Around & Above Christchurch

We hopped on the little trolley and continued our beautiful afternoon of exploring Christchurch continued as we continued down Worchester Street passing by Christchurch Art Gallery.



We jumped off at the Arts Center, a wonderfully renovated and restored building that was the University of Centerbury in a former life.



I felt like I'd stepped into a Harry Potter movie with all the old English architecture.



There was even a very inviting pool in the courtyard.



Next time I have a pile of sticks in my yard, I will call it art!



We kept heading west until we hit the Christchurch Botanic Gardens where we found more interesting "yard art".



If we'd have had more time, this would have been a great place for an afternoon stroll or a picnic in the park.



There were some amazing floral arrangements & majestic old trees.



The gardens are surrounded by the Avon River & that's where we found this cute little guy.



Again- so peaceful, so serene, so tranquil.



We'd bought a pass that let us hop on & off the trolley and included a punting ride down the river. Punter wasn't so good at taking photos, but oh well!



The Antigua Boat sheds have been restored in a lovely fashion & were the starting point for our punting ride down the river.



Lots of ducks and trees, along with a gentle breeze made for a splendid ride.



Caught a nice shot of the trolley after we departed.



Round about dinner time, we had a difficult time locating a restaurant away from the main river front area, but managed to stumble into that little outdoor cafe for a drink & some snacks.



We did manage to walk past the still functional Christ's College & saw many students tending to their afternoon activities.



I love wandering around little old cities....



We stayed at a bed & breakfast up in Cashmere hills & enjoyed driving by Sign of the Takahe several en route- I really wished we'd stopped and checked out the view.



Windy, steep road made for some adventures during our first hour of left handed driving.



Such great views- I'd love to live up there.



We really enjoyed going up, up, up but I can't imagine walking up this massive hill like I saw many people doing.



Also caught our first glimpse of this "red tree" that was super cool.

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: Got to spend an hour this morning getting caught up on pictures- camping, birthdays, dancing, parties all to come eventually.