Memories of Christchurch

This morning I woke up to a sad reminder of lost memories and more importantly the tragic devastation of a beautiful city that I visited in during my travels of 2009.

Christchurch was a spur of the moment travel destination and meant just to be a stopover city before taking the scenic TransAlp train to the west side of the south island – to drive the down the coast, hike the Franz Joseph Glazer, and experience the adventures in and around Queensland.  What I found was a pleasant surprise. Despite a bit of rainy weather I ended up loving the city for its beauty, charm, and people.  It had me wishing I had more time there.

I never quite got to posting about my trip to New Zealand as time slipped by I put it on the back burner.  Procrastination proved costly as in December my portable hard drive containing many of my photographs from this trip and others was stolen. (I know, stupid of me not to backup).   I did manage to find a few photos still on a memory card.  Although not great ones, they did bring back good memories and experiences…

Staying at one of the coolest accommodation of my trip at Hotel So – a hotel that gives off a cool vibe with its modern design throughout and hip and tech feel but at economical rates – a  ”junior W Hotel” if you will.  The rooms were tiny but comfortable, smartly laid out, and cool in every way. (Think IKEA space saving and creativity).

Coffee and breakfast at Caffe Roma

A pint of beer at The Bicycle Thief

Exploring the restaurants and shopping (Icebreaker clothing! @Bivouac and R&R Sport) in the CBD

Strolling through the square at night (check out the huge chess game board)

In two short days I took in a lot but I know there was so much more to be enjoyed.  My heart goes out to the Christchurch and its people. I hope Christchurch recovers quickly and I hope to be back to visit.  www.christchurchnz.com