By Lindsay Berkhout (University of Chicago Astronomy and Astrophyics Major)
Christchurch day 7
After an early morning ride to the airport, we were informed that we had been bumped from our flight, and headed back to the hotel. After a quick lunch, I made
my way to the Willowbank Wildlife reserve on the outskirts of Christchurch. The reserve housed many native species to New Zealand, including the famous Kiwi bird, Kea, Tuatara, and a very friendly wallaby.
Day 8
Another delay and another day in New Zealand, so I made my way out to the port town of Lyttelton. After a delicious seafood lunch, I rode the gondola up to the hills that split Lyttelton from Christchurch, and took a walk back down. The ‘Crater Rim Walkway’ offered beautiful views over both Lyttelton and the Canterbury plains.
Day 9
Today, we hired a car and took a drive to Arthur’s Pass, a National park nestled in the Southern Alps. After a scenic mountain drive and some lunch, we took a short hike to the ‘Devil’s Punchbowl’, a spectacular waterfall coming from one of the peaks.
