New Zealand Explorer Motorhome Tour - Days 35-36

On the final day with the motorhome we were up early to pack our suitcases and prepare for the final leg of our journey from Glentanner near Mount Cook to Christchurch. Despite the continuing rain and grey skies the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo still looked beautiful, especially with a fresh dusting of snow on the mountains as a backdrop. We were on a tight schedule to deliver the Motorhome to the rental company Jucy’s Christchurch depot before the 15:30 deadline so we did not stop to take in any sights along the way.

We were transferred from the Jucy depot to our Christchurch hotel by coach and the driver took us on an orientation tour of what remains of the city which which was devastated by the earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. He explained most residents’ misgivings of the enormous spend on the famous Transitional Cardboard Cathedral and told us that in the poorer suburbs some people with inadequate insurance are still living in just one room of their damaged homes. Adjacent to the Cathedral he took us past 185 Empty Chairs, an art installation and a moving memorial to the lives lost. Little did we know that 36 hours later we would be rudely awoken by a headline-making earthquake for ourselves.

Our full day in Christchurch dawned bright and sunny and we explored the city on foot. A great many buildings remain unoccupied pending repair or demolition and despite the best efforts of the street art to cheer the place up, it had an air of neglect. Our hotel room overlooked empty plots where buildings had once stood. Historical buildings such as the Cathedral and Old Municipal Chambers are being held up with steel girders pending controversial decisions to repair or destroy them.
With it being Remembrance Sunday in the UK we paid our respects at the newly repaired and opened Bridge of Remembrance. We sat in the sun eating snacks from vendors in the imaginative Re:START shopping mall constructed from shipping containers, visited the museum and enjoyed strolling around the Spring flowers in the Botanical Gardens.

Early on Sunday evening the group gathered for farewell drinks and nibbles on the newly refurbished Heritage Tram where we gave thanks to our excellent tour leaders Noel and Kathleen.

At midnight we were in bed when our 8^th floor room started to creak and shake. The ceiling light above the bed flickered periodically, the coat hangers rattled in the wardrobe and the bathroom door latch knocked repeatedly against the door frame as the door swung to and fro. We realised that it had to be an earthquake and expected it to last just a few seconds. After a minute or so when it showed no sign of ending we decided to leave the building. It finally stopped and we stood in the street with other guests for twenty minutes or so, feeling somewhat bleary-eyed and alarmed. Hotel staff assured us that we would be safer indoors so we returned to our rooms. For the rest of the night we experienced many aftershocks but the modern built hotel had survived worse and we became accustomed to the new sensation of a gently swaying and creaking room.

The following morning in our room we were saddened to learn of the damage and loss of life nearer the epicentre as the TV news gave updates. Fellow travellers felt the pain of the coastal town of Kaikoura where they had travelled to whale watch just the previous day. We also felt sympathy for the next Caravan Club tour group who were in Christchurch at the beginning of their tour who might encounter problems as a result of the earthquake damage.

Within a few hours we were safely in the air and reflecting on the whole adventure. We feel incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to visit this beautiful country thanks to the Caravan Club. We travelled with a wonderful group of club members as well as our tour guides and extend our thanks to them all for making it a great and memorable experience.