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A Rainy Day in Christchurch

A new adventure begins! We fly to Melbourne where we spend a couple of days before embarking on the cruise ship Grand Princess for a 13 night circumnavigation of New Zealand. Returning to land, our holiday continues at Phillip Island and ends with one last day back where we started in Melbourne. Join me for a round trip, on sea and on land, to destinations both familiar and new.

March 2023

Ōtautahi / Christchurch

It was rainy and cold in Christchurch but we found a great way to stay dry, on a Christchurch Tram. With interesting commentary by the drivers and 17 stops around the city centre, we were able to explore in comfort. On such a wet day we chose to alight at just a few stops on the route.

As we rode along the tram driver told us about the earthquakes which struck Christchurch on 4th September, 2010 and again on 22nd February, 2011. While the first earthquake was stronger at magnitude 7.1, the second at magnitude 6.3 caused widespread devastation and killed 185 people. Our driver explained how the city is rebuilding using construction techniques designed to withstand future tremors.

To learn more about the 2011 earthquake we left the tram at Quake City, a special exhibition by Canterbury Museum. Displays explaining the science of the earthquake and the response, from both local and international personnel, gave us a greater understanding of what happened to the city and its people.

Back on the tram, we went next to Cathedral Square. After reading about the destruction of Christ Church Cathedral, it was heartening to see firsthand the ongoing restoration work, scheduled for completion in 2027.

Other stops on the tram route included New Regent Street and Victoria Square.

New Regent Street is a wide pedestrian mall with shops, boutiques and cafés on either side of the tram line. We admired the pastel coloured Spanish Mission style buildings dating from the 1930s.

During a break in the rain at Victoria Square we saw Queen Victoria and Mana Motuhake, a Māori commemoration of the Treaty of Waitangi.

We finally left the tram at the top of City Mall. Here we stopped to pay our respects to past and present members of New Zealand’s Defence Forces at the Bridge of Remembrance, a beautiful war memorial spanning the Avon River.

It was a short walk along the mall to the Riverside Market. The indoor farmers’ market, selling local produce and artisan foods was a welcome respite from the rain. We enjoyed a hot lunch and the beer lovers sampled a local brew at the Canterbury Brewers Collective.

After beginning our day in Christchurch at Quake City, it seemed fitting to finish at the Oi Manawa Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial, located beside the Avon River close to the Bridge of Remembrance. The Māori name for the memorial, Oi Manawa, means ‘tremor or quivering of the heart’.

The curved stone wall is inscribed with the names of the 185 people who died in the 2011 earthquake.

Back on board our ship late in the afternoon, the rain finally stopped and the sky was clear again. The setting sun cast a golden glow over the water as we sailed out of Lyttleton Harbour en route to Wellington.

Walking Around Dunedin

A new adventure begins! We fly to Melbourne where we spend a couple of days before embarking on the cruise ship Grand Princess for a 13 night circumnavigation of New Zealand. Returning to land, our holiday continues at Phillip Island and ends with one last day back where we started in Melbourne. Join me for a round trip, on sea and on land, to destinations both familiar and new.

March 2023

Ōtepoti / Dunedin

After three days on board the ship we were ready to do some walking, and we had all day to explore the compact city centre of Dunedin.

We started at the Octagon, a large eight-sided pedestrian precinct surrounded by shops and grand Victorian buildings.

Two contrasting sculptures symbolise the city’s cultural heritage. Ko te Tuhono is a replica of a carved entrance at the Māori meeting house Ōtākou marae, one of the locations of the 1840  signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Nearby, a statue of Robert Burns is one of four created by Scottish sculptor John Steell. The others are in Dundee, London and New York City. Dunedin was chosen as the location for this fourth statue in recognition of the city’s Scottish history.

At the Otago Settlers Museum we learned about the two Māori settlements  of Ōtepoti and Puketai and the culture of the people who first lived here.

St Paul’s Anglican  Cathedral, constructed in the early 1900s, was damaged by fire in 2020. While the beautiful stained glass windows were saved, the chancel was destroyed. Work is underway to restore the damaged areas of the church.

The famous Renaissance-style façade of the Dunedin Railway Station was covered due to restoration works but the building was still open. The magnificent interior features Royal Doulton cherubs and foliage on the walls, 750,000 Royal Doulton tiles on the mosaic floor and stained glass windows on the mezzanine.

All these beautiful buildings are surrounded by expansive parks and gardens.

Queen Victoria overlooks her namesake Queens Gardens and the spectacular 28 metre high Dunedin Cenotaph. Close to the war memorial is another small memorial dedicated to New Zealand recipients of the Victoria Cross.

With two beer lovers in our party of four, our walking tour of Dunedin would have been incomplete without a visit to Speight’s Brewery and Ale House. Knowing that beer has been brewed here since 1876, their expectations were high.

And they weren’t disappointed!

Joining Jo for Monday Walks

Kings Park

Come with me on a train ride. We’ll travel 4,352 kilometres across Australia from east to west, spending four days and three nights on a train 731 metres long. We’ll start in Sydney and stay in Perth at the end and along the way we’ll traverse deserts, stop in a ghost town and cross the mighty Nullarbor Plain. Come with me on a transcontinental journey aboard the iconic Indian Pacific! 

Indian Pacific Adventure #16 Kings Park, Perth

After such a wet visit to Rottnest Island, the sun shone brightly in a brilliant blue sky the following day – perfect weather for a walk at Kings Park. Located high up on Mount Eliza, the 400 hectare park includes the Western Australian Botanic Garden.

To learn more about the 3,000 species of native Western Australian plants growing in the garden, we joined a free guided walking tour. And, although the tour was scheduled for 90 minutes, our enthusiastic guide took us on a meandering route through the garden for almost double that time.

His passion for the unique plants and their environment and his stories of his volunteer work in the garden added a special touch to our walk. It was a privilege to see the garden through his eyes.

Kangaroo paws

Gum nuts and blossoms

Qualap bells

Geraldton wax

Red banksia

When our guided walk was over, we continued exploring the park land beyond the Botanic Gardens.

Federation Walkway

DNA Tower

Firefighters’ Memorial Grove

Pioneer Women’s Memorial

State War Memorial

Perth CBD and Swan River

Joining Becky for November Walking Squares

Winter Garden

Come with me on a train ride. We’ll travel 4,352 kilometres across Australia from east to west, spending four days and three nights on a train 731 metres long. We’ll start in Sydney and stay in Perth at the end and along the way we’ll traverse deserts, stop in a ghost town and cross the mighty Nullarbor Plain. Come with me on a transcontinental journey aboard the iconic Indian Pacific! 

Indian Pacific Adventure #5 Chinese Garden of Friendship

There’s an element of surprise at the entrance of Sydney’s Chinese Garden of Friendship. Surrounded by the high rise office buildings of the city’s CBD, the forecourt offers glimpses of the calm space within.

The garden opened on 17 January, 1988 during Australia’s Bicentennial celebrations. Mosaic paved walking paths lead visitors on a circuit past 17 traditional pavilions and a serene lake complete with waterfalls and trickling brooks.

Both Chinese and Australian native plants fill the garden; mid-winter blooms add colour to the rich greenery.

We weren’t the only ones enjoying the garden on this sunny winter’s day.

Joining Becky for November Walking Squares

#26 Pavement Art

I’m joining Becky in her February Square Photo Challenge over at The Life of B. The rules of the challenge are simple: most photos must be square and fit the theme word Odd, referencing one of these definitions: different to what is usual or expected, or strange; a number of items, with one left over as a remainder when divided by two; happening or occurring infrequently and irregularly, or occasionally; separated from a usual pair or set and therefore out of place or mismatched. Look for #SquareOdds.

While we didn’t travel as much as usual in 2021, we were fortunate to enjoy several holidays in our home state of Queensland and one short trip over the border into New South Wales. Join me this month in a retrospective look at the very odd year of 2021. 

 Queens Park, Toowoomba QLD, September 2021

The beautiful floral displays at Queens Park during the Carnival of Flowers were complemented by some clever and colourful drawings on the footpaths.

This quirky creature was one of many fantastical characters decorating the walkways.

#25 At the Park

I’m joining Becky in her February Square Photo Challenge over at The Life of B. The rules of the challenge are simple: most photos must be square and fit the theme word Odd, referencing one of these definitions: different to what is usual or expected, or strange; a number of items, with one left over as a remainder when divided by two; happening or occurring infrequently and irregularly, or occasionally; separated from a usual pair or set and therefore out of place or mismatched. Look for #SquareOdds.

While we didn’t travel as much as usual in 2021, we were fortunate to enjoy several holidays in our home state of Queensland and one short trip over the border in New South Wales. Join me this month in a retrospective look at the very odd year of 2021. 

Queens Park, Toowoomba QLD, September 2021

Each September, the Darling Downs city of Toowoomba lives up to its reputation as the “Garden City” by celebrating the annual Carnival of Flowers. The centrepiece of the 10 day floral extravaganza is the garden at Queens Park. Spread over 25 hectares, with broad expanses of lawn, mature trees and garden beds overflowing with blooms, the park is at its most beautiful in spring.

Council gardeners spend countless hours sowing and maintaining more than 150,000 plants in the lead up to the Carnival and almost as many people come to see the floral display. In 2020, the park hosted 116,039 admiring visitors and in 2021, with travel restrictions eased, that number would have been even larger.

Toowoomba is our home city and we’re lucky to have Queens Park to visit at any time of year. And we’re already looking forward to September, when we’ll join in the celebrations for the 73rd Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers at beautiful Queens Park.

6 Collections ~ Part Two

I’m joining Becky in her October Square Photo Challenge over at The Life of B. The rules of the challenge are simple: most photos must be square and fit the theme word Past. Look for #PastSquares. This month we’re travelling back in time in the western Queensland town of Miles and surrounds. We’ll explore the local area and join in the festivities at the Miles Back to the Bush Festival.

The self-guided Collections Tour, where local residents open their homes to share their collections, is a popular event at the festival. Some collections are huge and multi-faceted while others are small and specific. Some are vintage objects, some are a little eccentric and some are just for fun. Today we’re exploring Jan’s lovely garden.

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While Jan’s garden has many traditional flower beds, this bed of roses is quite different!

19 Supersized Sunflowers

I’m joining Becky in her July Square Photo Challenge over at The Life of B.  The rules of the challenge are simple: most photos must be square and fit the theme word tree. Look for #treesquare. Come with me on a Central Queensland road trip starring trees and the beautiful landscapes of my home state.

Emerald

A supersized Van Gogh painting in a park in Emerald is a unexpected sight! At a height of 25 metres, it towers above the trees surrounding Morton Park.

This huge painting on its massive steel easel was created by Canadian artist Cameron Cross, whose aim is to place copies of Van Gogh’s seven different sunflower paintings in seven countries around the world.

Why did he select Emerald as the location for the third painting in the series? Sunflower production is one of the region’s major industries and the town’s annual Sunflower Festival is a highlight every Easter.

Also joining in with Marsha’s PPAC challenge

26 Floral Beauties

As part of Becky’s April Bright Square Photo Challenge over at The Life of B, I’ve opened the archives to January 2020 to share our 19 day trip to USA. Join me on a pictorial travelogue of the best and brightest of our pre-pandemic adventures in California and Nevada! The rules of the challenge are simple: most photos must be square and fit the theme word bright. Look for #brightsquare.

Postcards from America

The Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park is the oldest wooden structure of its kind in the United States.

We wandered through all five galleries, each one displaying the flowering plants of a different ecosystem.  

From the vegetation of Earth’s tropical regions to the world of aquatic and potted plants, the five rooms of the conservatory were aglow with dozens of vivid blooms in a kaleidoscope of colour.

 

22 Squirrels in the Garden!

As part of Becky’s April Bright Square Photo Challenge over at The Life of B, I’ve opened the archives to January 2020 to share our 19 day trip to USA. Join me on a pictorial travelogue of the best and brightest of our pre-pandemic adventures in California and Nevada! The rules of the challenge are simple: most photos must be square and fit the theme word bright. Look for #brightsquare.

Postcards from America

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the Japanese Tea Garden – and happy to pose for photos!