We woke up to a very rainy and comparatively cold (around 50 degrees Fahrenheit) Christchurch this morning and the rain did not let up all day. It was fitting for our last full day in New Zealand and it felt like a transition back to the current weather at home. Fittingly, we started the day in a cozy coffee shop, once again among the ‘working-folk’ (today was Monday here).

After breakfast we braved the rain and took a walk around the surrounding area, exploring Victoria Square and Oxford Terrace Walkway – outdoor spaces that Christchurch has recently re-beautified. One thing is for sure: we didn’t have any issues with crowds! Out of all of the places we have been in New Zealand, Christchurch seems to have the most European influence. In addition to the many statues of European royalty and explorers, the famous red telephone booths of Great Britain are scattered throughout the City and the architecture is reminiscent of western Europe.

We took a reprieve in the Riverside Market, a wonderful food market, akin to an Eataly or Pike Place Market except it included more diverse food categories (lamb and venison salami, Himalayan momos, Shanghai noodles, Spanish tapas, Korean bulgogi, French bistros, Italian sandwich shops, fish markets, Japanese ramen, and more). The Market largely catered to the working lunch crowd. After enjoying the wonderful smells of the Market, we ventured into the elements to enjoy the Christchurch Botanical Gardens, including a lovely rose garden.

After we had had enough of the rain and wind, we drove to the nearby Willowbank Wildlife Reserve to see some of the most elusive and endangered New Zealand and Australian animals and birds. As animal-welfare enthusiasts, we were pleased that the Reserve does a great job of ensuring that the animals have large habitats and all animals have been rescued, are part of conservation efforts, and/or were otherwise unable to live in the wild for a variety of reasons. We were finally able to view the famous Kiwi bird in their nocturnal house (Kiwis are nocturnal, so their habitat is very dimly lit and necessitated quiet). The Kiwi bird is endemic to New Zealand and is a very unique, elusive, and shy bird – they have no tail or wings. The Kiwi is the only bird in the World with nostrils at the tip of their bills, resulting in them technically having the shortest beaks of any bird (scientists measure a bird’s beak from the nostril to the tip of the bird’s beak). New Zealanders are very proud of their Kiwi, choosing it as their national symbol and referring to themselves ‘Kiwis’. No photos were allowed in the Nocturnal House, so we have included a stock picture of these unique birds (the last picture in this sequence).

The final stop on our drive was the Southshore Spit Reserve, a beach area on the east cost of Christchurch. It was very windy and rainy, so we quickly enjoyed the view and sound of the crashing waves before heading back to the car.

For our last dinner in Aerotera we enjoyed classic New Zealand cuisine of lamb shoulder, beef cheek gnocchi, and tempura gurnard (a local white fish). A great ending to our culinary journey here – we are all thoroughly impressed with the amazing food here – New Zealand is definitely a foodies paradise!

Tomorrow we start our long journey back home. There will be one last blog post summarizing our final thoughts regarding New Zealand and including some entertaining moments that didn’t make it into previous posts before we takeoff.