We're Back in Christchurch

The last time we left you, Paul and Cindy were headed home after 4 months in New Zealand.  Cindy had both arms in casts after falling into a stone wall, breaking both her wrists.  Once back in Wisconsin, she was also fitted with a back brace for 3 months due to a fractured vertebra, and was diagnosed with a concussion.

Fast forward to September 1, 2018.  Cindy has healed quite well.  Paul and Cindy arrive in Christchurch on the first day of spring.  Paul will be filling in for half a semester for a university professor who has a partial appointment to the Dean’s office.  He shares an office with two other visiting academics.

Paul hard at work in his office

We’ve been assigned to a lovely recently remodeled house near the university.  The house has just about everything we need – except a laundry basket.

     

We left 80 degree temperatures in Eau Claire for temps in the 40’s in Christchurch.  The online weather advised four clothing layers including 1 windproof layer because the actual temp of 8 degrees Celsius (46 degrees Fahrenheit) feels like 2 degrees C (35 F), with wind gusts of 59 kilometres per hour (36 mph).  Then to top it off, we’ve had all day rain.

We are excited to be back, especially now that we have caught up on sleep.  We’ve been to the Farmers Market, the food co-op in Lyttelton, our favorite Buddhist temple restaurant and even to Briscoes to buy a laundry basket.  Since we don’t have a car, we walked all through town taking turns carrying the basket. 

A stroll through the reserve (park) - with our laundry basket

Christchurch is known as the garden city. The daffodils and magnolias are blooming and the bird life is active.  

Magnolia tree

The polyanthus are even prettier in the rain.  

So far we’ve seen or heard a nice variety of native and non-native birds: wood pigeon, fantail, chaffinch, silvereye, tui, bellbird, magpie and grey warbler.  

A grey warbler

We're heading out tomorrow to Banks Peninsula for a few days before classes start.  Stay tuned for future installments.