Christchurch (New Zealand, Part 42)

Imechapishwa: 05.02.2019

When we arrived in Christchurch, we were greeted with warm summer weather of 28°C and blue skies.

To cool off, we visited the international Antarctic center.

Christchurch is the starting point for exploring the South Pole. In addition to the scientific institutes, there is a visitor center where even laypeople can learn about the research.

In addition to a historical exhibition, there were also exhibitions on the geology, flora and fauna of the area.

But you could also experience what it's like at the South Pole (or at least in the summer there): In one room, the temperature was -8°C and there were regular Antarctic storms that made the felt temperature drop significantly.

Afterwards, we went to feed the Little Blue Penguins. While they live in New Zealand and not at the South Pole, they are still penguins... But the warm summer weather didn't bother them in their enclosure.

Outside, there were also some huskies who didn't enjoy the heat as much. They were given ice to cool down.

Overnight, the temperature dropped to 16°C and we had to bundle up during our city tour...

Christchurch was founded with the idea of creating an idealized image of Anglican English society. It was named after the church of the old Oxford colleges.

Many old buildings still remind us of this English influence during the early days of the city.

The Avon River, flowing through the city with willows and oaks, also creates an ideal image of the English homeland.

The earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 caused considerable damage and cost the lives of more than 180 people.

There are various artworks in the city commemorating this tragedy, such as a memorial wall with the names of all the victims and an installation of white chairs to symbolize the loss.

The spire of the Christ Church Cathedral collapsed onto Cathedral Square, and the discussion about whether to rebuild the church went on for a long time.

As a temporary solution, the Cardboard Cathedral was built, which is supposed to be mostly made of cardboard. To us, it looked like it was made of many other materials, but the idea is certainly unique.

However, another church survived the earthquake quite well because there was not enough money to build it out of stone. That's why St. Michael and All Angels Parish Church was built out of wood, which withstood the earthquake due to its flexibility. Even the wooden windows remained intact.

St. Michael and All Angels Parish Church

Christchurch is also known as the "Garden City". The botanic garden, surrounded by parks, covers an area of 30 hectares.

The large greenhouses also contain exotic plants, but we were able to see the native flora during our walk through the garden.

Since the day was unpleasant, we also visited the city's museums.

After exploring modern art at the Christchurch Art Gallery and taking a tour of the modern New Zealand artist Gordon Walters, we went on to the Canterbury Museum.