The Journey to Christchurch

So yesterday we set out from Wellington to our next destination, Christchurch, which is on the south island. The original plan was to take the ferry between the islands from Wellington to Picton, then drive 5 hours or so from Picton to Christchurch. However, when Danny and Julie missed the ferry, the plan changed - they would take a flight to Christchurch and Chrisanne and I would take a train from Picton to Christchurch.

The train ride to Christchurch was about 5 and a half hours and the scenic views it treated us to were amazing. There was a car at the end of the train that basically had no windows, so you could go out there and take photos from the moving train. The views were incredible and though we got some fantastic photos, they really can't convey the awesomeness of the landscapes we saw. Here's the link to the Facebook album:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2016559&id=1488780096&l=4ffaea4aa5

When we arrived in Christchurch, we went directly to the rugby game between New Zealand's team, the All Blacks, and Italy. The game was really awesome to watch, it's fast paced and full of action. Its one of the most intense sports I've seen because it is full on contact but the players don't wear any padding or helmets or any protective gear at all. I've included a few photos of the game in the album with the photos from the trip from Wellingotn to Christchurch. In the end, the All Blacks beat Italy by a good margin and the fans went home happy.

Today we plan on exploring Christchurch before going to a traditional Maori event tonight. I'll be sure to update about that as soon as I can (I'm not sure when I'll have internet again). Thanks for reading!