Christchurch experienced a series of devastating earthquakes from September 2010, with the most destructive occurring on February 22 2011, resulting in 185 fatalities and widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure. The city has since been undergoing extensive rebuilding and recovery efforts, the evidence of which can be seen everywhere.

We took a city tour by tram, giving us an excellent overview of the area. We then dismounted and explored on foot, arriving at the 52-acre Botanical Gardens where we again enjoyed a guided tour of the grounds before returning on foot for more investigation. During the day we walked a total of 8.3 miles and visited several museums, art galleries, the public library (a highlight), and churches. All the exercise justified a generous sampling of the food which included lamb shwarma, chicken kababos, anzac cookies, cheese scones, Thai salad, eggs over sourdough toast, a donut and chocolate chip cookie.

Jeanine is pictured below at the Kate Sheppard National Memorial, which commemorates the country’s women’s suffrage movement. Driven by her efforts, New Zealand was the first country in the world to grant women the right to vote.

Last night, we dined at a rooftop bar and restaurant, affording us a birdseye view of the city. The view inside was equally impressive. This evening, we took in the movie Tinā, a poignant story set in Christchurch following the earthquakes.