The last leg of my journey on the Kiwi bus took me from Queenstown to Christchurch, where I planned to spend my last few days in New Zealand before flying back to Sydney.
When I was in Dunedin, I’d hoped to see a Super 14 game at Carisbrook but due to the schedule, this was not to be. Fortunately, the Crusaders were playing at home the day after we arrived in Christchurch and there were still plenty of tickets available!
The game itself was a little scrappy until the last 20 minutes or so (Wellington won 24-30), but as a spectacle I’ve never seen anything like it at a rugby match. With cheerleaders, horsemen dressed as knights and a military helicopter landing to deliver the match ball, it was more like the build-up to an American football game than anything I’ve seen at Murrayfield!
As I still had a couple of free days before my flight, I decided to hire a car, drive up the coast and spend a night in Kaikoura with some of the people I’d met in the Deep South. One of the main attractions in Kaikoura is swimming with dolphins. Unfortunately, despite the weather in Kaikoura being brilliant (Christchurch had been a bit cold and wet for a few days!) the swell was bad enough that no boats were leaving the harbour. But the weather on-shore was good, and there was a hot-tub and plenty of beer at our hostel.
I can certainly think of worse ways to spend an afternoon!