Becoming a Kiwi

Photos: The Botanical Gardens, a special picture of the irises there (for my mom!), the supermarket where I shopped for fruit and energy bars, train pics and a building damaged in the earthquake.


The Friendship Force group flew into Christchurch after touching down in Auckland after 13 hours of flying. We left San Francisco at 8:30PM Sunday and got into Auckland at noon on Tuesday. What happened to Monday? (this question is for my Fernandina Beach Middle School students, MUMC Bible class and my great nieces in NM!) My seatmate on the flight from Auk to CC was Sally Christie, who is an elected health official! She was a giggle and good fun to talk with about the US's politics and theirs. My first Kiwi friend!!!! In CC, GiGi, Marlene and I walked around after taking the tram to get our bearings. Beautiful parks and flowers, hence CC's nickname "The Garden City". The group took the Tranzscenic Train across the South Island today to Greymouth - gorgeous mountain and river views and sheep to see, too. This country has 4 million people and 40 million sheep! The rest of the group then boarded a bus for a quick tour of the South Island and I took the train back to CC. (I'll see the So. Island on my own from Nov. 18 - Dec. 16.) It's a great fun group. Marsha, is a sweetheart who I met last Saturday and that night let me stay at her home before the flight out of Chicago.
When I parted from the group at the train station in Greymouth, I told them that I wanted to hear the stories of what trouble they'd gotten into without me, and BTW, since I'd be traveling alone, there would be NO ONE to tell on me and on any trouble I'd gotten into! We meet up again on Nov. 1.
AND - I figured out how to download these pictures and upload them onto this post ALL BY MYSELF!