Big-G-Les & Helga's Nov 2013 New Zealand Trip

Time for some fun

 

On our recent trip to New Zealand, we took our "alter egos" Big-G-Les & Helga with us for some fun.  It felt a bit weird taking photos of the Lego figures, but we got use to it and soon they took on a life on their own.  Wherever we went, they went too.

 

Anyway, this is their trip.

 

Adelaide Airport - Big-G-Les observing the Air New Zealand A320 getting ready to fly him to Auckland

 Enjoying the view at Auckland Harbour with the City Sky Tower in the background

Another view of Auckland Harbour
with the Emirates NZ America's Cup complex in background

Big-G-Les & Helga showing no fear by lying on the glass walk panels in the
observation level of the City Sky Tower
In the middle there is a red target where the bungee jumpers aim for

Time to relax at the Belgium Beer Bar at Mission Bay
Helga's all ready

Helga going in head fisrt trying to get to the last drops, while Big-G-Les secretly tries on her helmet

Big-G-Les on the hunt for the Kasteel Blond 7 beer
Not too happy that this bottle is empty

Found it, the beer!!!!!

Beer goggles on, ready to dive in!

 

Can someone stop the table from spinning!!!!

Next day both have recovered from their hangover & visited the Maritime Museum. Here they are standing in front of a replica model which is in front of the actual New Zealand 1995 America Cup winner NZL32 "Black Magic" They seem impressed!



Now in awe of standing in front of the 1995 replica cup

Boarding passes ready to go sailing on NZL41 on a wet (to the point of hail) and near windless day (unfortunately)
Both Big-G-Les & Helga felt a bit queezy before boarding so they stayed on shore

Posing in front of the penguin enclose at the wonderful Kelly Tarlton Sea Life Aquarium
Who knew Gentoo Penguins knew how to photobomb!!
 

 

They visited the Split Enz exhibit at Te Awamutu, home of the Finn brothers.
Big-G-Les getting ready with the record player arm

Big-G-Les & Helga partying on side one

 

Our accommodation, the rear of a Bristol Freighter in Waitomo
(it was fully fitted out as an apartment, nice too)

Big-G-Les making sure he observes the warning above the door to the apartment

View out of the apartment.
This is the last known photo of Big-G-Les with is goggles.

Posing in front of a hot spring in Rotorua
Good thing they don't have noses so they couldn't smell the sulphur

Helga making sure Big-G-Les doesn't step off into the hot springs in the spectacular Waimangu Volcanic Valley

Relaxing and getting ready for a mud spa at Hells Gate in Rotorua





Half way from Christchurch to Blenheim Big-G-Les & Helga
demanded to go for a stroll along the shore

Helga seems to be enjoying being back near the sea

Might just borrow this Hurricane

Got him, a Ju87

 

Enjoying some more of the wonderful New Zealand beer in  Blenheim.
Seems to be a bit of theme here with these two.... 

Helga & Big-G-Les trying to comprehend at the devastation in Christchurch of the
2011 earthquake from the hotel window

 

Big-G-Les stands by the safety fencing at the Christchurch War Memorial Bridge of Remembrance

Big-G-:Les feeling not so big in one of the fun oversized street furniture in Christchurch

 

Big-G-Les making sure the car is in Sports Mode while heading down to Ashburton

 

Back in Christchurch for one last beer (err dinner) before heading back home to Australia

Big-G-Les feeling a bit blurry having to wake up a 3:26AM so he can get to Christchurch Airport for the flight home to Australia



It seemed a bit funny taking pictures of Lego figures at the start, but after a short while it became quite fun.  You should try it sometime.





New Zealand - Nov 2013 - Christchurch Post 7 of 10

NOTE:
This blog is divided into 10 separate sections as there are far too many photos to put on one post

Christchurch

We arrived in Christchurch around 6pm and drove into the city as our hotel was located in what was (& is) the "Red Zone".  The "Red Zone" was the cordoned off area of Christchurch that occurred as the result of the devastating earthquake in Feb 2011.  What awaited us, we were not prepared for.

NO ENTRY sign at the Cathedral in the Red Zone

The volume of destruction, demolition and empty, boarded up buildings is impossible to describe the expanse of it.   Whole city blocks have been flattened and cleared.  In other places a single boarded up or fenced off building may be standing, while all around it is flat.  Building that STILL have their merchandise in their shopfront windows.  It really shook us.
We had been there in 2007 (see a much earlier blog) and it was really disturbing at the devastation that had been.  We were looking forward to a pub that we had been too, but that was all boarded up.

View from our hotel window
You can see the city blocks are flattened

360 view near the container shopping plaza
(note the building by itself on left)

Close up of the building mentioned above
You can see in the shop windows the merchandise still there.

Flooded underground carpark of a building

The wreckers go about their task

Saving a historical building front whilst rebuilding the rest of the building

The clock tower boarded up

The iSite building on the Cathedral Plaza

Cathedral Plaza looking towards the iSite building

To be frank, it initially felt like walking through a near abandoned city.

HOWEVER, Christchurch is far from that.  The more we walked around the more we saw the strength of people in rebuilding, make best of, brightening up their city. 

All positive thinking.

There were things like a single putt-putt hole on a site, and then another a street or so over.  Bright murals, various artistic sculptures.

One of the many fun areas & sculptures scattered around that brighten up the city

 

Amongst this is a place called the "Shipping Container Shopping Centre" or similar.  Near the centre is a plaza that has been made up of shipping containers.  Again, how positive.  There were coffee, clothing, book shops to mention a few.  Very well executed in the design and layout of it.  Great use of colour and space.  It is something that I hope they keep once the city is rebuilt as it is unique and a symbol of the people not giving up.

The "Shipping Container Plaza"
(the red building is a 2 storey coffee shop complete with an upper floor open dining area)

Down one of the arcades

Inside the plaza looking back towards the 2 storey coffee shop

 

Christchurch's Catholic Cathedral

To see the damage that had occurred to it was frightening.  We went through this beautiful cathedral (including walking up the bell tower) back in 2007.  I still cannot find words to describe how I felt then or even how I feel now.
Best let the pictures say.  Unfortunately, (and it saddens me deeply to say this) I cannot see how this building can be saved as it is.  There is far to much structural damage.  At the moment it future is in the courts.

Looking down the plaza to what was the front of the cathedral

The brightly painted safety boarding around the cathedral

 

 

An enormous supporting structure taking the weight of the roof

 

This is all that remains of the towering bell tower

 

Even the angel has been tied back to the main structure to stop it from falling off

 

You can see how much the building has moved and cracked
(this is the corner of seen in the right side of the previous photo)

Despite all of the devastation, there is a positive feeling in Christchurch.  A near blank canvas to work on, to create a new city.  It will take a long time and it will be interesting to see what direction it takes.