Staying in Christchurch was an odd experience. Reuben and I had been to Christchurch for a weekend right before they experienced their first big quake in September 2010, and had done lots of touristy things then. It was very strange to no longer be able to go to the centre of town, to see the destruction and the inner city shut off.  Highlights of Christchurch included:

• Catching up with family and friends
• Visiting the container mall, a mall which has been built next to the inner city and is literally shops and cafes made out of containers
• Visiting the Cookie time factory – managed to restrain myself from buying too excessively!
• Trying souvlaki for the first time – why don’t we have these in the North Island, and if we do, where can I find them??

Geraldine is a quaint little town about 2 hours south of Christchurch. We mostly stayed there to see family, but while there we enjoyed checking out the Farmers Market and trying lots of yummy food at the gourmet shops there.  We also enjoyed attending church at the little combined church in town.