Saturday, 28 April 2012
Whale watching in Kaikoura
Passing through Kaikoura again, on the way to the North Island, was an opportunity to go Whale watching.
It was a beautiful sunny day and the sea was a lot calmer than when i went dolphin watching. We were out on the water for 2.5 hours and we saw 3 sperm whales. They were magnificient creatures and it was amazing to be only 200 feet away from them!
I spent the afternoon reading my kindle on the beach, after some fish and chips.
Tomorrow, I catch the ferry from Picton to Wellington - the gate to the North Island.
First stop: Roturua
It was a beautiful sunny day and the sea was a lot calmer than when i went dolphin watching. We were out on the water for 2.5 hours and we saw 3 sperm whales. They were magnificient creatures and it was amazing to be only 200 feet away from them!
I spent the afternoon reading my kindle on the beach, after some fish and chips.
Tomorrow, I catch the ferry from Picton to Wellington - the gate to the North Island.
First stop: Roturua
Friday, 27 April 2012
Stop press -one of the hairy hikers is abandoning ship!!
Dear all,
yes, its true, I am leaving kay to be the solo hairy hiker (after all she is the hairier of the 2! he he)
We will have our last bus trip together tommorow, I will get off at christchurch and kay will continue to kaikora. I am flying back home on sunday as have had enough of all this fun frolicks and mountains and want to get back to flat cambridge! No, the real reason is I have an interview on tuesday and am then off to Zambia on thursday! I(and am looking forward to seeing as many of my lovely friends and family as possible in the 2 days in between!)
I am very sad to be leaving kay, we have had SUCH fun, but I know she will be just fine as she is the more sensible traveller of the two of us with the better sense of direction!! I have had such an amazing time and am so thankful to God for this wonderful opportunity. His creation on the other side of the world is truely awesome.!!!
An ode to the hairy hikers Anne and Kay,
who went to New Zealand, it was a long way.
We saw a lot of mountains and a lot of lakes,
we had a 'no snacking' rule, but were allowed a lot of cakes!
We hiked up a glacier and saw a lot of ice,
the jet boating was fun and the kayaking was nice.
We went dolphin watching and saw some seals too,
the sea was quite rough and Kay was sick in the loo!
Ther aren't many people here, but there are a lot of sheep,
now that Anne is leaving she will really weep.
We've stayed in lots of hostels and had some bedbug bites,
the snoring and the creaking beds made for sleepless nights.
We've had some fun drivers Cam, Nick and Gray,
they gave us useful commentaries and helped us find our way.
Our time in New Zealand has been magic, like the name of our bus,
so many lovely experiences that will always stay with us.
(mainly written by the talented kay)
Do keep following Kay's blog as she travels up to the north island and then to Australia.
I would ask if you wanted to follow my blog in zambia but there won't really be much electricity!
loads of love from us both xxxxx
yes, its true, I am leaving kay to be the solo hairy hiker (after all she is the hairier of the 2! he he)
We will have our last bus trip together tommorow, I will get off at christchurch and kay will continue to kaikora. I am flying back home on sunday as have had enough of all this fun frolicks and mountains and want to get back to flat cambridge! No, the real reason is I have an interview on tuesday and am then off to Zambia on thursday! I(and am looking forward to seeing as many of my lovely friends and family as possible in the 2 days in between!)
I am very sad to be leaving kay, we have had SUCH fun, but I know she will be just fine as she is the more sensible traveller of the two of us with the better sense of direction!! I have had such an amazing time and am so thankful to God for this wonderful opportunity. His creation on the other side of the world is truely awesome.!!!
An ode to the hairy hikers Anne and Kay,
who went to New Zealand, it was a long way.
We saw a lot of mountains and a lot of lakes,
we had a 'no snacking' rule, but were allowed a lot of cakes!
We hiked up a glacier and saw a lot of ice,
the jet boating was fun and the kayaking was nice.
We went dolphin watching and saw some seals too,
the sea was quite rough and Kay was sick in the loo!
Ther aren't many people here, but there are a lot of sheep,
now that Anne is leaving she will really weep.
We've stayed in lots of hostels and had some bedbug bites,
the snoring and the creaking beds made for sleepless nights.
We've had some fun drivers Cam, Nick and Gray,
they gave us useful commentaries and helped us find our way.
Our time in New Zealand has been magic, like the name of our bus,
so many lovely experiences that will always stay with us.
(mainly written by the talented kay)
Do keep following Kay's blog as she travels up to the north island and then to Australia.
I would ask if you wanted to follow my blog in zambia but there won't really be much electricity!
loads of love from us both xxxxx
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Milford sound, bus breakdown, dunedin and lake tekapo
Well, hello everyone, I am sure you have all be waiting with great anticipation for our next blog!!! ha ha:)
We have had a fun few days with a few adventures along the way!. We woke bright and early and travelled by bus to Milford sounds. It was a 4 hour trip both ways so it was a long day but we did get to watch a local kiwi film on the way back which passed some time:). We went on a boat trip around Milford sounds which was nice. The mountains were foreboding, and we also saw a lovely waterfall and some seals. It was a great day but we felt maybe not as amazing as people had said it would be. Maybe part of this was due to the fact that it was quite grey and windy.!I hope we are not getting too spoint with all the lovely scenery we have seen.!
Day 2 involved a supposedly short trip to Dunedin, were we were going to see the lovely yellow eyed, and baby blue, penguins. Apparently the blue penguins are tiny and they must not be scared too much or their heart would stop beating and they would die. Poor creatures!!!! However the day turned out to be rather longer than anticipated because the bus broke down. Thankfully an empty bus happened to be passing and we were dropped off in the nearby town, Cromwell. Here we stayed for 4 hours, eating from the bakery, drinking coffee, eating some more, drinking more coffee..... We felt we got to know Cromwell well and certainly provided a lot of custom to the local bakery!!We evebntualy arrived at Dunedin. We had a yummy Indian and because we are doing 'so well' with our no snack diet we decided to have a mc flurry as well! hmm I am not sure this 'diet' is going so well at present!
Today we got the magic buds to lake tekapo.Stopped off on the way to walk up the worlds steepest street.!Lake tekapo is a really pretty lake. There is a little church on the lakefront called the church of the good shephard which has amazing views from inside, and apparently is very popular for weddings. You have to book several years in advance if you want a spring wedding there!
Over and out for now!
Miss you all and lots of love
Kay and Anne xx
We have had a fun few days with a few adventures along the way!. We woke bright and early and travelled by bus to Milford sounds. It was a 4 hour trip both ways so it was a long day but we did get to watch a local kiwi film on the way back which passed some time:). We went on a boat trip around Milford sounds which was nice. The mountains were foreboding, and we also saw a lovely waterfall and some seals. It was a great day but we felt maybe not as amazing as people had said it would be. Maybe part of this was due to the fact that it was quite grey and windy.!I hope we are not getting too spoint with all the lovely scenery we have seen.!
Day 2 involved a supposedly short trip to Dunedin, were we were going to see the lovely yellow eyed, and baby blue, penguins. Apparently the blue penguins are tiny and they must not be scared too much or their heart would stop beating and they would die. Poor creatures!!!! However the day turned out to be rather longer than anticipated because the bus broke down. Thankfully an empty bus happened to be passing and we were dropped off in the nearby town, Cromwell. Here we stayed for 4 hours, eating from the bakery, drinking coffee, eating some more, drinking more coffee..... We felt we got to know Cromwell well and certainly provided a lot of custom to the local bakery!!We evebntualy arrived at Dunedin. We had a yummy Indian and because we are doing 'so well' with our no snack diet we decided to have a mc flurry as well! hmm I am not sure this 'diet' is going so well at present!
Today we got the magic buds to lake tekapo.Stopped off on the way to walk up the worlds steepest street.!Lake tekapo is a really pretty lake. There is a little church on the lakefront called the church of the good shephard which has amazing views from inside, and apparently is very popular for weddings. You have to book several years in advance if you want a spring wedding there!
Over and out for now!
Miss you all and lots of love
Kay and Anne xx
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Queenstown
On the way to Queenstown (the Adrelin capital of NZ) we stopped en route so some of our bus passengers could go bungy jumping off a 43m bridge. Anne and I didn't really feel the need to throw ourselves off a bridge but we enjoyed watching the others!
Bungy jumping costs about 150-200 dollars for 7 seconds of adrelin - which is not great value for money!
People travel to Queenstown especially for the Bungy jumping, sky diving, paragliding and jet boating.
Anne and I went on a nice quiet Gondola instead which took us to the top of the mountain where we had some terrific views.
People travel to Queenstown especially for the Bungy jumping, sky diving, paragliding and jet boating.
Anne and I went on a nice quiet Gondola instead which took us to the top of the mountain where we had some terrific views.
After the Gondola, we did a spot of Souvenir shopping - NZ stash!
We had dinner at the famous Fergburger where you can choose from about 20 different favours! I had Bombay chicken and Anne choose a vegetarian burger. They were the biggest and tastiest burgers we have ever had. Tomorrow, we head on a day cruise along the Milford Sound - meant to be the 8th wonder of te world!
Sunday, 22 April 2012
Lake Wanaka
Lake Wanaka (south Island) is New Zealand's 4th largest Lake at 27 miles long.
It is surrounded by mountains and it is truly beautiful, especially in the season of Autumn witth all the different coloured trees along the banks.
We stayed here for 3 days, at the YHA hostel which is on the bank of the River.
We've been blessed with beautiful sunny weather and blue skies, 17-19 degrees C.
The first day we went Kayaking in a 2 man Kayak. This was the first time I have ever been in a kayak wheras Anne is semi-professional! It was only 15$ for an hour so we took the kayak out for 2 hours!
I quickly got the hang of it and we managed to get round quite a lot of the lake - it was very calm which made it easier! It was so beautiful.
As it was a sunday, we decided to have our own church service (minus the notices, collection and greeting!)
We sang hymns about God's marvellous creation including "O lord, My God, when I in awesome wonder...."
and I gave a short talk on John 3:16!
In the afternoon, we took a walk around the lake for about 2 hours - it is the most photographed lake ever!
We also did a bit of singing as we walked around the lake as well as stop for our 1 Peter bible study!
The next day, we walked around the Lake in the opposite direction and completed the circuit.
In the afternoon, we went on a jet boat along the river Clutha - 220 miles long. Apart from our driver, we were the only 2 passengers for the hour's trip! It was great fun - we were travelling at 50mph with the occasional 360 degree turn and lots of half spins! It was also lovely to see the scenery along the way as well as some wildlife.
In the evenings, we had dinner and had 2 trips to the Paradiso cinema. This is a quirky little cinema with couches for seats and the option of sitting in an old car! During the interval, you can buy home made cookies fresh from the oven so of course we felt it was almost rude not to have one! The first night we went to see The best exotic Marigold hotel which we enjoyed very much, especially because it is set in India and the second night we went to see "My week with Marilyn" (Monroe).
We have loved our time in Wanaka and it was also a chance to sleep in a bit, do some washing and book our onward hostels etc.
Hope you are all well, love Kay and Anne
It is surrounded by mountains and it is truly beautiful, especially in the season of Autumn witth all the different coloured trees along the banks.
We stayed here for 3 days, at the YHA hostel which is on the bank of the River.
We've been blessed with beautiful sunny weather and blue skies, 17-19 degrees C.
The first day we went Kayaking in a 2 man Kayak. This was the first time I have ever been in a kayak wheras Anne is semi-professional! It was only 15$ for an hour so we took the kayak out for 2 hours!
I quickly got the hang of it and we managed to get round quite a lot of the lake - it was very calm which made it easier! It was so beautiful.
As it was a sunday, we decided to have our own church service (minus the notices, collection and greeting!)
We sang hymns about God's marvellous creation including "O lord, My God, when I in awesome wonder...."
and I gave a short talk on John 3:16!
In the afternoon, we took a walk around the lake for about 2 hours - it is the most photographed lake ever!
We also did a bit of singing as we walked around the lake as well as stop for our 1 Peter bible study!
The next day, we walked around the Lake in the opposite direction and completed the circuit.
In the afternoon, we went on a jet boat along the river Clutha - 220 miles long. Apart from our driver, we were the only 2 passengers for the hour's trip! It was great fun - we were travelling at 50mph with the occasional 360 degree turn and lots of half spins! It was also lovely to see the scenery along the way as well as some wildlife.
In the evenings, we had dinner and had 2 trips to the Paradiso cinema. This is a quirky little cinema with couches for seats and the option of sitting in an old car! During the interval, you can buy home made cookies fresh from the oven so of course we felt it was almost rude not to have one! The first night we went to see The best exotic Marigold hotel which we enjoyed very much, especially because it is set in India and the second night we went to see "My week with Marilyn" (Monroe).
We have loved our time in Wanaka and it was also a chance to sleep in a bit, do some washing and book our onward hostels etc.
Hope you are all well, love Kay and Anne
Friday, 20 April 2012
bible verse and quiz question
encouraging verse from today (Anne and I are studying 1 Peter each day)
"Jesus himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness".
1 Peter 2:24
Quiz question: what does the NZ flag look like?
"Jesus himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness".
1 Peter 2:24
Quiz question: what does the NZ flag look like?
Franz Josef Glacier Hike
Ki Ora Guys, (NZ for Hello people),
Today we went on a Helicopter to the Franz Josef Glacier and it was " sweet as" and "Awesome" - phrases we hear a lot in NZ!
First we had to get kitted up - walking boots and thick socks, waterproof trousers and coat, hat, gloves, sunnies and crampons for our shoes. We both looked pretty funny!
It was our first time in a helicopter and we enjoyed it very much - not at all scary! It took 6 minutes until we landed on the Glacier. We had to land on the Glacier quite high up because recently a huge hole has developed in the glacier and the only way to hike on it is via helicopter!
Our guide for our 3 hour hike was called Jimmy and was very laid back!
There were 8 of us on the hike. First lesson was walking in crampons- which is a bit like a cowboy who had been on a horse for too long!
The hiking was good fun and we both loved it. Occasionally we went into ice caves and through narrow tunnels which were great. Other parts of the hike were really steep and we needed a rope to climb up or down. The guide went first and cut steps into the ice with his ice-pick.
The glacier was amazingly beautiful and at times the whole experience felt very surreal.
It was 4 degrees and you get quite warm whilst hiking but it was cold when we were standing around waiting for our helicopter to arrive.
When we returned to land, we spent the next 90 minutes unwinding in the local hot glacier pools which are outside. There were 3 pools (36, 38 and 40 degrees). We stayed here until we were half baked and then we had a lovely dinner of NZ lamb.
Such an awesome day!!
Today we went on a Helicopter to the Franz Josef Glacier and it was " sweet as" and "Awesome" - phrases we hear a lot in NZ!
First we had to get kitted up - walking boots and thick socks, waterproof trousers and coat, hat, gloves, sunnies and crampons for our shoes. We both looked pretty funny!
It was our first time in a helicopter and we enjoyed it very much - not at all scary! It took 6 minutes until we landed on the Glacier. We had to land on the Glacier quite high up because recently a huge hole has developed in the glacier and the only way to hike on it is via helicopter!
Our guide for our 3 hour hike was called Jimmy and was very laid back!
There were 8 of us on the hike. First lesson was walking in crampons- which is a bit like a cowboy who had been on a horse for too long!
The hiking was good fun and we both loved it. Occasionally we went into ice caves and through narrow tunnels which were great. Other parts of the hike were really steep and we needed a rope to climb up or down. The guide went first and cut steps into the ice with his ice-pick.
The glacier was amazingly beautiful and at times the whole experience felt very surreal.
It was 4 degrees and you get quite warm whilst hiking but it was cold when we were standing around waiting for our helicopter to arrive.
When we returned to land, we spent the next 90 minutes unwinding in the local hot glacier pools which are outside. There were 3 pools (36, 38 and 40 degrees). We stayed here until we were half baked and then we had a lovely dinner of NZ lamb.
Such an awesome day!!
Thursday, 19 April 2012
other photos from the bus journey
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Bus journey From Kaikoura to Greymouth via Nelson
Anne and I have spent the last 2 days travelling on the Magic Bus, which to be honest sounded a little dull but a neccessary evil! I could not have been more wrong! The bus journeys were full of amazing scenery (check out the album on my facebook page) and we stopped many times along the way for photo opportunities and short walks along the beach etc. The trip to Nelson was mainly hills and rivers which were stunning - I did consider having a nap but I didn't want to miss out on any of the scenery. Some of the photos I took were from the bus window! When we arrived at Nelson we hiked up a huge hill for 30 minutes and had brilliant views of the city and also the surrounding hills. The summit of the hill had a plaque which said "The Centre of New Zealand". The bus journey from Nelson to Greymouth was even more amazing - and we had stunning weather which the driver (Nick) said was very unsual for the West Coast where it often rains! Bright blue cloudlesss skies made the drive along the west coastline extremely beautiful and the sea was so turquoise that It could have been the meditterrean! We walked along the coastal path and came across a natural seal colony which was lovely. The beaches were golden, stretched for miles and were deserted. No tourism or tackiness -just pure, unspoilt natural beauty. On the bus again, we went to see the famous "Pancake Rocks" which are thought to be 37 million years old! They were truly stunning and I took far too many pictures of them. When we arrived in Greymouth, we discovered it was an old mining town, still recovering from the death of 25 miners 18 months ago and whose bodies are still trapped in the mine! We had a bus meal (optional) to a restaurant where we could try all the local beers and have NZ lamb steak steak and beef. The meat was delicious but I don't like Beer so I left that to the others. It turns out that Nick, our bus driver, has a girlfriend in Ely so he is moving to Cambridgeshire in the summer!! We had a good chat with him about Cambridge. | ||||||
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Monday, 16 April 2012
Experiences in Kaikora
Well, we have had a fun and varied time in Kaikora!. This is a small coastal town a few hours north of Christchurch. The scenery is beautiful here -sea, sand, snow peaked mountains, waves breaking on rocks, sun sparkling on the sea etc......We had a few lovely walks along the seafront to the town, saw some seals,had a look round the shops, had fish and chips as well as a 'footballers pie'!?! This is like a flan filled with veg and meat etc.
A highlight of our stay was the boat trip to see the dolphins. The weather is quite changeable here. Given that our 1st day was sunny and calm, we thought it would be like that on the boat trip. However it was actually very rocky, windy and rather wet! Apparantly it was rather touch a go as to whether we would be able to go out. Kay and myself watched from the boat. The dolphins were amazing but it was really difficult to get good photos of them, partly cause of the weather, partly because they moved so fast! The swimmers were in wetsuits and snorkles and were told that to attract the dolphins they were supposed to act like them! This included them diving down, swimming in circles and making noises!! I think everyone on the boat had fun though about half were sick (including poor kay!). Thankfully there were plenty of buckets close at hand!!
We are of to Nelson tomorrow!
right -back to the quiz- answer to the last question -population of NZ is 4.4 million.
Next question -how long is a dolphin pregnant for?
;
We having been continuing to look at 1 peter which has been a real blessing.: (1 peter 122-23)
'love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God'. What a priviledge and how encouraging!!
speak soon,
miss you all
lots of love Anne and Kay xxx
A highlight of our stay was the boat trip to see the dolphins. The weather is quite changeable here. Given that our 1st day was sunny and calm, we thought it would be like that on the boat trip. However it was actually very rocky, windy and rather wet! Apparantly it was rather touch a go as to whether we would be able to go out. Kay and myself watched from the boat. The dolphins were amazing but it was really difficult to get good photos of them, partly cause of the weather, partly because they moved so fast! The swimmers were in wetsuits and snorkles and were told that to attract the dolphins they were supposed to act like them! This included them diving down, swimming in circles and making noises!! I think everyone on the boat had fun though about half were sick (including poor kay!). Thankfully there were plenty of buckets close at hand!!
We are of to Nelson tomorrow!
right -back to the quiz- answer to the last question -population of NZ is 4.4 million.
Next question -how long is a dolphin pregnant for?
;
We having been continuing to look at 1 peter which has been a real blessing.: (1 peter 122-23)
'love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God'. What a priviledge and how encouraging!!
speak soon,
miss you all
lots of love Anne and Kay xxx
Our fellow travellers, The Magic Bus and the youth hostel experience
Anne and I are feeling quite ancient on this trip! Most of our fellow travellers are having a gap year before uni or just after! We haven't met any our Brits yet- we've met people from Germany, Portugal, USA and Sydney.
It's been a while since Anne and I have stayed in a youth hostel, shared a room with 3 others and slept in bunk beds but we are graduaally getting used to this way of life! Our first shock was when we were told that unless we specify otherwise, the rooms could be mixed and we'd be sharing with blokes! Glad we realised that sooner than later!.
Generally, people are all passing through so you have different room mates every night. Some are more chatty than others! We are praying for opportunities to witness as christians where we can.
Sharing a kitchen/fridge and labelling everything in case it get nicked is a bit like being back in halls of residence as a student. The shared bathroom experience also takes us back.
We caught the magic bus for the first time yesterday. It's a well set up coach with wi-fi access should we want it. Although typing on my laptop on the bus as we went round windy mountain roads made me feel a bit queezy.
The driver is also our tour guide and books us trips along the way. We were pleased yesterday because we managed to find the same dolphin watching tour on the internet for half the price so we booked that instead.
We even mananged to do a load of washing yesterday using the machine and tumble drier - you'll be pleased to know that our hygiene standards haven't slipped (yet!).
We are planning our journey as we go, so we have booked our hostels for the next week and in a few days time we will plan for the week ahead. It's quite nice to be so spontanteous and not know where or what you will be eating for your next meal! Last night we had fish and chips as we were by the sea and they came highly recommended- the fish was the nicest I have ever had - all caught locally. We will try and find some NZ lamb to eat this evening.
The hostels cost around 25$ a night and are basic but comfortable with hot showers.
It's been a while since Anne and I have stayed in a youth hostel, shared a room with 3 others and slept in bunk beds but we are graduaally getting used to this way of life! Our first shock was when we were told that unless we specify otherwise, the rooms could be mixed and we'd be sharing with blokes! Glad we realised that sooner than later!.
Generally, people are all passing through so you have different room mates every night. Some are more chatty than others! We are praying for opportunities to witness as christians where we can.
Sharing a kitchen/fridge and labelling everything in case it get nicked is a bit like being back in halls of residence as a student. The shared bathroom experience also takes us back.
We caught the magic bus for the first time yesterday. It's a well set up coach with wi-fi access should we want it. Although typing on my laptop on the bus as we went round windy mountain roads made me feel a bit queezy.
The driver is also our tour guide and books us trips along the way. We were pleased yesterday because we managed to find the same dolphin watching tour on the internet for half the price so we booked that instead.
We even mananged to do a load of washing yesterday using the machine and tumble drier - you'll be pleased to know that our hygiene standards haven't slipped (yet!).
We are planning our journey as we go, so we have booked our hostels for the next week and in a few days time we will plan for the week ahead. It's quite nice to be so spontanteous and not know where or what you will be eating for your next meal! Last night we had fish and chips as we were by the sea and they came highly recommended- the fish was the nicest I have ever had - all caught locally. We will try and find some NZ lamb to eat this evening.
The hostels cost around 25$ a night and are basic but comfortable with hot showers.
Sunday, 15 April 2012
Confessions of the hairy hikers
We have to confess that the Hairy Hikers have already sinned (unconsciously) against their Fellow backpackers! When we arrived at our first hostel, we were told that some bread would be provided each day for breakfast. The first morning we went into the kitchen and were pleasantly surprised to find a freshly baked loaf of bread straight from the oven. We naturally assumed this was for us so we sliced off about one third of the loaf and enjoyed it very much for our breakfast! We spent the day marvelling at the generous provision of the hostel and how you would never get that in an English hostel! The next day, we went into the kitchen, eager to eat more of the delicious home made bread, only to discover an empty table. Then a girl came in with a slice of the bread we were eating the day before and to our horror realised our mistake! The bread was hers and we had stolen one third of it!
Lesson learnt! Hostels don't make you freshly baked bread from the oven!
Lesson learnt! Hostels don't make you freshly baked bread from the oven!
St Johns church, Christchurch
We went to St. John's church in Christchurch tonight. It was mainly 20s-30s and it felt just like being at StaG! We knew most of the songs, there was a greeting in the middle and it was one hour long. The sermon was on Joel 2:1-11, getting ready for God's judgement.
Everyone was very friendly. We had a chat with Sarah Lyneham who looked well and was pleased to have some visitors from StAG. We told her that we continue to pray for her regularly. We also chatted with Tim Capill, the assistant minister who preached. It was very encouraging to attend the service and meet with God's people on the other side of the world.
The answer to the question from yesterday: 12 sheep to every one human in NZ!
Question for today: what is the population of humans (not sheep) in NZ?
Everyone was very friendly. We had a chat with Sarah Lyneham who looked well and was pleased to have some visitors from StAG. We told her that we continue to pray for her regularly. We also chatted with Tim Capill, the assistant minister who preached. It was very encouraging to attend the service and meet with God's people on the other side of the world.
The answer to the question from yesterday: 12 sheep to every one human in NZ!
Question for today: what is the population of humans (not sheep) in NZ?
Saturday, 14 April 2012
Punting in Christchurch
We decided it would be quirky to go punting in Christchurch along the River Avon. You can only go out with a professional punter and ours was called Joshua, the punt was called Mary! Josh was dressed in an Edwardian suit with a straw hat and punted very well - we complimented him on his skills!
The river was wider, more shallow, cleaner (spring water), and emptier - there was only us on the river!
The cushions were red velvet and it was a very pleasant experience - very relaxing!
it cost 25$ but it was worth it for the experience!
We'll add some photos soon!
Joshua told us that recently they had taken a bridal party along the river in the punt and the Mother of the Bride fell in while she was getting out! The punters were trying not to laugh as the lady was really upset! :-)
The river was wider, more shallow, cleaner (spring water), and emptier - there was only us on the river!
The cushions were red velvet and it was a very pleasant experience - very relaxing!
it cost 25$ but it was worth it for the experience!
We'll add some photos soon!
Joshua told us that recently they had taken a bridal party along the river in the punt and the Mother of the Bride fell in while she was getting out! The punters were trying not to laugh as the lady was really upset! :-)
Friday, 13 April 2012
Akaroa - beautiful scenery of hills and lake
Having survived our first night in a youth hostel (bunk beds, shared room of 4, Anne snoring and Kay waking up at 4am with jet lag), we were glad to be picked up for a day's sightseeing with Thimali, one of Anne's best friend from university, who happens to be living in Christchurch. We drove to Akaroa which was about 90km away, through winding roads through beautiful hills with a Lake at the bottom. It looked like Lake Windermere and Ambleside but more impressive!
Thimali told us that there were 200 people who got killed in the big earthquake, there were 2 previous ones that didn't kill anyone. Around 25% of the Christchurch population have moved away in order to find jobs. The ones that have stayed all have things wrong with their houses post earthquake. The tremors are peculiar to Christchurch and happen fairly frequently! Let's hope there isn't one tomorrow!
We also visited a Farmer's market where you got to sample loads of homemade goodies. We could have spent a lot of money if we had spare space in our rucksack and we were allowed to take food through customs!!!
Tomorrow, we might go to the botanical gardens, see where they do punting tours and go to St Johns church in the evening. We have a link with this church as one of Stag's mission Partners Sarah Lyneham is the women's worker here. Hopefully we will be able to bring greetings from StAG.
Signing out until tomorrow!
But before we go: the answer to yesterday's question (about the Rickshaw) was 1914 - We're sure you knew that already!
Today's question: What is the ratio of sheep to human beings in NZ?
verse from 1 Peter (Anne and I are studying this every day) - "Be holy because I am Holy".
Thimali told us that there were 200 people who got killed in the big earthquake, there were 2 previous ones that didn't kill anyone. Around 25% of the Christchurch population have moved away in order to find jobs. The ones that have stayed all have things wrong with their houses post earthquake. The tremors are peculiar to Christchurch and happen fairly frequently! Let's hope there isn't one tomorrow!
We also visited a Farmer's market where you got to sample loads of homemade goodies. We could have spent a lot of money if we had spare space in our rucksack and we were allowed to take food through customs!!!
Tomorrow, we might go to the botanical gardens, see where they do punting tours and go to St Johns church in the evening. We have a link with this church as one of Stag's mission Partners Sarah Lyneham is the women's worker here. Hopefully we will be able to bring greetings from StAG.
Signing out until tomorrow!
But before we go: the answer to yesterday's question (about the Rickshaw) was 1914 - We're sure you knew that already!
Today's question: What is the ratio of sheep to human beings in NZ?
verse from 1 Peter (Anne and I are studying this every day) - "Be holy because I am Holy".
Impressions of Christchurch city centre
Anne and I watched a film about the highlights of Christchurch on the plane. The reality was very different!
We followed the signs and map to the city centre but every road we wanted to go down was barricaded with signs saying "Extreme Danger- no entry". We had to go a very long way before we could even get near the city centre. When we eventually got near, all we could see for miles was huge piles of rubble, buildings half standing and hundreds of workmen trying to clear the earthquake debris and rebuild their beloved city! The place was deserted apart from workmen. It feel very sad and depressing to be there. Any local businesses that weren't knocked down by the earthquake were closed down for lack of customers.
We struggled to find somewhere to eat - very few cafes or restaurants left - we settled for a kebab from a local van! It was so strange to see the devastation - i hadn't quite appreciated how widespread it was! The most recently printed maps of the city centre include a big red box called the "RED Zone" - this is basically the section of the city that doesn't exist!
It must have made lots of people leave the city looking for work and somewhere new to live - it was a visual reminder of how fragile life can be.
A very sobering visit!
We followed the signs and map to the city centre but every road we wanted to go down was barricaded with signs saying "Extreme Danger- no entry". We had to go a very long way before we could even get near the city centre. When we eventually got near, all we could see for miles was huge piles of rubble, buildings half standing and hundreds of workmen trying to clear the earthquake debris and rebuild their beloved city! The place was deserted apart from workmen. It feel very sad and depressing to be there. Any local businesses that weren't knocked down by the earthquake were closed down for lack of customers.
We struggled to find somewhere to eat - very few cafes or restaurants left - we settled for a kebab from a local van! It was so strange to see the devastation - i hadn't quite appreciated how widespread it was! The most recently printed maps of the city centre include a big red box called the "RED Zone" - this is basically the section of the city that doesn't exist!
It must have made lots of people leave the city looking for work and somewhere new to live - it was a visual reminder of how fragile life can be.
A very sobering visit!
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