Day 12 – April 11, 2025 – Christchurch – a city rebuilding

Leave a Comment / New Zealand / By Howard Lasser

We started the day in the Breakfast room, which is actually an auxiliary kitchen right next to the actual kitchen where the staff creates their amazing food and confections.

Today was surprisingly busy as we only expected to do a half day tour of the city and then relax. Christchurch is a very walkable city as my 12,000 steps attest too. The city is still rebuilding from the devastating earthquake of 2011! Many buildings are still off limits and others are totally gone and yet to be replaced.

We first walked through the beautiful botanic gardens. The dahlias and the roses were still in bloom.

Then we walked through the old medical school buildings that now contain various facilities, a wine bar, an art gallery, a museum and a concert hall to name a few.

Walking the city, Sue, our guide, recounted much of the devastation and the loss of places she knew and used to frequent. The cathedral was badly damaged, and they have yet to reinstate it as they term fixing it back up.

We stopped for coffee and a small snack before heading to the beach town of Sumner. And then up to an overlook of the Harbor at Lyttleton and the city before heading back to the lodge for Cathy’s message!

Then before dinner we checked out the wine cellar. Zoe, the associate who showed us around, said they have the capacity for 1900 bottles of wine. I think she was impressed when I mentioned our cellar could hold about 1600 bottles, though we are now down to about 1150. Then we had some cocktails and another fabulous dinner.

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