When I stepped off the airplane in Christchurch, I was greeted by the snowy mountains of the west coast. Though I had just left the city a few hours ago, I felt like I was in an entirely new place already! After sorting out our rental car and stopping by the store to stock up on groceries and supplies, we headed to the city center for lunch. We grabbed viking themed subs and milkshakes and cookies from this bus! Delicious!
Almost everywhere you look in Christchurch, there is color and art, which provides a great distraction from the continuous construction work going on all throughout the city. Even though Christchurch's most recent earthquake was in 2011, work is still being done to strengthen and rebuild the city's infrastructure.
My two partners in crime: Caroline (left) and Karel (right)
With full bellies, we drove 3.5 hrs down the road in our trusty Toyota Fielder to Lake Pukaki where we freedom camped. Originally, you could freedom camp wherever you wanted in NZ, but as tourism in NZ grew, so did pollution of the natural landscapes everyone was so eager to see. Here's an article describing the debate around Freedom Camping in NZ. https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/110168264/the-freedom-camper-who-wants-to-ban-freedom-camping
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