Overnight, the New Zealand clocks moved forward an hour as the
country shifted into daylight savings, meaning that our 6:30am wake up was actually 5:30am :(
On the plus side, we were able to appreciate the morning sun
and the gentle pink hues that illuminated Mt Hutt at daybreak.
We headed into Christchurch, to partake in the
much-anticipated activity: Go Karting. In pairs, the competitive tension
ignited right away as teams strategised, in hushed determined tones, and after
the warm up laps, the race was on! The karts zoomed around the tracks like
angry wasps, buzzing and screeching as they hugged corners, edged out
competitors and occasionally hit a barrier or two. It came down to the wire,
with mandatory driver changes taking place with only minutes to spare, the
clock was counting down, the sidelines were roaring with encouraging cheers and
the pedal was to the metal. When the checkered flag flew, it was Team Yellow –
Stephen and Nissanth – who came away the victors and they smiled proudly as
they took their place on the podium alongside second place, Mr Melchiori and
Mr Ward, and third place, Cameron and Tim.
After all that adrenaline and competition, their appetite had grown
considerably and we stopped in at a local park for a pizza picnic before
heading to the Christchurch Gondola where we boarded the cable cars. Moving at
a much calmer rate than the karts, we ascended Mount Cavendish where we enjoyed
breathtaking views of the city, and the Canterbury Plains which stretched from
the ocean all the way to the mighty Southern Alps.
To finish off our day in town, we headed to The Tannery, a
quaint and beautiful strip of shops that have made their home in a historic
building, once used to tan hides into leather. Delicious local two-scoop ice-creams were ordered and the kids wondered around the boutique shops
enjoying the atmosphere. As we ate our ice-cream, a baby grand piano was spotted
by Emma who was eligible to play according to the friendly sticky note that
asked people only to play if “you’re a pianist”. Emma delighted us, and other
patrons, with a skillful rendition of Ludovico Einaudi’s Nuvole Bianche, bringing a beautiful end to our day in the city.
The mindful and reflective atmosphere wasn’t to last though,
as our final night at the lodge meant it was time for the pool competition. In
a knockout game of doubles, the stakes were high as the rounds began. Each sunk
ball was met with cheers of excitement and groans of defeat in what made for an
entertaining evening. In a surprise finish, Emma and Beth, displayed their pool
prowess, taking down the competition and claiming the title of Ultimate Pool
Champions!
Bags are packed, kids are (almost) all asleep and tomorrow,
we begin our journey back home.
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