February 22, 2010

It would be a shame to visit the other end of the world without seeing it when you got there. When I was planning to move to New Zealand, I was determined to see or experience something new every week. This past weekend, however, we were sick (are sick). Still, we managed to get out and see one of the places we’ve wanted to visit; the small town of Lyttleton just south of Christchurch. Christchurch proper doesn’t really have a harbor, being primarily located on exposed coastline (New Brighton Beach). Lyttleton is located on a narrow bay eroded into the volcanic headlands that form the Port Hills and the Banks Peninsula. To reach it, one can drive either through a 4km long tunnel bored under the Port Hills, or over the Port Hills via Sumner or Dyers Pass. We opted for the tunnel, which deposits cars and their passengers directly in ‘downtown’ Lyttleton. The town seems almost entirely composed of (a) expensive homes perched on the hillside, (b) a restaurant / pub / bar / gallery district, and (c) a working port. We walked around the town for an hour or two, ate steak and cheese pies, went to a gallery, and visited the farmer’s market. Probably as much fun as you can have in Lyttleton with two children in tow.

After leaving Lyttleton, we went downtown. I have probably been to downtown ChCh as often in the first month as I went to downtown Vancouver in my first year there. There’s a lot to see and do downtown, especially if you love the arts (which I do). We went to COCA (the Center of Contemporary Art), and were impressed by the caliber of local artists. Aya and Rowan loved the acoustics. They kept hooting to hear their echoing voices. There was a exhibit of cast glass pieces that I really liked. Shelley thought they looked too much like giant gummy bears. We had traveled downtown to go to Ballantynes (hmmm… think Eatons, or an upscale Hudson’s Bay Company), because I am need of new pants for an upcoming interview. It was swarming with people, however, because of some long-awaited sale. I didn’t buy any pants, but I did buy a straw hat. I have asked around, and straw hats are not cool here. Floppy cotton hats seem to be semi-acceptable, but not straw hats. I’m a bit surprised, because broad-brimmed straw hats always seem to say “world-traveller-surfer-adventurerer” to me. But not to New Zealanders. Apparently, they say “working-in-your-garden” here.

Fortunately, I purchased plants for my garden today, and was able to use my straw hat in a proper Cantabrian fashion. The flower beds and gardens of our new house are in dire need of a saviour. They have been neglected, it appears, for several years. I bought some ornamental grasses, some hebes, two ferns, and a rosemary bush. All but the rosemary are native. There are many interesting native plants here, and many make good ornamentals.

Last weekend we (finally!) went to Castle Hill. The Castle Hill basin is in the interior of the South Island, and features uplifted limestone substrata that has been heavily weathered into free-standing blocks and shapes. The resulting boulder fields look like collections of sculpture – walking through them is an amazing experience. The ground among the boulders is covered with short turf (the product, I suspect, of a century of sheep grazing), and looks like lawn grass. For me – whose interests are largely comprised of climbing, the natural world, and the fine arts – it represents an idealized landscape. We did some climbing, but mostly wandered amongst the boulders. I took lots of pictures. It was very sunny. There were many young German climbers there – they were very tanned compared to the New Zealanders we’ve seen. Aya was very keen to climb and hang out with the other climbers. Castle Hill is only about an hour drive from our house, so we’re hoping to visit there very often. Very often.

We also went to New Brighton Beach last weekend. New Brighton is a mystery to us. In the minds of Cantabrians, New Brighton is an economically downtrodden area, populated by ne’er-do-wells and ramshackle houses. However, it seemed to us to be a charming seaside area – albeit a little rundown – with sand dunes and miles of beautiful beaches. It reminded me of the few remaining working towns in coastal California (incidentally, I’ve just read Steinbeck’s ‘Cannery Row’, it is a great book). In Vancouver, New Brighton would be flooded with thousands of beachgoers on the weekend. But here, all the stylish young people flood to Sumner. I guess in ChCh (and NZ in general), people can be choosy about the beaches they visit.

Next, Shelley and I are hoping to visit Akaroa and possibly the West Coast. There’s lot left to see!

Today’s random thoughts about life in New Zealand:

1) New Zealanders do not eat a lot of spicy food. It is very difficult to buy spicy things, or even to buy chili peppers.

2) Young New Zealand males drink a lot of beer. A lot. At the grocery store, they always seem to be buying beer. But maybe it is simply because I live in the University area and the semester is beginning.

3) Cafes close in the late afternoon, around 4 or 5pm. New Zealanders enjoy coffee, but are not as fanatical about it as Vancouverites (although probably moreso than Edmontonians). I do miss the ubiquitous coffee shops of Vancouver, though. Cappuccino is very good here, but DO NOT buy a flat white (aka cappuccino with very little foam) at a McCafe. Ugh. I repeat – DO NOT buy a flat white at a McCafe.

4) Aya and I found a very large spider in our house. Very large. Aya was a little scared. We put it outside. We also found a big snail when we were gardening. Aya and the snail got along famously.

5) Shelley and I now own two couches. When you come to visit, you will be able to sit down. We also bought a TV for $10.

6) It is easy to buy enormous bars of decent-quality chocolate in the grocery stores here (Joshua, take note). Also, you can purchase all kinds of cordials and soft drinks here that stray from the North American fold (Lemon and Bitters – Jonas, take note). They also have meat-flavored potato chips. ‘Tomato Sauce’ is far more popular than ‘Ketchup’ (‘Tomato Sauce’ tastes like ketchup with a dollop of HP Sauce stirred in, quite good, actually).

7) In New Zealand, you have to open windows (rain or shine) to air your house out, or things start to mildew. I suspect that things will be cold in winter.

Today, we especially miss our good friend Enid, who is currently traveling through Europe, attending the opera as often as she can. Selfishly, we wish she were here in NZ (Enid, the wine is plentiful and local (and apparently very good), but I’m not sure they even have opera here).

Until next time,

Trent.