Christchurch suffers a major earthquake in 2011. Empty lots and signs of destruction are still everywhere.
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We visit Quake City, an informative exhibit about the quake and its aftermath. A worthy initiative – appropriately named ‘Gap Filler‘ – is to deliberately not leave vacant lots empty.
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We enjoy this garden made of pool noodles.
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In the Christchurch Art Gallery, we find this whimsical installation by Bill Culbert.
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On our way out of town, we stop at the International Antarctic Centre.
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You can pet the dogs at the IAC. We arrive just as their wrangler brings buckets of ice. Which the dogs immediately love to lie on to refresh themselves.
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Across the street is the US Antarctic base supplier. Christchurch is a major point for shipping stuff down there.
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You can see several ski-equipped C-130 Hercules aircraft used to do the heavy lifting.
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We drive to the other side of the island over Arthur’s Pass.
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Along the way are attention-demanding roads and spectacular scenery, including waterfalls. These falls are sluiced over the roadway.
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We spend the night enjoying the mountains around Jackson’s Retreat, just past Arthur’s Pass.
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The next day, we carry on to the Franz Josef Glacier.
Sight or Insight of the Day –
At Jackson’s Retreat, we are visited by troops of boldly curious wekas casually strolling around the campground.
![Franz Josef Glacier](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_0184-e1551417303690-768x1024.jpg)
We are told that one reason wekas are doing better than kiwis and other ground-dwelling NZ birds is because they are much more aggressive than these other birds in defense of their eggs, their young, and themselves. Good for you, wekas!