Christchurch's FESTA, and the rest of my last 2 weeks...

So, nearly 3 weeks ago now (!), Christchurch held an annual event called the Festival of Transitional Architecture (FESTA). It's a long weekend celebration of futuristic projects and activities. It took place in the CBD, an area itself that is both futuristic and apocalyptic.

One night during this weekend, they put on an event called CityUps. Here, the "next generation of architects" (students from Auckland) come and erect large, colorful, illuminated designs which lit up the night. Apparently, over 100,000 people came down to the CBD to see it, and we were 2 of them.

What exactly was it though?

Basically, in several of the empty spaces between buildings, massive scaffolding was set up, and the students then had free reign to build whatever they desired in that space. There was definitely a recycle/rebuild/reuse theme going on with some of them, but I don't think this was a requirement. 

What was awesome, was to see so many people back in the center of the city. Between the large scale projects there were smaller activities- glow in the dark volleyball, ping-pong, beer gardens, a "light" maze with creepy instrumental music, classic cars, and a bike-light disco set up by our friends at RAD.

The whole evening felt like a culmination of the creativity humming in Christchurch.

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The omnipresent orange cone invasion, captured as architectural art.

Thousands of water bottles make up this... purple thing.

Flourescent suspended water balloons? Why not. This was by far the most popular one. I know, my photo is just confusing.

Air-con ducting turned futuristic dance rave?

Interactive design above the bike-light disco dance floor.
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Bird's eye view.
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The last few weeks has otherwise been filled with the usual. Here's a shameless Instagram image purge. If you follow my Instagram just quit now!

Scenery from recent runs:

It's spring!

Botanical Gardens

Scenery from recent rides:

Labour Day weekend was nearly 2 weeks ago, and we spent a night in Akaroa at a bach with some friends. We took a boat out on the harbor, and although the weather was pretty average, we managed to avoid the rain and take in some stunning scenery.

I love this colloquial scene: the kayaks stacked in front of the Kiwi bach. Every beachy bach, everywhere.

 Oh, last but very not least, Grandpa's famous sourdough pancakes!

It's the little things...

Akaroa in the Winter

We've been to Akaroa once before, and we discovered tree houses can be a little creepy and it's completely acceptable for there to be a spider in one's cereal bowl. That of course has nothing to do with Akaroa, but until now was pretty much the defining memory of the place.

Well, last weekend we rented a little bach in Akaroa and spent some quality time with Scott's parents. (A bach is "a small, often very modest holiday home or beach house. Baches are an iconic part of New Zealand history and culture, especially in the middle of the 20th century, where they symbolized the beach holiday lifestyle that was becoming more accessible to the middle class" - thank you Wikipedia.) 

Actually, while I'm on the topic, I think bachs are a great way to stay during your travels in New Zealand. They are frequently the same price or cheaper than a hotel room ($100-$150 is average), and they will almost definitely provide more privacy, a kitchen, and a better view. The best website for finding a bach to stay at is Holidayhouses.co.nz, although I've also had good luck with Airbnb.com. The downside to the first website is you will either have to pay via NZ bank transfer (not an option if you are a foreigner), or arrange to pay cash at some point which could be tricky. Airbnb allows for credit card payments, but they are sneaky and skim off a bit of a fee for themselves. Regardless, I've had great luck with both websites.

Our bach in Akaroa

So you can see- they're frequently nothing fancy- although honestly this one was a bit more modest than many. Anyways, there's my travel tip for the day.

Moving on. Scott and his folks drove to Akaroa on Saturday morning while I stayed behind to work (story of my life). They took a beautiful drive along the ridge and enjoyed the stunning coastline, and did a little off-roading in his poor Subaru. Things belonging to Scott must be tough. 

This was not the slippery, greasy spot they almost got stuck at...

Yep, it was foggy and windy and frankly not very warm. It is the middle of winter after all... You can easily spot the fog layer that stubbornly blanketed the top of the hills all weekend.

On Sunday we hiked through a beautiful park in central Akaroa. We were lucky enough to see some Fantails. They're funny little birds to watch. They flit and swoop and hop around a lot, and are basically impossible to catch in a photo. They can't weigh more than a couple of grams, which allows them to do silly things like hang upside-down from the branches while fanning their tails and showing off.

Stay still you little bugger.

You're not helping.

Sitting still is clearly not an option

Right when I thought all the cute-ness was over for the weekend, the next thing happened while we were driving through the country. Lambs. That's right mom, it's lamb season!!! And not only did we see itty bitty baby lambs, they were little black lambs. Which for some reason, is the cutest thing that has ever happened. Unfortunately we couldn't get very close to them, so these pics are the best I could get...

I know, you can't really see a thing. But they were adorable.

We discovered during this trip that Akaroa basically shuts down during the winter. About 50% of the restaurants and shops are completely shut, even on the weekends, leaving the wary winter traveler with limited options. We weren't able to share our favorite restaurant with Scott's parents, which was a bit disappointing. On the other hand though, travel is cheaper this time of year. So I guess you have your trade-offs.

Looking down on Akaroa town

We took the scenic route back to Christchurch, which still only takes about 90 minutes. I really cant complain about how many wonderful spots there are within an hour or two of our city!

Akaroa: "There's a flower and a spider in my cereal bowl"

Following a few failed attempts, we finally made it to Akaroa, a small village on the Banks Peninsula. Akaroa is best known for it's French influences, after they settled there in 1838. There are only 500 residents in the small town; but it's popularity with the tourists is evident in all of the shops and restaurants along the wharf.

Being only about an hour from Christchurch, Scott and I decided to head out for a lazy weekend holiday in Akaroa. We packed clothes for any kind of weather (thankfully!), our road bikes (mine's new!), and Scott packed his appetite for French pastries.

I found the town charming, but I think we waited until a bit too late in the season. We had to layer up for our hike in the hills, and the wind whistling across the bay kept us disinterested in the dolphin tours. Actually, a dolphin tour is not really at the top of my list anyways, but I've been told the dolphins in Akaroa are not to be missed. And yet, we missed them.

Oh, and don't get Scott started about the lack of boulangeries (your source for authentic French pastries). Promising the man a chocolate filled pastry and then delivering nothing of the sort will leave your sorry French imposter of a town at the bottom of his list. Thank goodness we at least found some fromage de chevre and some yummy wine.

Cute downtown colors

This B&B is for sale... am I old enough to be an inn keeper yet?



View from our chilly hilly hike, looking down on Akaroa

 We stayed in an... interesting spot. I did very little Internet research before booking a place (so uncharacteristic of me!) and chose a spot solely because it was in a tree. A tree house. Many reviewers who stayed on this farm, in the tree house or one of the other huts, commented on how eclectic and eccentric the proprietor is. I sort of shrugged it off, thinking, I'm open and accepting. No big deal.

Wow. They were right. We were greeted with a scowl, which I later discerned was because she thought Scott's car was too loud. He actually seemed to remain on her bad side right from the get-go, but never mind. We entered the main house to discover the most animal pelts in one place I have ever seen and meet a dove that appeared to be a resident of the kitchen cupboard. There were herbs strewn about the room, something was boiling on the stove, and a black cat slinked around in the next room. I felt I'd stepped into the dark side of a fairy tale.

Next, we were led to our outdoor bathtub... in the middle of a thicket. She told us that she would build a fire under the tub, and when night fell, we were to put our robes on and traipse out to the thicket and hop in the tub. Isn't the water going to be... boiling? The answer to that was yes, but there was a cold water hose running into the tub, so with a bucket and the spicket, one is able to adjust the temperature of the water in the cauldron tub.

Lastly, we found our room. We weren't shown our room, but rather sent off with vague instructions. Either way, we found it, being that we had reserved the one that is up in a tree (which I find fantastic). Unsurprisingly, it was as eccentric as our host. We entered to find a possum fur bedspread complete with multiple possum tails (like, 20!), candles of many shapes and colors, herbs and flowers strewn about, and a shiny red chandelier hanging over the bed. And lots of purple everything.

Flower thicket surrounding outdoor tub

Outdoor tub, pre-fire

View of our tree house

Tree house up close

Scott exploring...

 So I have to admit, although I felt a little bit like we were Hansel and Gretel being led into the oven (or cauldron), the boiling nature bath was actually quite lovely. It did take us a good 10 minutes to regulate the temperature of the water, but we got there, and add a bottle of champagne, and a cool, clear night... it was fabulous. And the stars down here... no light pollution, or air pollution, or noise pollution... wow. Just you and that sky. I'm pretty sure the only other time I've seen so many stars was at Lake Tekapo.

The next morning was equally as entertaining as our arrival. First things first, Scott irritated our host again... although I'm not sure how. Once that was complete, we ambled down for breakfast. On one hand, it was delightful. We were handed a picnic basket with fresh roses and warm croissants. I asked for herbal tea, which turned out to be a mixture of hot berry juice and herbs. Like, stalks of herbs.... in my tea. Which is all good. We sat on animal pelts (of course), and were given some morning reading material. A book actually... about skulls. Animal skulls. Of course.

Scott had me cracking up when he said "there's a flower and a spider in my cereal bowl", and the proceeded to empty and flick the residents out as if it were expected and normal. By this point, I suppose it was.

Breakfast "Room"... just a little different than your average Hilton

Before departing (alive!!!!), we were actually encouraged to climb up the hill and pick apples in the orchard. I had images of Adam & Eve, Snow White, and other such stories of trickery swirling in my head as we trudged up the dewy hill. I tried really hard to remember if there were any apples in the Hansel and Gretel fairytale... and if Brother Grimm or whoever had been on vacay in New Zealand when he dreamt up that story.

Anyways, we had fun picking apples, climbing trees, and sampling all the different sorts we found. I also learned what a beech nut looks like when it grows on the tree, which I would have never guessed in a million years.

The friendly and attractive casing of a beech nut

Apple trees seemed taller when we were smaller



The (literal) fruits of our labor

 I feel like I should put a disclaimer here because we truly enjoyed our stay in Akaroa. I'm not sure if I would return to the tree house because of the pricing, but I found the whole experience to be seriously entertaining. I love places that make you feel one with nature, which this spot surely did. And it's way better to stay somewhere unique. Now I have a brain full of hilarious memories instead of one more motel to file away in a list of boring accommodations. If this place sounds like somewhere you would enjoy (ie: you would also name your cat "Slutty Pants") then please message me- I'll give you all the details!

We finished our lackadaisical weekend with a road ride in the mist and a quick stop for ice cream on the way home. What a wonderful weekend.