2019 AU-NZ: Christchurch March 20

Upon arrival in New Zealand, we enjoyed a family visit with Granny Shirley's daughter, equestrian veterinarian Dawne Nairn (sister-in-law of sister Sonia; so, sister to brother-in-law Tim). Dawne shared many highlights to not miss on our south to north New Zealand tour. Granny Shirley will be in NZ with Dawne for the month of June, do Dawne has recently been thinking of her and her mom's south island tour, so had many super ideas for us. Early in the evening, at the airport, we picked up a car and phone sim card and then found our b&b accommodation. The b&b hosts Christine and Andrew are kind and have a beautiful home (and five grown children not at home, so room for guests!). They were headed out for the evening, so us going out to meet Dawne for a late dinner was timely.

In the morning March 20, we attended the Christchurch botanical gardens temporary memorial to the grieving communities as a result of the atrocities against the Muslim community on March 15. We were overwhelmed to see tens of thousands of flower bouquets, hand-made drawings and hearts, and written notes. Dawne had told us that everyone had been to the memorial. A gathering Maori group spontaneously sang a gentle song and performed a haka. We added two hearts to the memorial and then walked the rest of the morning in the botanical gardens while we spoke together about the world and celebrating the amazing diversity of people within it. As we walked, we saw streams of couples, moms and children and multi-generational family groups walking with bouquets to the memorial wall.

In the afternoon, we visited Akaroa, which was a suggestion of Dawne's. En route we stopped for a hilltop lunch and rest. In Akaroa, we visited another memorial to the Muslim community and walked the shoreline of this French settlement. The landscape of the peninsula around Akaroa is breathtaking and at one point we were so high on the caldera ridges of the ancient volcanoes that we were in the clouds.