Saturday Blenheim - Christchurch

I am trying to load my blog from notes made but it is not easy on an iPad mini

WEATHER
Overcast , sunny, drizzle, sunny.

Had the bet sleep ever! I was in bed and turned out the light at 9.40 and I went out like the proverbial light. 

Woke at 6.30 as Jon went to the loo, dozed till 8.00 then got up. Shower and then down to breakfast really good, poached eggs on sourdough.  

Packed up and off we go. 

Drive through to Kaikoura was good, vineyards , very dry and brown but lovely.
Arrived at my friend's sisters place, a new build lodge with four en suite rooms really lovely. Their house is next door, big and really nice. Eileen had to go to work but we stayed and had coffee and chatted to Neil. They are having trouble with immigration just like my friend did, very silly as it is stressful setting up a business at the best of times and having immigration giving you a hard time for no good reason you can do without it. Seems like the best way into this country is if you are Asian, have no money, lots of dependants, don't speak the language and so on! 

We went into Kaikura town from there but it had now clouded over and was starting to rain. We went to see the seals along the coast, lots of them, really close to us on the path. 

We then went for lunch I had some soup, Jon a really big bagel! 

Back on the road and a really boring and long trip to Christchurch saw a Wicked van overturned but people OK. Such a long way out though and it took ages for the emergency services to pass us. 

Arrived in CChurch very hard to find centre and where to stay due to road closures. Finally found a place, really nice and pretty much in the centre, what is left of it. Five years old and in the middle of rubble but obviously well built so feel safe. Lovely owner, really nice suite and very good price. Heating on, cosy and a cup of tea! Just what we needed. 

Out for dinner and found a bar Crash Palace which is an old bus set on a site with scaffold and tarpaulins, amazing what these people have done to get back in business. Another bar is two containers strapped together. 

We found a pizzeria and had a roast lamb and veg pizza and a roast pork with apple sauce pizza both really good. Lots of young people there and a big group of about 20 with a tiny baby who was passed around the table throughout the meal like a parcel but was happy. 

Walked back to our motel and was in bed again by 10.00 all this travelling is tiring!