It's a g'day in Sydney

We have the whole day to explore some of the better sights in Sydney.  Our first stop is the Opera House for a tour.  This is an amazing building, but the inside is less impressive.  We learn that was a classic case of form not following function.  The opera stage is really smaller than most and the orchestra pit claustrophobic.  There are plans for remodeling.  The concert hall is much better and we were able to sit in on a rehearsal.  
The Opera House is right next to the botanical gardens with many wonderful old buildings.  We were startled by the side of large flying fox fruit bats hanging in the trees.  It is one of the larges bats in the world.
We loved the old Queen Victoria Building  and the Strand. Huge marketplaces built in the 19th century and renovated for our time.  
I never realized how stunning the architecture is in Sydney.  

OZ

Nothing prepares you for the sight of Sydney harbor from the air.  It is huge with sparkling blue water and you wonder how such a big city could be so beautiful.   The first thing you look for is the Opera House which looks like a giant ship getting ready to sail.  
We are staying in the heart of the city to avoid renting a car and to be able to walk everywhere.  The weather is great, but it's St. Patrick's Day.  Our hotel is situated  between St Patrick's tavern and P.D. O'Brian's bar.  Oh, boy!

One of a kind...NZ

So many of our experiences have been unique here in NZ.  Josie Martin's life, work, and house are just another example.  She offers us her best room which spills out to a  conservatory of ferns and grapevines with ripening grapes.  The room itself is her creation which she calls the "rose room".  At some point you have to sit in a comfortable chair and take-in  everything around you.  The next morning she brings us a beautiful  breakfast in the conservatory.  We don't want to leave, but we have a drive back to Christchurch and a plane to catch.  Akaroa is a place not to be missed.

The Giant's House

What a way to spend our last night in NZ. Mike has booked us a room at a B&B owned by a friend, the artist Josie Martin. She bought this old house and has used both the indoor and outdoor space as her palette. Originally trained as a horticulturist, she created the entire garden and proceed to design mosaic sculptures throughout the outdoor space.
The house, built in 1880, sits on a hill overlooking the town and bay. As she dug up the garden, she found broken china and dishes. Strapped financially from renovation expenses, she couldn't afford the tile for a walkway. Instead she used the pieces of broken china as her mosaics. Thus began her artistic journey as a mosaic sculptor.
These mosaics evolved into many Alice-in -Wonderland style shapes and figures. She allows people to tour her garden for a fee. New sculptures are in the works and it is fascinating to see how she created here pieces from the skeletons in rebar, mortar and wire mesh.
As we tour the garden the sculptures make us laugh. Her work is so imaginative and whimisical.

Une petite ville francaise sur la mer.

After a bit more sight-seeing around Christchurch, we took the time to drive about an hour and a half to the lovely former French colony of Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula. This is where we will spend our last night in NZ. The road is twisted and narrow, but what a view!
The Banks Peninsula sits at the bottom of a collapsed volcano. Akaroa sits at the bottom of the crater. One of the walls of the volcano eroded and was breached by the sea creating a long harbor. The early settlers were French and the town capitalizes on this fact, even going so far as to fly the Tricolor. I think this is one of the most idyllic spots in NZ - sea breezes, a Mediterranean climate, ocean and mountain views, and a small village atmosphere.
Many of the homes here are "baches" (vacation homes) owned by nearby Kiwis.

Black and White Stripes

We've seen all sorts of school uniformed students here in NZ. But the uniforms here in Christchurch are over the top. We saw young lads walking to Canterbury College ( a high school) wearing black and white striped blazers, black short pants, black and white striped ties and white knee socks. The only thing missing was a straw hat.

Christchurch on Avon

It's quite a drive to Christchurch from Dunedin, especially if you stop at all the great little towns along the way.
It was a clear sunny day and we could see Mt. Cook and the So. Alps as we drove north. As we approach the Canterbury plain the driving becomes easier with fewer twists and turns. This is a big agricultural area.
Christchurch is hidden behind the bare hills of the Banks Peninsula. It is the most English of New Zealand cities with the lovely river Avon flowing through. Straw hatted punters complete the scene. We are staying at the YMCA, quite cheap and comfortable and across the street from the Arts Centre and Botanical Gardens. Also across the street is the popular Dux de Lux restaurant. This was the former dark-paneled faculty dining room for Canterbury College and now is a lively restaurant with good affordable food.
CC is lovely city to walk about with several nice museums and plenty of English charm.