Earthquakes and Haka.

An early start to Melbourne airport and a most frustrating couple of hours getting through to the plane.There we had to fill in a departure form for emigration, but no pens around. Took us a while to find someone to borrow one off, very badly organised!.
Then we had a bite of breakfast before making off to the gate with 30 mins to spare. Looked at the board, and it said Final call!! So that was a rush to get to the far end of the airport, only to find that they hadn't started boarding, and indeed didn't for a further ten or fifteen minutes! What a load of rubbish!
Say no more, the flight was good with good service and pleasant staff, (Air New Zealand), even though the seat pitch wasn't good.

Into Christchurch airport fifteen minutes early, we took a taxi to the hotel. Christchurch is a mess, the earthquake has flattened a lot of the city, and left a lot more very unsafe. Even the hotel we are in is damaged and partly closed.  Some of the nice old facades may be saved, some are held up with piled up containers, or otherwise supported by steel, but most of the centre is cordoned off and patrolled at night by the army.
What a shame for what was a nice city.

We had booked to go to a wildlife park so as we met our friends David and Mildred we boarded a bus to go out of town to the venue. I have to say that the wildlife walk was rather unexciting, we saw Kiwis but as it was in the dark( they are nocturnal) no photos could be taken.
They breed them here for return to the wild, so we have to accept that some good comes of these parks. We did see an Alpine Parrot, a pretty big and fierce creature, in a pen, and New Zealand pigs.

We were also there for a cultural experience, and I have to say that things looked up a bit when we were taken to a Maori village in the grounds. I was chosen to be the chief of my tribe (the visitors)( I think they looked for the oldest!) and was instructed how to carry out my duties. I was challenged by a warrior with a large spear, and had to rub noses with the chief, after which my party was accepted as guests.



We were then taken into a small theatre, where Anne and I were shown to the seats of honour, and enjoyed a music and dance show described to us by the chief at each stage. I shall insert a few pics of this at the end of this script.
Anne and Mildred were shown how to perform the Poi dance, with a swinging ball, and David and I had to do the Haka, which was interesting. They grow some pretty awesome tongues round here!





All of this was followed by an excellent meal, they call it a Hangi. The food is cooked underground with stones that are heated in a pit. Four courses, starting with soup, a fish course, and a main with three meats, veg and salad, and a sweet. Not bad at all.









There were a couple of girls there who seemed quite impressed by my status, can't imagine why, they said they were privileged to sit on my table, so as I didn't want to disappoint them I gave them my chiefly symbol, a fern. I think they will take it to bed, and they said they would make sure it was in every photo they would take in NZ. Hmmmmm.... there may be something in this chiefy business.......


Anyway, as I write, we have just had a minor earthquake, panic for a few moments, but we stayed put. They have had over a thousand in the past two years since the big quake, let's just hope there are no more while we are here, or indeed ever. We don't need any more scares!