It’s been a bit of a gap since my last post, unfortunately a large project (think 80 hr week) took away my spare blogging time, so now I’m playing catchup game, with blog_* folders all over my desktop of content to be posted.

Firstly, a couple pictures missed from day 2:

Trying some local brew picked up from a dodgy bottle store along the side of some highway.

Unimpressed kitty cat is unimpressed!

Day 3 in Christchurch was the big day of Lisa’s friend’s wedding, so I decided to excuse myself from the family madness taking place and went for a walk into the CBD to enjoy a coffee before attending the wedding with Lisa.

Hagley Park

Bit small for a river, bit large for a stream?

One thing I really noticed heaps whilst in Christchurch was the insanely annoyingly low angle of the winter sun –  I guess New Zealand’s South Island is getting pretty close to the bottom of the planet so winter angles are going to be a bit low, but I think it would drive me insane trying to live there with the sun always hitting me in the eyes. :-/

Whilst I'm naturally good looking and tool, the sun is amplifying the effect a bit here.

Aside from the sun however, the weather is amazing, with cool, crisp mornings – setting up on the container having a coffee in the chill air is just an amazing feeling, kind of like being back in Wellington again. :-)

Sitting on top of a shipping container, having a coffee, looking out to a giant demolition zone.... Christchurch is WEIRD.

Even the coffee here needs to get a little shaken first. ;-)

I ended up walking back to the motel in Riccarton – I can get around Christchurch pretty quickly on foot, it’s pretty much all flat so easy to go fast and not even work up a sweat.

I see why the bridge was closed now...

I'm a train!! :-D

More shipping container stores in a random suburb.

Thou shalt not pass!

I spent the evening with Lisa, her family and the soon-to-be-wed couple and their friends in the private function space of a pub, enjoying some amazing food and good times.

Lisa scrubs up pretty well :-P

Amazingly good Sumac and Mushroom soup at the wedding. I must find a way to recreate this.

Whilst it's meaty horribleness, I have to like the presentation style.

The tree of light!

Narcissist Jethro loves reflective skylights!

All up a pretty good and laid back day, skipping all the family business and rushing around pre-wedding was quite a good plan, I greatly prefer the company of a fine laptop and a fine coffee than chaos. :-)