Christchurch, New Zealand

I'm pretty sure the boys think our hotel is the coolest ever. It's like a small apartment with plenty of space to play. I love that they are easily pleased (read: it's actually a bit dodgy). Last night we dealt with airlines and hotels trying to figure out what next. We decided to fly out of here early Christmas morning and go directly to the Gold Coast. So that means two full days to explore Christchurch and see some of the scenic beauty of NZ that people always talk about!

And it didn't take long to find some! A gondola ride to the top of a mountain gave us some breathtaking views...









The water was the most gorgeous turquoise color I've ever seen.




















The shuttle bus driver gave us some history on this town. While we knew they had a massive earthquake in 2011, it's hard to believe the damage until it's right in front of you. The city itself feels like a ghost town. Many people left following the earthquake and there is still much work/repair to be done. He said that until a month ago, he couldn't drive past many areas of town because it was too painful.

Any road you take, you'll see something like this...


This temporary memorial was very moving, and emotional. The baby chair in the front row did me in. 185 chairs for each life lost in the earthquake.








Luke has asked a lot of questions as we walk around town and sat right in front with the bus driver asking all about the earthquake. There's a tribute book in front of the chairs and without prompting, he picked up the pen and wrote "soree you did" (sorry you died). These moments can't be taught through pictures.

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