Where is Tuesday?

I arrived in Christchurch, finally, around 2 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. The long flight wasn’t so bad – Qantas Airlines might be the nicest airline I’ve ever flown, complete with gourmet meals, adjustable headrests, and the friendliest flight attendants ever. I was able to sleep ten hours of the fifteen-hour flight from Los Angeles to Sydney. The bizarre thing was that I fell asleep late Monday night, and woke up on Wednesday morning in Australia. The four-hour flight from Sydney to Christchurch was just as nice, with another excellent breakfast and a fun seatmate who gives tours of Australia and New Zealand to groups of Americans. She gave me lots more penguin connections, and even invited me to visit her in Queenstown.


Flat Lily over Sydney, Australia



When I walked out of the immigration area at the Christchurch airport, I was all set to look for a taxi. But then in the line of people waiting with signs, I saw a sign with my name! Gail, the owner of the bed and breakfast where I’m staying, decided to surprise me and meet me at the airport. It was wonderful to be so warmly welcomed. After we loaded my bags in the trunk, I headed to the passenger side. Gail said, “Oh, I think I’ll drive!” And that was my introduction to this bizarre world of driving on the left (and sitting on the right). We went to the grocery store so I could get some food for the week, and Gail, a city councillor, chatted up the checkout clerk, and she seems to know everyone. Christchurch is no small town with a population of 400,000 (about the size of Nashville), but it really has an intimate feel.




My room - the ocean is just out the window to the right.

Back at the house, I dropped off my bags and headed to the beach. I can hear the waves from my room, and the water is just a short walk out the back and over the dunes. It was my first-ever view of the Pacific Ocean, and it was brilliant, even if it was windy and cold. I had the beach to myself, and then a guy walked by with his dog, so I asked him to take a picture of me. “It’s my first time seeing the Pacific Ocean!” I told him. He replied, “It’s a cool sea, eh?”





On the walk back, I came across two little boys all spiffed up as Batman and Superman. They were absolutely smitten with Flat Lily, and an argument broke out over who got to hold her. Like everyone I have encountered so far in New Zealand, they and their mom were super-friendly, calling out “Goodbye!” and waving at me until I was out of sight.