We arrive at our Christchurch hotel at 11:30 am. My request for early check-in has been noted and our studio is ready for us. The hotel is located in the central area, right at Cathedral Junction. After putting the bags in our room it is time to explore!
We meander down New Regent Street and stop at one of the many cafe's for a cup of coffee. While enjoying the java and the sun, a wizard sits at the table next to William. Not something you see every day.
After a brief stop at the Clock Tower we walk to the Cardboard Cathedral (also known as the Transitional Cathedral). After the original neo-Gothic Cathedral was heavily damaged in the 2011 earthquake, the Japanese architect Shigeru Ban designed the cathedral similar to the cardboard cathedral he did after the Kobe earthquake. Two years later it was fully completed, consisting of cardboard, wood, steel with a polished concrete floor and polycarbonate roof. Side chapels and offices are shaped from repurposed shipping containers. The architect also designed the cathedral chairs. We learn the story of the Cardboard Cathedral from a volunteer then sit a couple of minutes to take in the space.
A block away is 185 Empty Chairs, the monument to the 185 people who died in the quake.
A block away is 185 Empty Chairs, the monument to the 185 people who died in the quake.
Every where we turn there are signs of the earthquake's destruction and the rebuilding. There is an entire shopping mall made from cargo shipping containers, aptly named re-START City Mall. The Christchurch Cathedral looms at the center of the destruction, with it's collapsed tower and cracking throughout the building. The Bridge of Remembrance (built as a memorial originally to WWI) remains standing, seemingly anchoring the reconstructed around it.
After an afternoon of sight-seeing we head back to the hotel to do some re-packing for our flight to British Columbia. Then we pick out two restaurants for a last dinner in New Zealand. Because we are early we are able to get a table at our first choice, Twenty Seven Steps. It is located on the second floor, and you guessed it, there are 27 steps to get there. The restaurant is highly rated and we can quickly see why. The food is fabulous and the wait staff exceptional. They have a starter of fresh scallops gently placed on a corn purée. William chooses the grouper special, while I have the incredible lamb chops prepared with a red wine demi sauce. Both of us sigh with extreme satisfaction between bites and conversation. This is the perfect send-off dinner.
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