New Zealand 2011 Day 1

Touring South Island this holidays! Departed from Singapore at 7.50pm the previous day and arrived at Auckland International Airport at 9.55am (NZ is 4 hours ahead of Singapore during winter). Then we transited to an inbound flight to Christchurch and reached there at 1.25pm.

Flying over the inland mountains of South Island

Slug and I picked up our rented car from Europcar at the airport, and we made our way to our accommodation in Christchurch - Lilac Rose Boutique Bed & Breakfast (B&B) at Blighs Road. Driving in Christchurch was somehow as daunting as in Singapore - heavy traffic, roundabouts instead of traffic junctions, no place to do U-turns, lanes dedicated for cyclists, roadside parking and I knew nothing of their road etiquette. It took me quite some time to locate the B&B.

It was 3+pm in the afternoon and there were kids walking and skating along the sidewalks, seemingly to have been dismissed from school. Hardly any sun, just the grey winter gloom and temperatures around 11 deg. Trees along the sidewalks were either bare or still slowly shedding the yellow autumn leaves. Wrong choice to come to NZ in winter, as we would be walking around in our bulky winter wear and braving the cold. But then, looking on the brighter side ... less crowd and lower prices!

We were truly amazed by the stunning vintage beauty of the B&B - a little white house with white picket fence, a pretty garden and white roses that lined the stony path which led us to their stained glass door. Our hosts at the B&B, Denis and Pam, welcomed us in, together with their friendly Golden Retriever, Abbie, which just would hold her favourite (drool-soaked) teddy bear in her jaws wherever she went. Inside the house, we were even more spellbound by the vintage English furnishings - chandelier, old cupboards, mirrors, ancestor and family portraits (those sepia Victorian kind) etc. We were brought to our room - their so-called Mulberry Room, where we freshened up and napped a little.

Mulberry Room (wow, 6 pillows!)

Ensuite bathroom (double wow - scented candles, reed diffusers and underfloor heating)

Linden Leaves bath toiletries - they sure are generous!

They had another pet, Pussy, a lovely and inquisitive cat with really white and soft fur, which sneaked into our room and started sniffing our belongings.

I could not keep my hands off Pussy

Pussy has one yellow and one blue eye

When we awoke, it was 6pm but it was already nightfall. Denis offered to get takeouts for us, but we decided to drive out for dinner. It was a dread stepping out into the cold and the damn vehicle heating system always took a long time to heat up the car. We drove to a corner of Ilam Road, which had a supermarket and some ethnic restaurants. Missed Chinese food so had dinner at Chopsticks Restaurant.

Felt out of place as all the patrons in the restaurant were locals (was at least consoled that the counter staff was Asian). They were rather noisy. At one point of time, someone at a table erupted with a Happy Birthday song for his embarrassed friend, and the whole restaurant chorused together with him. What feisty people! Slug and I somehow felt pressured to join in this cheerful celebration for a stranger, but we just kept our lips to our teacups. Culture clash, indeed.

Our sumptuous dinner of butterfly prawns, fried rice, claypot tofu and roasted duck

Chopsticks Restaurant

When we got back to the B&B, we saw two young Caucasian guests sipping red wine and chatting with Denis and Pam in the living room. They beckoned for us to join them, but I do not know if it is an Asian thing or what, we did not feel that compelled to join in group chats with people we barely knew. We politely turned them down and retired to our room.

Packed up as we would be leaving for Greymouth the next day.