This is where we began and ended our trip. We landed in Christchurch in the wee hours of a Saturday morning, met Tara at the airport later that day, and spent some time walking around the city. That Sunday we drove out to the Banks Peninsula to explore a bit before heading out to the Mt. Cook region.
Christchurch has a lovely, award-winning botanical garden with lots of interesting trees, flowers, and birds. We also visited the Canterbury Museum, where we learned a fair bit about pre-European Maori culture, wildlife, and Antarctica. Most scientists en route to Antarctica go through Christchurch, and we also visited the Antarctic Visitor Centre near the airport. It's a great way to learn about the untamed continent while killing a few hours before your flight leaves.
Christchurch is flat as a pancake, but the Banks Peninsula is very hilly, with small, twisty roads. We didn't actually do much when we got to Akaroa except sit by a pier and watch seagulls, but it is a pretty town and it's a nice drive getting there. There used to be a French settlement at Akaroa, so many of the streets are named in French.
