Wander & Nest

We tried to soak up as much of Christchurch as we could in our last few weeks. Wylie’s family was around for a few more days after our big South Island tour. Wylie, Mara, and I got mostly back into our work and school routines, but spent evenings with the fam. We went to some of our favorite restaurants in Christchurch and tried out a few new spots. We really haven’t been out to dinner much because dinner with a toddler is not our idea of a great time, but Mara has actually been doing much better! If she can eat fries she’s pretty happy, so fries on the menu is always priority 1. And that’s surprisingly easy in Christchurch, even at a Chinese restaurant.

After the family headed out, we spent the next few days just enjoying being out and about in Christchurch and loving how kid friendly it is. On one particularly nice day went to an outdoor pub and eatery that we had been meaning to try in the Central Business District. It’s an old bus that they’ve converted to a bar, plus a few other random structures that make up the kitchen, then all the seating is outdoors under sun shades and umbrellas. Just being outside makes it a great spot for kids, but of course that’s not all. Because this is Christchurch, the bar owners keep the bus seat open and somewhat operational for littles to play! Mara had the time of her life getting to pretend drive a real bus!!

On the advice of our friends, Sarah and Jay, we visited Pegasus Bay winery in the Waipara valley, wine country just about an hour outside of Christchurch. This visit was everything – we selected items for a picnic that the staff packed up for us in this adorable basket, ordered a bottle of solid day drinking summer wine, and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon on the stunning grounds. So good!

It finally came time to start packing up and wow was that tough. Not just because packing sucks but because we are really going to miss New Zealand. More on the sentimental stuff later, you know it’s coming, I’m dedicating a whole post to it… but for now, the logistics of packing. We ended up shipping 2 bags ahead because we have more stuff now and Mara doesn’t get the infant allowance so all her stuff (stroller, car seat, pack n play) counts against our weight limit. Somehow we got it all together, including shipping a bag with a broken zipper and missing wheel that’s held together with duct tape. I’m writing this before we know the end result, so fingers crossed that it makes it to France in one piece.

In the middle of one of our packing days we needed a break and decided to make one last Christchurch outing. So we went for a drive in the port hills to take in the gorgeous scenery while Mara napped in the car. Then we headed to Lyttelton for an impromptu drink at a kid friendly bar (yep that’s a a thing), then all three of us played at an amazing playground and sport yard. It was actually an elementary school but the gates were open and equipment was available for anyone to use, including sand pit toys, soccer balls, and of course the playground. We all had such a good time!

This last outing perfectly encapsulated our Christchurch experience – beautiful drive, pleasant surprises of a great cocktail at a place where Mara is so welcomed, and freedom for us all to enjoy family time together. What can I say… we’ll miss you Christchurch.