Just mooching around Canterbury

Yes, I wasn't struck on Christchurch at first. It doesn't have the 'Wow' factor that I've come to expect everywhere I go in New Zealand. But I've become quite fond of it, and stayed in the area longer than I expected. I've hit lucky on my timing – the World Buskers' Festival is on, so I've spent a lot of time sitting in the sunshine watching very professional performers, all for small donations. Also, they are followed around by food stalls, selling great meals at much cheaper than cafe prices, and much better than I can produce in the hostel kitchen. I have also become acquainted with the steak and cheese pies recommended by Andrew – yum; but I shall definitely not have another 'hot dog' – the sausages over here are decidedly dodgy, and when stuck on a stick, dipped in batter and deep fried, they are to be avoided. Christchurch is very English – punting on the river Avon for example. It is a flat place with no direct access to the sea, but I did go on the bus yesterday to New Brighton, which had lots of surfers, a pier and a LONG beach (yes, I walked the length of it, then caught a bus back!).
I spent a few lovely days this week on the Banks Peninsula – about 80km south of here. Formed by volcanoes, as most places are here. Captain Cook thought it was an island, but it is a series of bays, very beautiful. I stayed in a smallish town – just a seafront really, with houses being built up the hill. Seaside houses are called 'bachs' – pronounced batch, not as the composer. There are a surprising number of differences in language, and sometimes I need a translation. The January sales advertised 'Manchester' – this is linen, apparently. The favourite ice cream here is 'hokey pokey' – vanilla with honeycomb bits. If you want sweet potato, you ask for kumara. When driving, it's the law that you signal at roundabouts, and you must stop for pedestrians at crossings – I'm constantly amazed that as I approach any roadside the traffic comes to a halt. Sometimes I've crossed the road when I didn't really want to, because I'm too embarrassed to admit that I was dithering... Also, on crossroads with lights for pedestrians, they stop all the traffic so that you can cross diagonally quite safely. All part of a slower lifestyle, and feeling more relaxed about everything.
Christchurch seems to have a higher proportion of New Zealanders to 'foreigners' than other places I've been to somehow. Maybe the festival has brought them onto the streets, or maybe tourists don't stay here long, using it as a stepping stone to more 'wow' places? I went to an outdoor theatre production last night, and there were lots of local references that went over my head. There are not many Maori people in this part of NZ, and also the Cantabrians (the region is called Canterbury) seem to dislike the Aucklanders intensely. Maybe it's a friendly rivalry, but seems more pronounced than say Londoners vs Mancunians.
I am beginning to get the hang of not doing much. It still feels strange to sit for a couple of hours in the same place – I feel that I should be exploring all the time, to justify being here and not working. I have investigated local work, but need to wait until next month when the season really kicks in and they may be desperate enough to employ a middle-aged woman without a permit. But for now, it's good to have time to just 'be', if that doesn't sound too pretentious. I saw a quote recently which seemed to sum up what was bugging me about my life ... "Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for, in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it."
Off West to Greymouth in the morning, via one of the most scenic train rides in the world, I'm told. Hoorah!

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