Christchurch

Christchurch is the second or third largest city in New Zealand (depending on how you count). After four weeks of circling the South Island, Christchurch felt like a booming metropolis, and we decided to spend a few days doing city things. We checked out the Christchurch Art Gallery, local markets, and explored the city streets. Here are some pictures of the Christchurch Cathedral and some of its famous stained glass windows.

On Sunday, we went to the International Antarctic Center. Christchurch is the gateway to Antarctica for most countries that do research on the frozen continent (including the U.S.).

Here we are in a simulated Antarctic environment (minus the penguins). Steve is operating a machine that makes the wind chill a reality.


Steve took a ride down an Antarctic ice slide, while Vicky hid out in the igloo.

The Christchurch area is also known for some of the best rock climbing in New Zealand. Unfortunately, the cold and rain kept us inside for most of our stay. The weather finally cleared up on Monday, the day we were leaving, so we decided to delay our departure and spend the morning climbing (sorry, no pictures). Then we headed off for Hanmer Springs.