On our first and only full day in Christchurch, we started out with a visit to the Canterbury Museum. It had a mix of exhibits about Maori culture, Victorian Christchurch, and a world class exhibit on Antarctica (also something called “kiwiana,” similar to Americana). After this, we took a walk through the city over to the shipping container mall. This had been constructed after the devastating 2011 earthquakes in the city, as a temporary structure to house stores. It has turned into a popular spot for travelers and locals alike.

After lunching there, we continued our excursion through Christchurch and made our way to the largest playground in the southern hemisphere. On the way, we stopped by the DanceoMat, a public installation where you can plug in your phone and blast music and dance on a big stage.

It was a quick taste of Christchurch that we capped off with a walk through the city’s beautiful free art gallery the next morning before flying to Fiji. Updates from Fiji to come!

– Heather & Sean