We hit the road from Fairlie to Christchurch (ChCh), but first, a crucial pitstop at Fairlie Bakehouse for some life-changing shepherd’s pies. I’m talking minced meat, pork belly with applesauce, creamy chicken and bacon, and—wait for it—creamy donuts. Basically, we consumed a calorie army and then, feeling suitably heavy, we set off to ChCh.
We made a pitstop in Rakaia, where we embraced our inner children at the local playground. After that, it was on to Christchurch, where we wasted no time and started exploring. First up: the Canterbury Museum, which had this mind-blowing macramé pavilion. Naturally, I added my dream to the collection of cosmic wishes that’ll be offered to Hiwa-i-te-rangi, the star of aspirations. They’ll all be stored until the next Matariki and then burned in a sacred ceremony. And sent to the cosmos to manifest into something magical. Or, you know, just vibe up there.
Next, we hit the Christchurch Art Gallery, which was packed with impressive exhibits, including the Bull on the Piano—yes, a bull. On a piano. As a bonus, the museum had an awesome gift shop where I spent way too much time pretending I could buy anything (strict baggage limit, folks). Meanwhile, Daniel was hard at work, piecing together some mosaic masterpiece like he was secretly auditioning for Mona Lisa: The Remix.
We wrapped up the day with more wandering through town, eventually ending up at the Margaret Mahy Family Playground, which, let’s be real, is the absolute GOAT of playgrounds. I mean, zip lines, swings, and just general playground wizardry. This place is basically playground royalty. Just sayin’.
