Honeymoon Blooms

We wanted to splurge on a nice hotel in Christchurch to officially mark our honeymoon, and the Heritage Suites did not disappoint. It had a nearly full kitchen, complete with oven, a full dining room table and a master bedroom loft -- I never thought I’d be in a hotel room with our own staircase. Our suite was in a refurbished government building constructed near the turn of the century. The building fell into disrepair in the seventies and eighties and was nearly razed, but citizen lobbying coupled with a committed developer saved the original building. The detailed woodwork and stained glass were restored and the old offices were transformed into hotel suites.

We got an early start on the 13th, heading away from Cathedral Square, the center of downtown Christchurch, across the Bridge of Remembrance and along the banks of the river Avon. Even early on a Sunday morning, the punters transported tourists downstream toward the city center; like many things European, the Kiwis have adopted this Venitian custom while incorporating their own twist.

From NZ Developed

Christchurch is known as the Garden City, and the well-manicured public flower beds and landscaping certainly lived up to the billing.

From NZ Developed

We spent the morning wandering the Christchurch Botanical Garden, enjoying the subtle scents of roses and the vivid pinks, oranges and yellows of the dahlias and begonias.

From NZ Developed

From NZ Developed

From NZ Developed

From NZ Developed

From NZ Developed

From NZ Developed

We hit the Arts Center, which is housed in what used to be the Christchurch University, just before lunch. The Sunday arts market in the courtyard just outside the center was bustling as crowds mingled between the outdoor vendor tents and the inside rooms, each specializing in a certain artistic trade like pottery, jade carving or woodworking. Street performers were out in full force, as it was the International Busker Festival weekend; one particularly jolly sword-swallower in a kilt entertained a large crowd with jokes and blush-worthy innuendo.

Back at the hotel, we took a break for a well-deserved nap before showering and dressing up for a honeymoon dinner on Christchurch’s Strip, a couple block stretch of bars and restaurants with outdoor eating areas. A delicious steak and seafood meal ended with a flourish, a fantastic interpretation of tiramisu. We headed for the Dux de Lux, a local award-winning microbrewery, to sample a few offerings before making our way back through Cathedral Square and calling it a night.

From NZ Developed

From NZ Developed

Tomorrow we’re back on the road -- we’re heading up through the Southern Alps via Arthur’s Pass for a hike to several waterfalls, before driving up the west coast of the south island to Punakaiki, home of the world’s only pancake rock formations.