Christchurch

Arrived in Christchurch last night and are staying right in the heart of the city centre. The weather is warm, sunny and the scenery breathtaking. Before going to bed we met up with our guide for the trekking part of the trip. He treated us to some NZ wine and then we all went out to dinner. We enjoyed some Turkish cuisine (yeah, I know we are no where near Turkey, but our guide recommended it so, what the heck). It was a first for me and I thought it was fabulous. We got a good night sleep and headed out early this morning. We grabbed a quick bite and waited for Ricky's ride. He got to ride in our guides race car to see a bit of the city and meet us at the Arctic Centre. He loved it! Mom and I took what they call a $5 shuttle and met him there. While at the centre we got to ride a Hagglund (Arctic vehicle) around a track that showed us what it can do on the south pole. It was amazing. The vehicle can go up steep hills, around donuts (6 degree slope circle), it floats, and it can go over wide trenches. It was rather a rough ride but a lot of fun. We learned a lot about Antarctica climate. Ricky got to experience a simulated storm and we both went down an Ice slide in their snow room. We also learned a lot about the wildlife and saw some rescued blue penguins. Did you know the Antarctic is almost as dry a climate as the Sahara Desert? They only get an average of 5 millimeters of snowfall each year. It is a bit colder however :)!

Ricky and I are off now to find a few souvenirs and then head back to wake up Grammy. We hope to ride a gondola, walk or ride on the river Avon, and Mountain bike before Monday when we begin our trekking. I miss Rick, Kerri, Matt and Jason a lot and wish they were here.

One note about NZ in general: I have noticed that most kiwi (Newzelanders) have traveled extensively. We have yet to encounter anyone unfriendly or unwilling to share information about their country. We are learning so much, love how friendly they are and are enjoying their accent. Kia Ora!