 3c this morning, it did get as high as 9c though! I have to leave the hotel early tomorrow for my next onward journey – I have looked out my thermal top!

It’s also strange watching the Commonwealth Games with New Zealand coverage rather than UK coverage! It is the first time I have had the television on since arriving in New Zealand. Other than the Commonwealth Games, The Chase (UK), Britain’s Got Talent and Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel have all been on TV! I could have sworn I was in NZ and not at home! Mind you, the amount of people here with Scottish, English and Irish accents is extraordinary – so many folk have settled here from the UK – it is giving me ideas, although I think NZ is many just that little bit too far away!

Today I just wandered. Some of the places I passed on the tram yesterday but didn’t want to get off so visited today. Another Botanic Gardens here in Christchurch. Very different from Wellington, but still as stunning. Maybe I’ll become a gardener on my return. Some folk become crazy cat ladies, I might be come a crazy plant lady!

I spied a Christmas cactus flowering – I wonder what they are called here! Oh and some poinsettia too, another flower we class as for Chrsitmas at home!

From the Botanics, I headed to Quake City, a museum focussed on the quakes in this area in 2010 and 2011. It was very interesting and really well done. IT does make you realise that we are very lucky in the UK, we can cope with wind and rain and rarely does that cause mass destruction. Can you imagine driving down a road and it splits down the middle with a 3.5 meter gap between each side? No – me neither. Christchurch was really badly damaged in the 2011 quake and is still in rebuilding phase. Currently the Cathedral is looking at a partial reopening in 2030. In the meantime, there is a transitional cathedral, made of cardboard and metal shipping containers. yes, I did say cardboard!

Tomorrow I head southwards again. It feels odd heading south where it will be colder! I’ve been to Edinburgh (obviously),Dunedin in Florida and so now, as I’m here it seems only right to head to Dunedin, New Zealand!