On the Road in Kaua'i

On the way home from New Zealand, I've stopped off for a week in the island of Kaua'i, the least developed and least populated of the "big four" of Hawai'ian islands.  I think that's why Kaua'i appeals to me so much.  It's a heavy-duty farming island, with no huge shopping malls, sprawling cities, or jam-packed freeways.  The closest I've seen to an invasion of brand names (besides the big resorts) is one Walmart, one McDonald's, one Taco Bell/Pizza Hut joint outlet and a few Shell and Chevron gas stations.  The traffic on the (mostly) two-lane main road is a bit of a trial, but see below for how to handle that.

For me, this kind of environment is the definition of relaxation.  The resort I'm staying in is not huge, the staff are very friendly, and the food is excellent.  Service?  Well, that's another matter.  You have to park your ideas of doing anything in a hurry on Kaua'i.  Life here moves at a leisurely pace and you should too.  And why not?  You're on a holiday and the world isn't going to come to an end just because your lunch took an hour and a quarter instead of 30 minutes flat.  You just learn to start a bit earlier, expect to end a bit later, and then hang loose (with thumb and baby finger extended, of course!).

Last time I came to Kaua'i, two years ago, I visited the spectacular Waimea Canyon and Na Pali Coast overlooks, and you can see the pictures of those places here:  Another World.  The scenic drives I've been on yesterday and today really highlighted the reasons why Kaua'i is known as "the Garden Isle."  

There are two spectacular waterfalls near my resort, Opaekaa Falls:

And Wailua Falls:

Both are taller than Niagara, although obviously not quite as much water dropping over the edge!

I visited those yesterday.  Today, I broke my own rules about moving at a leisurely pace to get up at 5:30 and be on the road, after breakfast, by 7:15.  The reason?  I wanted to drive to Ke'e Beach, the literal "end of the road", and you do need to get there early if you want one of the limited number of parking spaces.  Even arriving as I did at 8:15 I had to park in the backup lot, a 7-minute walk from the beach.

But first, there's some great scenery on the way up to Ke'e.  (By the way, the apostrophe indicates a syllable break, so this name is pronounced "Kay-ay."  Kaua'i is a three-syllable word: "Kow-ah-ee.").  

All the amazing mountains on this island are the eroded remnants of an original single large volcano, although that's hard to believe when you see how many separate mountains there are today!

Two different overlooks give wonderful views of the almost magical Hanalei Valley.  I'd better add that this was not the spelling of the name in the original lyrics of Peter, Paul, and Mary's famous song, "Puff, the Magic Dragon" -- but that hasn't stopped people here from making the connection anyway.  And why not?  It's such a beautiful, unique landscape that perhaps a magic dragon wouldn't be at all out of place.

The bridge across the Hanalei River is the first of half a dozen single lane bridges along the road, and these bridges have done more than anything else to keep this area relatively pastoral and quiet.

The coast is lined with a string of gorgeous beaches, some of which remain relatively underused because the surf of this north shore is so treacherous, especially in winter.  Lumaha'i Beach west of Hanalei is a good example.  Just beyond the first point of land is the curving section of beach used for location work in the 1950s film of South Pacific.  

Walking from the parking lot into Ke'e Beach you pass this dark cave.

The eroded tree roots on the beach testify to just how far the waves can roll up on a stormy day.

Even on this relatively calm day, the big rollers created a thunderous roar as they smashed onto the offshore coral reefs.

Walk a few minutes along Ke'e Beach to the east, and then turn around and look back -- and you'll see this splendid view of the Na Pali Coast.  There's a hiking trail along the base of these incredible cliffs for some distance to the west, but it does not go all the way through to the far end.  The cliffs tower up for as much as a thousand metres above sea level (3300 feet).  The air here almost always looks hazy because of the spray flying up from all the waves battering against the rocky coastline.

To conclude, a couple of helpful hints about Kaua'i.  If you are staying in the resorts of Princeville (north) or Kapa'a/Waipouli (east), be prepared for a lot of breeze.  The prevailing winds of Hawai'i are the northeast trade winds and they blow directly onto this coast.

Evenings in particular are apt to get cool, no matter how hot it got in the daytime.  Since virtually all Hawai'ian restaurants are open-air, you may well want to add on some long trousers or a sweater/jacket/hoodie when going for dinner.

For the same reason, these areas are also apt to get rained on from time to time, although the rain usually kindly holds off until the clouds bump into the central mass of Mount Wai'ale'ale, which is said to be one of the wettest places on earth with average yearly rainfall of 452 inches since records were kept from 1912, and a record amount of 683 inches (17.3 metres) in 1982.  I've only ever seen the summit of the mountain once, in 1998, during a record drought!

The southern resorts around Po'ipu are a bit drier and a good deal less windy -- so, no surprise, these are the premium brand resorts and the prices reflect that fact. 

Unlike the traffic-jammed city of Honolulu, this is a place where you probably need a rental car.  You can use tours to get around, but they're pretty expensive.  Having your own wheels opens up all the beautiful beaches to you, and that's great because -- in Hawai'i -- there is by state law no such thing as a private beach.  All beaches in the entire state are open to the public except a few inside restricted military areas.

And finally, on the subject of food many (most?) restaurants offer early-bird dinner specials.  Get seated by 5:45 or 6:00 and you can order from a limited menu at prices far lower than the regular menu dishes.  If the restaurant also offers a bar happy hour you can get a complete meal with beer or wine at a really notable saving on normal high prices.

The Down Under Expedition # 9: Last Thoughts on New Zealand

After my two-and-a-half weeks in New Zealand, I have now returned to the northern hemisphere.  I hope that those of you following my travels will have gotten a good idea of some places you might like to visit if and when you get to New Zealand yourself.  This final post is a combination of my own observations and reminiscences with helpful hints for those who hope to go some day.

How Long?  I can tell you quite plainly that two or three weeks is not enough.  If you really want to come to grips with this incredibly diverse country, you need more time.  The :map is rather deceptive on this score, as it is with a number of European countries.  The country looks small, but you can't travel as quickly as in North America, and roads are not as straight as many of ours.

North, South, or Both?   A tricky question.  Unquestionably, you need to see highlights of both main islands of this country.  How much time to spend with each?  That depends.  If you are interested in history, culture, museums, and the like, definitely spend more time in the North Island.  The South Island is the one to give more time to if you are more interested in the outdoors, mountain scenery, hiking ("tramping"), and other related pursuits.  But of course, there are many cultural features in the South and much spectacular wilderness in the North,

Getting Around:  New Zealand has an excellent network of frequent domestic flights, linking the numerous smaller cities and towns to one or more of the three main hub airports at Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.  Rail travel is confined to three main scenic train routes (one in the north island and two in the south) plus commuter trains in and around Auckland.  Bus travel has one condition unfamiliar to many Canadians: all bus seats on inter-city routes are reserved seats and must be booked and paid for before travel begins.  Bus services are fairly frequent in most populated areas.
Car travel: drive on the left!   A car is a must in more remote areas but more of a hindrance than a help in cities.  Also remember the higher cost of gas, ranging from $1.79 to $2.08 per litre.  Most New Zealand cities have fairly compact central districts and getting around them on foot is easy.

As for hikers, be aware that many of the best-known and most popular hiking trails are capacity-controlled to protect the environment and reservations must be made months or even years in advance for such routes as the Milford Track.

Between Islands:  Many air routes link the two islands.  The shortest ones hop across from Wellington on the North Island to the airports of Picton, Blenheim, and Nelson at the top end of the South Island.  Two different companies operate car ferry services several times daily between Picton and Wellington.  My rental car company would not allow you to take a rented vehicle on the ferry.  Instead, they will give you a single through rate for your city to city rental with no drop-off charge, but you will drop the first car at the ferry terminal and pick up the second car after you come off the ship at the other end.  This can also be arranged with air travel, and is cheaper than making two separate rental bookings.  I imagine most of the major companies follow this procedure.

Accommodations:  Deluxe hotels are found in all major cities.  Cheap backpackers hostels can be found in almost any community big enough to be on the map.  In between are a wide range of motels, from the very basic to the very deluxe.  In popular areas, expect to pay up to twice as much as for comparable accommodations in Canada during peak season.  I have no experience with bed and breakfast (I've never been comfortable staying in someone else's home) but expect that the same might apply for these too.  Expect to be asked to pre-authorize the cost of your stay on your credit card when you check in.

Suburbs:  The actual area of any major city is very small, since New Zealand (like Australia) makes wide use of suburban names for postal addresses and other kind of locations.  If using a taxi or shuttle service of any kind, you need to be prepared with the name of the suburb you have to reach, as well as a street name.

Food:  New Zealand has been invaded by several major North American fast food chains, and some of their products may be familiar but others are unique to this market.  Fancy a Macca's?  That's a local name for McDonald's which the corporation has actually trademarked!  Cafes are found absolutely everywhere, and always feature an espresso machine and a barista.  A favourite New Zealand treat is a "flat white" -- an espresso mixed with hot milk, with a thinner layer of foam on top than a cappuccino.  In cafes, bars, and bakeries you always order and pay at the counter, and if you are eating in you are given a number to put on your table so the server can bring your order when it is ready.  Even some restaurants do this, especially on outdoor patios!  Otherwise, restaurants offer the normal full service experience.

The diversity of menu options can be quite startling, with even small towns offering cuisine from a dozen different countries.  Prices again are high, but some locally produced items are bargains compared to the same meals in Canada:  lamb, local fish, and superb cheeses are three good examples.  New Zealand has long produced some really great wines, and craft breweries are now popping up all over the map too.  Many bars are glad to let you have a taste of this or that wine or beer before ordering a full drink.

Credit Cards:  These are readily accepted anywhere, and New Zealand adopted the chip and PIN system long before we did.  But be prepared to pay a surcharge for use of a credit card.  This hasn't been allowed in Canada -- yet.  A merchant is supposed to advise you ahead of time when a surcharge has been imposed.  I got the surcharge at one or two restaurants, but mainly with hotels -- and not even all of those made a surcharge.  Note that credit card machines do not offer a space for you to leave a tip.  You have to do that separately.

Money:  New Zealand dollar is basically at par with Canada right now, and bills look a lot like Canadian money.  Coins come in 10, 20, and 50 cents, 1 dollar and 2 dollars.  That's right, no penny and no nickel.  Prices are therefore dead simple, and not least because sales tax is always included in the price!.  Your receipt will show how much tax you have paid, but you don't have to calculate it when shopping or studying a menu.  When the price says $23.50, then $23.50 is exactly what you pay -- no more and no less.  Very sensible and refreshing after Canada's insanity of different tax rates for different kinds of purchases in different provinces, all added on at the till.  We need to get with the program!

Accent:  A couple of helpful hints go a long way in following the Kiwi accent.  The big # 1 is the simple rule, "i instead of e."  Thus, you get used to such words as Widnesday, nixt, Wist, lift, and bid instead of Wednesday, next, West, left, and bed.  This also covers the omnipresent national sound of agreement, a long-drawn and oft-repeated "Yihhh."  Since I mentioned Wist, it seems only fair to give the other three cardinal points of the compass.  These are Nohth, Aist, and Sahth.  

Maori:  The Maori are the aboriginal people of New Zealand, and are Polynesian, hence the similarities in words with such places as Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti, and Hawaii.  Much effort has been made in recent years into trying to preserve and recover the use of the Maori language and other cultural features and traditions.  Public announcements given in both Maori and English are increasingly common.

The basic rule of Maori pronunciation is to sound out all the letters -- with only a few exceptions, this works.  Your first Maori word is "Aotearoa" -- six syllables in all.  This is also a good sample of the poetic, evocative quality of the Polynesian languages.  It's the Maori name for New Zealand, and it means "the land of the long white cloud".  Since the Polynesians navigated from place to place in part by following the cloud towers that built up over the Pacific islands, it's not surprising that these much larger islands would produce a cloud that ran to length more than height.  Your second, and similar, word:  "Aoraki", the Maori name for the tallest mountain in Aotearoa, which is known in English as Mount Cook.  The name means "the cloud piercer."

Before this trip I was thinking that this would likely be my last hurrah for New Zealand.  Now, I find that I can barely wait to return once again to Aotearoa.  See you there?

The Down Under Expedition # 8: North Island Adventures

Besides that incredible evening in Hobbiton, I managed a few other interesting experiences in the North Island of New Zealand before it was time to leave.

First of all, here are a couple of pictures of the spectacular coastal scenery at Piha, west of Auckland on the west coast.  The drive here was one of the tamer versions of the zigzag mountain roads found everywhere in this mountainous country.

  

In the "Just when you think you've seen it all" awards category comes this Piha road sign....

...and these two reasons why it is so very necessary.

On the way to Rotorua I passed this very unusual -- okay, weird -- landscape along a one-kilometre stretch of the road.  I'd love to know the geology behind this one.

Rotorua itself is set in a valley full of steaming vents, mud pools, hot springs, and geysers.  My hotel room directly overlooked a major section of the thermal fields, including the dramatic Te Puia Pohutu geyser.  With a view like this, who needs to pay admission?

Rotorua, like other communities in geothermal activity areas, makes good use of its resource by using heat exchangers to transmit the heat from the ground to hot-water heating tanks, swimming pools, and even home heating units for colder weather.  As well, bathing in the hot water from the springs, with its strong whiff of sulphur, is recommended for many ailments.  Most accommodations in Rotorua have their own hot springs pools for their guests, and there are also large public bathhouses for those not so fortunate.

I'm sorry I didn't get a picture because I couldn't stop due to traffic, but one day I sighted a steaming vent right under the wooden fence behind a house on the side of the main road!  That's Rotorua, in a nutshell, and it's a fascinating place -- provided the omnipresent odour of sulphur doesn't irritate you too much.  I found myself that after a day there I hardly noticed it any more.

And then there's Auckland, the "City of Sails," with its large natural harbour that makes it the country's major port of entry for cargoes of all kinds.  Auckland's airport is also the major point of entry for visitors arriving in New Zealand.  The city houses about 1.5 million people, almost 1/3 of New Zealand's entire population.

On my last night in New Zealand, I was lucky enough to stay (on my reward points) in the $400/night Hilton Hotel right on Prince's Quay in downtown Auckland.  Hilton allows you to pick the room of your choice when checking in online a day ahead, and I chose and got one that is nominally a "city view" room but still has a corner balcony where you get these views.

This hotel also has a unique outdoor heated pool with sundeck, between the hotel and its mirror-image apartment building neighbour.

Swimming in that pool was a freaky experience, to put it mildly.  Every second lap you come up against a thick plexiglass window and if you are wearing goggles you get a picture-perfect view of the waterfront four stories below -- and the inevitable passer-by staring up at you.  They stare because they get a picture-perfect view of you through the plexiglass!  Each time, I waved.  Some of them waved back.  Some of them turned away as if embarrassed to be caught staring!

By the way, if you think these buildings look a bit like cruise ships, that is not an accident.  It's a deliberate choice by the architect, carried out right to the seaward end of each building which has a point like a ship's bow.  So does the landward end of one of the apartment blocks.

Prince's Quay also doubles as a cruise ship terminal.  And that was another freaky thing that happened.  The ship docked beside the hotel was the German cruise liner, Phoenix-Reisen's Artania.  I sailed on that ship in 2000, when she was sailing for her original owner, Princess Cruises, as the first Royal Princess.  I also saw the ship again just over a year ago, when another Princess cruise that I was taking stopped for a day in the Portuguese island of Madeira, and the Artania was in port there the same day.  I think the ship is following me around!

As in many cities, one of the best ways to hit all the highlights in Auckland -- especially if you are staying downtown -- is to use the hop-on-hop-off sightseeing bus tour.  This takes you to such major attractions as Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World (which is in fact mostly underground) and the War Memorial Museum in the large public park called the Auckland Domain.

The use of the word "Domain" to describe a park is a down-underism found in most cities, towns, and even villages in Australia and New Zealand.  The incorporation of a War Memorial of some kind into the Domain is virtually a given.  But rarely do you meet one like this which serves some other purpose as well.

Another spot on the tour is Mount Eden.   Although the narrow summit road is now closed to motor vehicles, you can drop off the bus and hike the last steep 300 metres to the summit on the road.  I passed, not because I couldn't get up that hill, but because the steep grade would force me to walk very slowly on the way down (due to my bad knee) and I would probably have missed the next -- and last -- tour bus of the day.  So I settled for this partial view from the parking area.

One of the nicest things to do in Auckland is to hop on the ferry across the harbour to Devonport, a suburb on the north shore, and settle onto the patio of the dignified dowager Esplanade Hotel for lunch or dinner.

The hotel produced a marvellous meal, and the combination of sunshine and view was delightful,  And here, as I finished dinner around 6:30 pm, I saw proof of exactly why Auckland is called "The City of Sails."  It only needed enough time for the crews to get to the various marinas from their day jobs, and get their boats rigged up and ready to go -- and the harbour was transformed.

The great spectacle of the evening sailaway was the flotilla of yachts acting as escort to the Princess Cruises liner Dawn Princess as she glided majestically down the harbour towards the open sea.

And that was my final evening in New Zealand.  Five hours after these last pictures were taken I was aboard the Hawaiian Airlines' red-eye to Honolulu.  

The Down Under Expedition # 7: A Magical Evening in Middle-Earth

Tourism in New Zealand has benefited mightily from the immense world-wide popularity of Sir Peter Jackson's epic films of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.  Nowhere is this more true than on a sizable cattle and sheep farm in the countryside of the North Island, where the village of Hobbiton was created for the films and remains today as a tourist attraction bringing in excess of half a million visitors a year.

This might not sound immense if the movie set were in a major metropolitan area, but it's located on the back forty of a large sheep and cattle farm in a rural region near the small town of Matamata, about half way between the small cities of Rotorua and Hamilton, and over 2 hours by road from the nearest major international airport at Auckland.

Anyone who knows my lifelong passion for the Lord of the Rings could readily guess that I would want to visit the film set.  But here's the wrinkle: when I went to the website, I found out that, among other special packages, they offer an evening excursion which includes dinner in the Green Dragon Inn, the tavern frequented by the hobbits in the film.  That totally intrigued me, and I signed up for it.

My main comment, by way of a review, was that the price looked a bit steep ahead of time but the entire event turned out to be worth every penny, and then some.  The weather was absolutely picture-perfect for the entire evening.  The tour was fantastic, informative, interesting, and a great way to get acquainted with some of the ins and outs of filming on location in such an out-of-the-way region.  The evening meal, which included the first round of free beer or cider from the bar, was a true hobbit feast -- in other words, far too much for mere humans to eat -- but we bravely did our best.  The small size of the group (less than 50 of us all told) and the large communal tables got everyone chatting and exchanging travellers' tales, just as things ought to happen in the Green Dragon Inn.  Our hosts were funny, helpful, quite happy to take pictures on our cameras, and generally everything you could want from such an event.

The dinner tour is almost always sold out -- booking well ahead of time is strongly recommended!  It lasts from 6:15 to about 10:45, give or take a few minutes.  If you decide to do this event, there are accommodations in the towns of Tirau and Matamata, each of which is about a 25-minute drive from the farm.

With that by way of intro, come and join me in reliving my trip to Middle Earth.

The first view of the Shire, as you arrive at the visitor's centre, known as the Shire's Rest.

A sign post just at the point where you enter the village.

A collage of some of the many hobbit holes we passed during our walking tour.

An area of the village known as The Dell.  Look closely and see how many hobbit holes you can spot in this one picture!

And here's Bag End, with some fellow who most certainly isn't a hobbit hanging around outside.

The Party Field, and the Party Tree, down the hill below Bag End.

The mill, at the edge of the pool.

The Green Dragon Inn, with the same non-hobbit loitering outside.

Interior views of the Green Dragon.

The dinner tables were loaded at either end with dishes of excellent food.

The real magic of the evening happened after dinner, when we were all equipped with lanterns and taken on a walk around the lower part of the village by night.  A selection of discreet lights illuminated a window here or a door there, and the Party Tree was also subtly lit up.  Here, you see some of those lights reflected in the mirror-calm surface of the pool.

We then stood in the Dell and put out the lanterns, while our guide, Bee, invited us to compose a kind of mental snapshot of the hobbit hole which had seemed most like home to us.  She then had us look upwards at the spectacle of the Milky Way sprawling across the night sky, so much brighter and clearer than you will ever see in any more developed part of the world.  It was a breathtaking image to carry away with us after having such a perfect afternoon and evening in such a remarkable place.

I like to think that J. R. R. Tolkien would have appreciated the attention to detail -- his detail -- which informed the windows, doors, turf roofs, and general rustic atmosphere in this remarkable re-creation of his beloved Hobbiton.

And one final piece of perfect timing -- less than three minutes after I pulled out of the parking lot to drive back to my hotel, the rain started hitting the windshield.

The Down Under Expedition # 6: Shake, Rattle, and On A Roll!

As some of you may guess, this title indicates my visits to the city centre of Christchurch, spread over two days.  I hasten to add that no disrespect whatsoever is intended.

In 2010 and 2011 the Christchurch area was struck by a series of major earthquakes, which collectively caused massive damage in the city, especially in the central area and the eastern suburbs.  The total death toll stands at 185 confirmed deaths, all suffered during an aftershock on Feb. 22, 2011, which brought down many buildings weakened by previous earthquakes, and wrecked the tall spire of the city's iconic Anglican cathedral.  

I remember reading comments at the time that the site of the city would likely be abandoned, and that new urban development would henceforth take place in other areas around the region which would possess greater stability in future earthquake events.

I felt as if I had suffered a bereavement.  The time I spent in Christchurch during my 1994 visit stood out among my happiest memories of that entire trip.  I couldn't bear the thought of the entire city simply turning into a ghost town, haunted by the victims of the tragedy.

Of course, it didn't turn out quite like that.

By October of 2011, eight months after the quake, a new shopping mall had been opened on a cleared site right by the Avon River.  It was called the Re:START Mall, with obvious intention.  It included many stores, cafes, restaurants, and the like -- all housed in colourful shipping containers -- and it's still a go-to destination and hangout for all kinds of people.  And that's where I started the first of two days exploring the city centre.

Right nearby stands the Bridge of Remembrance, a pedestrian bridge and memorial arch built after World War One and expanded after World War Two and other more recent conflicts.  It has been rebuilt and newly strengthened against future earthquakes, and is now open again.

Other nearby new buildings display a new, more colourful and even playful approach to urban architecture as compared to the more sober, businesslike look of the pre-quake city.

I was startled in walking through the ReSTART Mall at lunch time that nearly half the people around me were construction workers in their work clothes.  Whole blocks of Christchurch are being rebuilt with new and improved standards of building safety, and the entire construction industry is booming as a result.  The latest ideas in earthquake resistance are also being retrofitted into many existing buildings.

The antique tramcar is part of a dual-loop tram route through the city centre which was built from scratch in the late 1990s, many years after trams had been replaced by buses.  It uses authentic old tramcars from several cities, and is run as a tourist attraction with an all-day, hop-on-hop-off ticket.  It's a fascinating way to see the changes happening in central Christchurch.  You can't mistake it for a transit system by any means -- the trams move at a very leisurely pace, as is appropriate for such elderly citizens!  But in the future it may be integrated into Christchurch's public transport system.

The central hub of the tram operation is in what's left of Cathedral Square.  In some ways, this was the saddest loss from the earthquake, next to all the human lives.  Cathedral Square was a genuine "people place", complete with popular meetings and festivals, sidewalk games, a "speaker's corner," food trucks galore, something always happening.  Today, it looks rather sadder and emptier.

Cathedral Square was also the headquarters for the world-famous Wizard of Christchurch.  If you haven't heard of him, Google the name or look him up in Wikipedia -- you're in for a fascinating story.  The Wizard now hangs out in the New Regent Street pedestrian shopping street, and I got a photo of him and his apprentice/assistant Wizard when rolling slowly through the mall on the tram.

The Cathedral Square area, too, is rebuilding, but the truncated remnant of the old Cathedral stands as a perennial reminder of 2011.  Its future is still uncertain.  The Anglican Diocese has deconsecrated the ruined church, but has committed to keeping a cathedral in Cathedral Square.  Whether this will be a reconstruction of the existing building or a new structure is as yet unclear.

A distant view towards the Square from the northwest shows just how much land in downtown Christchurch remains to be refilled.  But the city's determination to rebuild is remarkable all the same --- and also clearly visible in the picture.

The tram system has an office and a drive-through "terminal" in the brand-new Cathedral Junction building -- a modern shopping mall with a hotel attached on one side and another hotel right above the shops on the other side.  As the tram driver said in his commentary, you can get a lovely deluxe hotel room with a tram rumbling through right under your bed every 15 minutes!

Many damaged buildings await reconstruction.  In the case of some of the beautiful heritage buildings, new construction behind a preserved facade is an option -- that's what's expected to happen with this carefully braced structure.

Other historic buildings came through with less lasting damage, and the old wooden church of St. Michael and All Angels is a good example.  Wooden buildings in general fared far better with the earthquakes than those built of brick or stone.  One curious detail was the frequency with which wooden buildings remained standing while their brick chimneys collapsed.

Or, on a more secular level, take the Pegasus Arms Pub, which has a good big patio and dished up an excellent lunch with local draft beer!

I want to conclude this post with the newest addition to the city, scheduled to be officially dedicated in one week from now.  But this also brings my post full circle.  This is the Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial.  

When it's officially unveiled, the simple curving wall along the shore of the Avon River will carry the names of all 185 victims.  Across the river, a matching curving walkway and bench is being created to allow a space for reflection on the memorial wall and its meaning.  As the city is reborn, more colourful and in some ways more vibrant than ever before, it is right that the past should in this way be clearly and publicly remembered and commemorated.