First impressions...

So here we are in Christchurch. First impressions? Not so good. We had trouble getting into our hotel (which is actually serviced apartments) as it has a hidden driveway. So, around the block twice before I was dropped off out the front.

Then, when we get in, though the room is actually lovely, there is no air conditioning. We are forced to take to the streets to cool down. Man, what a dirty, run down place this is. We are in the centre of the city, and the streets are full of rubbish, construction, and hooligans.

But we went for a walk around the streets (and cooled down significantly, there was quite a nip in the air...) then decided on KFC for dinner. Back up in the room, although I had opened all the windows, it was still quite hot. It wasn't until late evening that the air cooled enough with a breeze. We all still slept on top of the beds.

The back of the hotel is filthy too, run down, and dirty. And we were kept awake until I finally dropped off exhausted after midnight by a group of revellers in the next building outside the back of their hotel/restaurant. The drunker they got the louder they got. Might explore that phenomenon some day...

As I said, the room is nice, but everything is still so expensive and we don't like it here, so we have decided to cut short our stay and leave for Picton, and maybe the ferry to Wellington tomorrow. Hopefully we can find somewhere to stay along the way that is a bit cheaper than here too...

Will keep you posted! Oh, by the way, our Adelaide friends will know who I am talking about, but Craig and Rachel had a baby boy yesterday morning!

XXXX