Christchurch and the southern Alps

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 – Christchurch is the second largest city in New Zealand and the largest city on the South Island. The current metropolitan population is about 500,000. There is evidence of Maori activity in this area dating back to 1250 AD, and the British arrived in the early 1800s. A magnitude 6.3 earthquake […]

windy wellington

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 – Because of its location in the ‘Roaring Forties’ latitudes and its exposure to the winds blowing through Cook Strait, Wellington is known as the world’s windiest city. The average daily wind speed is 27 km/h (17 mph). It showed its true colors on our visit as it was quite windy, […]

picton perfect

Monday, February 24, 2025 – Picton is a small port (population ~4,500) located on the northern tip of the South Island of New Zealand. Similar to many of the ports we visit, there is a stockpile of Radiata pine logs at the port, awaiting export to China, India and South Korea. I was shuttled from […]

naTty napier

Sunday, February 23, 2025 – Cute city, this one! Located in the popular wine-producing region of Hawke’s Bay, Napier was devastated by a 7.8 earthquake in 1931. The town was rebuilt in art deco style. Today, beautifully maintained buildings and residents who enjoy classic cars and dressing in the fashion of the era spotlight this charming little city. […]