New Zealand - South Island Part 1

I sat in the airport in Wellington, frantically looking for a bar with a TV.  I don't like drinking before a flight, so why was I looking for a TV?  If you check the date, you'll see that it's Superbowl Monday.  (In New Zealand, they call it Superbowl Monday).  But all the TVs were showing a meaningless, insignificant match up between two rugby teams know one has ever heard.  And no one was aware of the Superbowl, so I had to sit in darkness for a few hours.

I landed in Christchurch, and picked up my rental car.  At this point, I'm quite comfortable driving in accordance with the Queen, though I occasionally find myself slipping.  Fortunately, there are only about 35 cars in New Zealand, and the image of New Zealand traffic jams involving only a bunch of sheep is actually pretty accurate.  I guess the sheep-to-man ratio here is 10-1.

While in Wellington, I booked a night at "At the Beach Bed & Breakfast" on the outskirts of the city.  If you like beach vacations, you can't ask for a better location.  I could hear the waves crashing from my room.  Gail, the hostess, greeted me when I arrived, and she couldn't've been friendlier.  Of course, the first thing she asked me was if I had my tea yet, and then pointed out that there is fresh milk in my room.  Then she told me the website I used to book gave the wrong quote, and knocked $20 off the room rate.  Gail was formerly on the city tourism board, and she certainly has a lot of passion for Christchurch.  We were both disappointed that I only allowed myself one night in this beautiful city.



The B&B was extremely cozy, and felt like what I would imagine a New England beach cottage would feel like. A wide selection of DVDs and books can be checked out from the library, but there was free wifi, so I was set.  I got settled into the room, then headed downtown to see Christchurch at night.  Although Kavita says she likes Japanese food, we've found it hard to find a variety of healthy vegetarian options, so when I'm on my own, my first thought is sushi.

I grabbed dinner at a downtown restaurant just around the corner from the cathedral: Tatsumi.  Atmosphere was very serene and relaxing.  Service was friendly, though a little slow, and the food was on the cheaper side of moderately priced.  The mains were good but not great, but what I remember most was the black sesame creme brulee, which was wonderfully prepared and had a very unique and likable flavor.  Definitely try it out if you're there.  Get it as an appetizer, in case you want another later.

After dinner, I strolled around the Cathedral area.  It was close to midnight, and the square was virtually empty.  Taking in the cathedral at night time was quite a sight.  I managed to take a few crappy pictures with poor lighting, and vowed to return and take better pictures.  I had a long road trip ahead of me the next day, so I promised myself I'd return and check out the cathedral in the daylight.