[New Zealand] Chapter LVIII: In which we run great risk of getting seasick

Christchurch is a city that has been devastated in 2011 by an earthquake, which has left the city with 185 fatalities and many buildings damaged beyond repair. Even now, seven years after, signs of the earthquake are still apparent --- whether in the form of a transitional cathedral made of recycled materials (a.k.a. "the cardboard cathedral"), temporarily replacing the partly collapsed historical cathedral as a place of worship, or of an eerie memorial

entitled "185 empty chairs", or of some businesses (though a lot less than before) operating from mobile shipping containers, but most noticeably through the large number of conspicuously empty lots in the city centre, presumably the sites of past office towers collapsed or demolished. Still, outside the city centre, Christchurch appears as whole and as active as any Western city.

Christchurch also served us as a base for a day trip to Akaroa, 80 beautiful kilometres to the south east, where we took a two-hour marine wildlife cruise into the long and narrow Akaroa Harbour. Before boarding the vessel, we were forewarned that the sea was particularly choppy that afternoon and were even offered the option to opt off. We didn't and indeed N got a bit seasick, but in return we got to see quite a bit of wildlife --- dolphins, sea birds, and some distant sea lions --- most of which remained unphotographed due to the bumpy ride.

As for why the sea was particularly choppy on that afternoon, more about that in the next chapter.

Accommodations:
- Hayley's Airbnb room at 50 Tabart Street, Christchurch (3 nights; ok)

Photo captions: (a-b) Christchurch's historical cathedral; (c-f) Christchurch's transitional cathedral; (g-h) the '185 empty chairs' earthquake memorial; (i-l) scenes from Christchurch's city centre; (m-o) the scenic route from Christchurch to Akaroa; (p-r) the choppy sea in Akaroa Harbour; (s) two dolphins; (t-u) two sea lions (if you can spot them)