HAPPY NEW YEAR

HAPPY NEW YEAR
Debbie and Mark had promised us something different for our New Year's celebration and they certainly delivered. We were staying at the Theatre Royal Hotel in Kumara (see picture right). This was a restored hotel from the original gold rush mining town in the 1860's. The rooms have a blend of Victorian decor, antique furnishing and modern amenities. It was the best room we have had all trip with a lovely bath on claw feet.
That night the hotel had no special meal for New Year but we ate and drank reasonably well anyway. However, the entertainment was special. We had a brother and sister with a combined age of 161 who played piano and trumpet. They gave us songs that everybody knew, especially those focusing on the war years. At the end of the evening, we joined in with the other guests singing 'Auld Lang Syne' and went to bed feeling very happy.


Well, it wasn't long before our precious days with Debbie and Mark came to an end. They took us to Greymouth and after one last coffee, they dropped us at the rail station for our journey over the Southern Alps to Christchurch via Arthur's Pass whilst they set off for the long drive home to Blenheim.
The train was spectacular, very comfortable and the views were fantastic. Prior to Arthur's Pass opening in 1923, travellers had to cross the Alps by horseback.
After 4 hours, we arrived in Christchurch and took a taxi to our hotel. Being New Year's Day most of Christchurch was closed, but we found a little pedestrian street with an excellent Thai restaurant.
January 2nd was also a public holiday, so most of the shops were still closed, but we took a walk across the open spaces that litter Christchurch since the 2011 earthquake. we were heading for the cardboard cathedral, formally known as the 'transitional cathedral'. It was built very quickly after the earthquake, designed by a Japanese architect, who gave his services for free. It is an amazing building, even though the acoustics may not be great.
Later, we went to a shopping centre, Westfield, where Linda had her nails done and I had my hair cut and beard trimmed. We also bought two new suitcases as our original ones had failed. Back in town, we took a ride on a tram, did a tour of central Christchurch, and visited an excellent museum.  That evening we dined on the Oxford
Terraces a buzzy cafe area we had spotted on our tram ride.
 Next day we were due to hire a car and embark on the rest of our tour around South Island. 

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