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It was an hour drive though the countryside before we entered Christchurch which is the second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand, after Auckland.

Once inside the city, you couldn’t help but notice the stark contrast between devastation and creation. Following the deadly 2011 Christchurch Earthquake, the city center is still filled with collapsed buildings. The city suffered a series of earthquakes between September 2010 and January 2012, with the most destructive occurring at 12.51 p.m. on 22 February 2011, in which 185 people were killed and thousands of buildings across the city suffered severe damage, with a few central city buildings collapsing. By late 2013, 1,500 buildings in the city had been demolished, leading to ongoing recovery and rebuilding projects.

We made a brief stop at the Canterbury Museum and the Christchurch Arts Centre complex of 23 heritage buildings with shops, restaurants, art spaces & cultural events.

               
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From the Arts Centre we continued on with our tour, driving past the Isaac Theatre Royal which is another heritage building. Built in 1908, it is the only operational Edwardian-style theatre remaining in New Zealand. Our next stop was the New Regent Street pedestrian mall for a light lunch. Built as a private development in the early 1930s with 40 shops in Spanish Mission architectural style, it is now a major tourist attraction mainly due to the architectural character of the buildings.

  
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Leaving Christchurch we drove past the Lyttelton Port which was where the cruise ships docked prior to the 2011 earthquake. Continuing on the Summer Road through Buckleys Bay Scenic Reserve, we arrived at The Sign of the Takahe which is a neo-Gothic style historic building in Christchurch. It is currently run as a pop in cafe, bar, and now focuses on wedding & functions.

       
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From The Sign of the Takahe, we dead-headed back to our port on the Christchurch Akaroa Road which winds through some very scenic hills and valleys. After a tiring 1 ½ hour drive, we arrived back in Akaroa at 4:30 pm. Our ship departed at 6:00 pm.