Christchurch, NZ

We spent the day exploring downtown, starting at the Botanical Gardens, which are beautiful. The flowers are in full bloom with dahlias, roses, and many perennials that we have growing in the Pacific Northwest. Lots of photos will be posted to the gallery, but here are just a few. The weather was great all day, in the low 70s. Windy at night however.

We roamed the Central Business District (CBD), where there is a quaint River Avon and a tram system that runs through downtown, but we chose to walk. The gothic style buildings were once part of the University of Canterbury, but are now shops, a cinema, and an art gallery. The Riverside Market has amazing food stalls and shops, and it was packed. There's also a gorgeous Art Museum. The city is vibrant and filled with lots of locals and tourists, and everyone is friendly.

The best part of Christchurch for us, was a restaurant called 5th Street, where we had dinner. We chose to sit at the chef's table which is the counter overlooking the head chef (Samson Stewart) and his team. I'm including a link to the restaurant here 5thstreet.co.nz and you can check them out on Instagram too. What a meal and experience! Absolutely fantastic! (Romaine salad & pasta for Kim; Lamb shoulder on Chimichurri for Jim, and a view of the interior). There was wine and dessert too! Yum! Best meal of the trip so far.