The BIG One - New Zealand and Tasmania - Days 50, 51 and 52

 Thursday 21st March - Christchurch

Last bits of washing and some sorting out done then off to the temporary bus stop (thanks to the road works) and the bus into the city. From there we got the bus out to the gondola. The bus station is very high tech being divided up into 4 and info boards everywhere plus an announcement each time a bus comes in. We ascended the mountain on the gondola - it was a bit windy but we didn’t rock about too much.  There isn’t much at the top other than a shop, a cafe and the Christchurch Discovery Ride, this looked a bit like a ghost train!  We did learn a bit as we went round until the ride broke down and we had to walk to the end!!  

We walked round the roof of the building - it was strange as the Christchurch side of the mountain was hazy and the Lyttleton side was clear but we still had some good views.  As we got on the gondola to go down Richard asked the attendant why there were 5 gallon drums of water under the seats.  We were told that when the wind got to 50mph they put them there for added ballast!

As we descended the mountain we saw a bus that we could take back to Christchurch coming in, we never thought we would catch it as we were still on the Gondola. However we jumped off and ran and managed to catch it. 

Back in Christchurch we visited the Cardboard Cathedral which is an interim building until the real cathedral is rebuilt. We wondered why it was called the Cardboard Cathedral but the columns holding it up are made of cardboard. There are 86 cardboard columns weighing 500kg each, these are on top of shipping containers.  The A-frame rises 24 metres high. The cathedral opened  in August 2013.

We walked to a pharmacy then got an Uber home. A brief rest then the packing was started. I’ll get there I’m sure!!

Friday 22nd March - Hobart, Tasmania 

I didn’t sleep well as I was worrying that I wasn’t going to get all our stuff in the bags.  There was some ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard plus a few other bits which I really wanted to take as I didn’t want to have to buy more just for a week and I could see that those would have to chucked out.  

We got up at 7.30am and I started on the packing again and everything just seemed to slot in nicely which was such a relief.  By 9.00am we were all ready and sitting waiting for 10.00am when the taxi was booked for.  Our flight wasn’t until 3.20pm but we had to be out of the house by 10.00am. The taxi arrived 10 minutes early and we were at the airport by 10.00am.

We were so early that we couldn’t check in for the flight until midday so had to hang around.  Then I got a text to say that the flight was delayed by 45 minutes - more hanging around.  We checked in at midday and went up to security where we didn’t have to take anything out of the bags, it made life so much easier.  We shared a pretty awful pizza then went and sat at the gate.  The international side of Christchurch airport was very quiet with only a very few flights going out.  The 45 minute delay got longer and longer and we finally took off 1.5 hours late.

We had a good flight to Sydney though I was worried that we would miss our connecting flight to Hobart.  We arrived in Sydney and I’m afraid our score for the airport was very low as the signs were bad and we really didn’t know what was going on.  There were automatic passport readers which also took your photo and gave a print out.  Then where?  Again the signs weren’t clear - I forgot to say that there weren’t any staff around at this point - thank goodness someone appeared to help all the people with lost looks on their faces!  Down to the baggage hall to collect the bags, out through customs where we had to hand in our immigration forms and the print out.  A mad dash down to the far end of the building to check in for the Hobart flight.  We were told that the plane was very small so our hand baggage needed to be checked in - how small we wondered!  Through security and onto a bus which took us to the domestic departures on the other side of the airport.  We arrived at the gate with 15 minutes to spare!

The plane to Hobart was small, cramped and uncomfortable - no propellers though.  Hobart is a tiny airport so we were through in no time, I called up an Uber who took us the 5 minute drive to the Travelodge, where we collapsed.  What a day and we gained 2 hours so had every reason to be tired!

No photos today.

Saturday 23rd March - Port Arthur

Our first day in Tasmania!  

We both slept well and had a very nice breakfast for a Travelodge. We took an Uber to the depot, and picked up Sandy (the Sandpiper), did a bit of sorting then went off to the supermarket. 

We drove north to see the tessellated pavement at Eaglehawk Neck then on to see the Blow Hole and the Tasman Arch. Next was Port Arthur which is the symbol of Australia’s 19th century convict system. Included in our ticket was a harbour trip, and on such a beautiful day it was perfect.  The site was very interesting but we couldn’t stay that long as we had a lot of sorting to do.  

Port Arthur was established in 1830 and from 1833 to 1877 it was where the most hardened of convicted British criminals were sent, also those who had reoffended after their arrival in Australia and rebellious personalities from other convict stations.  Port Arthur had some of the strictest security measures of the British penal system.  Port Arthur was also the destination for juvenile convicts, some as young as nine.  There is an island, The Isle of the Dead,  just off Port Arthur where convicts and prison staff were buried, there are over 1,000 graves in an area of only 2.5 acres.

On 28th April 1996 there was a massacre at Port Arthur.  35 people were killed and 23 were wounded.  Martin Bryant is currently serving 35 life sentences plus 1,035 years without parole in jail.

Our campsite was in a forest and lovely. I did all the sorting and putting away. We left one big bag at the depot and of course there were things in there I wanted ☹️  After the sorting out we sat out with a glass of wine surrounded by parrot type birds and two wallabies who just jumped over to see us, it was amazing.