Week 2 - Christchurch

We've had a successful week with school and exploring the city. It all started with some beautiful weather, in the low 70's, but has now turned rainy and cool with temps topping out at 50. Monday and Tuesday, the kids and I took two nice bike rides to Margaret Mahy Park and The Botanic Gardens at Hagley Park. On Wednesday afternoon, all four of us went to the Christchurch Adventure Park for some tramping and to experience NZ's longest zipline.  Thursday, the kids finished school early! Maggie started her online ballet lessons with her instructor from back home. We found a great indoor pool at the Jellie Park Rec. Center. Friday was spent exploring the INCREDIBLE library in the CBD; Jay worked, the kids built legos, I read...we had lunch at the cafe and then played Ticket to Ride. One of the many board games they had available to play. 

The weekend has been cool and rainy...spent Saturday picking up a used bike for Jay and taking kids to an indoor trampoline park. Jay and I had a date to a brewery and brought back thai food for dinner. Day light savings was last night/this morning at 2am, so we sprang ahead an hour. Now wer'e 19 hours ahead of Denver!  Sunday was mostly a lazy day with more rain and cool temps. Maggie and I hit up the mall in the CBD and went grocery shopping, while the boys stayed in their pj's and watched football. We're attempting to make chili for dinner with several subbed ingredients including homemade chili powder. Although, I'm smelling it cooking as I type, and it smells pretty darn good! 

Margaret Mahy Park 

On the way home from Margaret Mahy, I may have been hit, or slightly tapped by a car, whilst on my bike. All good though 😅

Botanic Gardens at Hagley 

We played at the park, got treats (iced coffee and iced hot chocolate with ice cream) at the cafe, and played a game of gin. Then the kids climbed a giant cypress tree - they said it was their most favorite tree they've ever climbed and the biggest tree they've ever seen!

Christchurch Adventure Park

Wednesday afternoon we headed to Christchurch Adventure Park. An amazing place that has tons of mountain biking trails, hiking, and NZ longest zipline.  We had a 4pm reservation for the zipline, so we headed over a little early to take a tramp before hand. They have two main tramps - one that you can take  up to the top of the chairlift (then ride down for free) and another forest walk loop near the village base. We only had time to explore the forest walk, but it was a really pretty 45 min. walk through TALL pines that crossed multiple mountain biking paths. 

Yellow fauna everywhere!

Mushroom art

Voldemort

Finn's newest add on to his nature collection - a pine cone *almost as big as his head 
   

We met back at the base of the village for our zipline tour at 4. There were 8 of us in the group; we took a van to the top of the zipline. I sat upfront in the van with the driver and a student from Germany, Sophia, who is here on working holiday. She was telling me about how she's going to live in Omaru, a town about an hour south of here, and live in a farm for three months where she'll earn minimum wage and save up to continue traveling around NZ. She also was telling me how she's been living on 10 NZ dollars a day for food, so she can save up for experiences, like the zipline - all pretty impressive! 

From the van, we had to carry our trollies (the metal part that attaches to the zipline) for about 5 min to get to the zipline.  Maggie and Finn went first (of course). The total length of the zipline was 1.1 km and it took about 60 seconds. It was pretty fun and had great views!! The kids LOVED it. 

Getting ready to ZIIIIIIPPPPPP 

      

                             

Ready to race??

                                             

View from the top!  

We made it! So fun! 

Looking back at where we started...

After ziplining we gave Sophia, the German on a working holiday, a ride back to her hostel in the CBD, so she didn't have to take the bus. She sat in the back with the kids, and they had so many questions for her; it was really cute and such a unique experience for the kids to talk to her. She explained she was in her gap year after high school, and wanted to be a mechanical or aerospace engineer (*ding, ding, ding)!

Maggie: How do you eat for only $10 a day?

Sophia: I buy a loaf of bread and jam and eat toast everyday, and make pasta with pesto. I take as many busses/trains/plains overnight when I'm traveling so I don't have to spend money sleeping accommodations. 

Finn: What will you do on the farm when you work?

Sophia: I guess I'm going to have to learn how to milk cows!

Maggie: Was it hard to learn English?

Sophia: They start teaching us English when we are nine in school. We also had to learn Latin or French, which was harder. 

Jellie Park Rec. Center 

Turanga Public Library

Sewing Room

Music Studio

Vinyl cutter AKA cricut and Maggie's favorite toy

4 stories! 

Gourmet Lunch at the Library Cafe...and I was worried they might not serve food at the cafe

Avo and pea smash with whipped feta
and poached eggs on ciabatta - yes, please! 

                                                                                                   

Two Thumb Brewery

So cozy with the wood burning fireplace! 

Sunday Shopping

The Crossing - Outdoor Mall in the CBD complete with tram crossings

  

pushing my trolley full of groceries through the mall

Mixing up chili powder 
you can take the McMahons out of America, but you can't take 'merica out of the McMahons