Staying Alive and Christchurch's messages of endurance and hope

Day #6 Saturday Duntroon to Oamaru (54 km)

OOO Staying Alive

Kiwi Support 

John tells me it is cold and foggy outside and we a have 70-80 percent chance of rain which we can see in the distance.  Google maps show no signs of coffee shops or cafes along the way so no chance of getting warm, or a cappuccino if we are wet.  We reach Vaughn by a Skype call and arrange to be picked up after riding 35km.  We decide to wait out the weather as we did the prior day when the sun emerged mid morning. Finally, we reluctantly leave our batch (check out time 10 am) about 10:30 when it is still raining and the rain continues for the next 35 km. Before long we are cold with wet shoes and feet due to riding through small lakes on the trail (water up to my knees) and my hands are freezing. We have several uphill switchbacks which are difficult to navigate and John’s bike gear is giving him difficulty. I wonder if I can go on ….but there is no other option as we are on back trails in fields and there is no ability to call for a pick up. In fact, we saw no other riders along the entire 35km.  I know I like challenges but this perhaps is more challenge than needed. I think of 81-year-old Graham who we met earlier and seems relentless and try to adopt his attitude.

 We continue in the rain for 3 hours on a rocky trail without stopping for lunch or sadly even for picture taking. It is foggy and difficult to see the landscape with my wet and steamed up glasses. I can appreciate that given a sunny day this would be a gorgeous trail but at this time I am just hoping to get to the end alive. We pass through the supposedly unique elephant rocks but they just look like more rocks to me than elephants and we don’t stop. We are to be picked up at 1 pm but I can see we won’t make it and hope the van driver will wait for us. Otherwise it will be another 20km.  Going through a narrow train tunnel without a bike light I ram into the side of the tunnel which I can’t see and fall into a pile of mud.  Still no option of quitting so we persevere and arrive at 1:30 where thankfully our van is waiting for us.  We made it and suddenly feel quite impressed with ourselves.  Even John admits this is one of our more challenging rides. Since John is an avid biker I take this as a possible compliment. 

We made it..even if we missed a few km... B+ we are empowered

Reached the ocean at Omaru

We arrive in Omaru and stay at Poshtel Hotel a lovely place decorated with antiques. Our room has an antique rowing machine, rowing shoes and pictures of rowing teams from the early 1900’s. 

As I row daily at home on my erg I think about the value of exercise and being active.  Biking is more than a metaphor for cycling of life, I think perhaps life is like riding a bike. On this trip cycling over rocky, narrow trails and up and down the mountain saddle, in the mostly sunshine, the message to me has been about keeping one’s balance and perspective especially when coping with life’s adversity, yet still moving forward. However, I do think we should have had more snacks, especially black New Zealand licorice or Hokey Pokey  or Rocky Road clusters. 

This metaphor seemed particularly pertinent after visiting Christchurch the next day and learning how they are coping with the earthquake.

Day #7 Christchurch ~ messages of endurance & hope

Christchurch Cathedral

On Sunday we take a relaxing 4-hour bus ride to Christchurch arriving at The George Hotel which is quite a stepup from our prior accommodations.  We are even offered a gorgeous cappuccino when we arrive. Did they know about my addiction?  Christchurch is the largest city on the South Island and the seat of the Canterbury region. About 380,000 people live here and it is second to Auckland in size with the Avon River flowing through the center of it. I have not been here before but know that several IY mentors live and work here and have talked with some of them over the years about their experiences when a series of earthquakes occurred, the most serious on Tuesday February 22, 2011, in which 185 people were killed and 80% of the buildings suffered severe damage. 

We first go to the “Quake” museum for an hour before it closes and then the Botanic Gardens.  We return the next morning to the museum to see more of the movie interviews of people talking about their experiences during the earthquake. These are moving stories of heroism, hope, loss, support, recovery and ability to move forward despite many obstacles. It is clear that the thread between all these people's stories is their concern for other people in their family and community and how they are doing.  The museum also explains the science of liquefaction and how earthquakes develop due to the stresses of the plate tectonics breaking the surface and creating a fault line.  This is of particular interest to us as Seattle Fault Zone poses a risk and could be as large at M7. Interesting we read the local newspaper The Press where on the front page the Christchurch mayor apologizes for the city council’s failings in allowing dangerous and poorly designed buildings to go up, or remain standing. On this day there is a memorial service for the 185 people who lost their lives nine years ago. 

View on way to Lyttelton

Stuart and John 

The next day after returning to the Quake museum we are met by Stuart Martin, a local Kiwi friend who we met with his partner Julie 2 years ago on the Otaga Rail Trail bike trip. He has offered to take us touring to see the “less touristy” sites.  First we go to the outskirts of Christchurch city where his family home used to be.  Now due to the earthquake this area is just green wet lands park land. Homes no longer exist here because of the poor unstable “wetlands” soil. It is a completely changed landscape to that where Stuart grew up.  Next we drive to the historic port town of Lyttelton, consisting of about 3,000 people and teeming with cafes, quirky shops and restaurants.  Apparently this small town has reinvented itself after the earthquake when there was widespread demolition of many historical buildings. The port now is a regular destination for cruise liners. We stop for ice cream and I find it hard not to have Hokey Pokey flavor which reminds me of a childhood dance & was the name of my favorite wine in Auckland. Stuart tells us he has looked at houses to buy in this quaint place and I can understand why he was enticed.  Perhaps we could move here!  But definitely it is more touristy than Vashon and for that reason doesn’t appeal to John.

View from Stuart and Julie's home towards mountains and Christchurch

Next we drive on to Sumnara seaside suburb of Christchurch about 6 km away. Stuart shows us the rental house here where he and Julie hoped to live for only a year while their new house was being built. However, they ended up living there for 5 years because of the earthquake that set back their building 


project as new building regulations went in. His rental house is covered with cracks and he tells us the owner and construction workers are still involved in law suits over the costs to rebuild.  We arrive at their beautiful newly built house which has fantastic views of the city, mountains and ocean. Stuart, a true audiophile, shows us his music sound room full of top notch equipment and we relax enjoying the music in a meditative atmosphere without any distortions or distractions. John imagines setting up such a music room at our home.  Julie arrives home from her work as a gerontologist at a nearby hospital and she brings with her some takeout lamb shoulder which is quite wonderful. They introduce us to a lovely wine, Muddy Waters, and I wonder if we can get this is Seattle?  We especially enjoy our evening catching up on each other’s lives and life events.  

View down to Akaroa

The next day Stuart picks us up at 8:30 in the morning for a beautiful 90-minute drive to Akaroa, a settlement nestled in the heart of a volcano. This small resort town is also situated on a harbor and there are two large tour boats bringing in tourists to town in small boats. Here you can swim with the dolphins but it seems way too cold for me to want to attempt this. The temperature is cool and the sun is still trying to come out but nonetheless the beauty of the place is seductive. There are still elements of the historical French intention to colonize this place by the names of streets and hotels, but the British eventually proclaimed sovereignty of this area in 1840.  

Akaroa Port 

Boats bring in tourists

There are many art galleries, craft stores, B&Bs and markets here as well as a cooking school that Julie and Stuart had attended earlier in the year. The place definitely looks touristy, somewhat like Port Townsend in Washington State but despite its tourism I thought I would like to stay here for a few days, especially to attend the cooking school, kayak and hike some of the trails. After all I am a tourist! I end up here in a marino wool store (despite John's protests) and manage to buy a red marino possum sweater with the support of Stuart who has picked it out. We return to Christchurch for John’s nap time and stop on the way for a lovely lunch in a restaurant and artist enclave. 




 This is the kind of place I love with great organic food, desserts to die for and a relaxed atmosphere. We would like to buy a rock doormat but realize we can’t get it in our suitcases and it weighs a ton. I guess we do have rocks in Seattle and  I wonder if I can make one of these mats out of Vashon rocks?  It is interesting how places like this motivate one to be more artistic! 

Reluctantly we say good bye to Stuart with the hope he and Julie will visit us on Vashon. After naps we tour the Botanic Garden again which is gorgeous and learn about some amazing trees. Our last dinner is at 27 Steps restaurant and while John orders beef again I reluctantly say no to lamb because I have had it the past 2 nights and instead I chose risotto with mushrooms. All was delicious and we comment on how great the food has been in New Zealand.  We will miss this beautiful country with its values that we respect and our friendships.  If Trump gets in again as President I will seriously consider moving here. How does one remain living in a country when you don’t believe in any of its government’s values and policies?  We read in The Press newspaper about police swarming a Christchurch street because someone reported seeing someone with a gun. A police squad searched the area but no people of interest were found. This strikes me as odd and yet reassuring given that in the U.S. only large gun shootings seem to be reported in the paper! This press report was just about someone who thought they saw someone with a gun.  Wow! In this amazing country the Prime Minister immediately instigated gun control policies after their first mass shooting at a Muslim church about 1 year ago. They did away entirely with automatic weapons plus other things. Another reason to want to live here.