Vegetation in the Southern Alps - on top of Lewis Pass |
We began the last day of the year with a
visit of Brunner Mine, an abandoned coal mine located on the banks of the
Grey River, which in March of 1896 became the site of New Zealand’s worst-ever
mining disaster.
Heading to Brunner Mine, not yet aware of its tragic history |
An explosion deep in the mine killed all 65 miners below
ground. It was likely caused by firedamp, a common hazard in coal mines, where a pocket of methane gas is accidentally ignited and explodes.
At the top of Lewis Pass |
Our intended route over Arthur’s Pass, the
highest pass over the Southern Alps, was closed due to a traffic accident and
so we had to take a two-hour detour over Lewis Pass further north.
The Southern Alps are a wet area |
At the top of Lewis Pass we followed a short
track through an alpine wetland, with a remarkably diverse array of mosses and
other Alpine vegetation, as well as views of Gloriana Peak and the Spenser
Mountains.
Mosses at Lewis Pass |
Descending from Lewis Pass we found the
landscape immediately drier and the air far warmer than it had been on the
west side of the divide.
Late in the afternoon we arrived in
Christchurch where we checked into an old English Manor home called Eliza’s Manor
Boutique Hotel.
Eliza's Manor, beautifully restored after the Christchurch earthquakes |
We were hosted by the lovely Ann, who had her house
painstakingly restored over a period of 18 months after it had been majorly damaged in the
2010 and 2011 earthquakes. The second quake killed 185 people, injured over 6,600, and all
but destroyed the city center of Christchurch.
Even in a city still heavily scarred by the
wounds of these major quakes, a spirit of resilience and entrepreneurship was
palpable, setting the mood for hopeful and forward-looking New Year
celebrations.
Thankful for being once again together on New
Year’s Eve, we had a nice dinner at Dux Dine, a contemporary seafood and
vegetarian restaurant situated in a historic turn-of-the-century villa that was
originally the Station Masters House for the Riccarton Railway.
New Year's Eve Concert in Hagley Park |
Shortly before midnight we headed to Hagley Park.
We arrived just in time to attend the traditional New Year’s celebrations with a
piper playing Auld Lang Syne, and midnight fireworks blasting over Lake
Victoria.
Happy New Year! At Hagley Park |
We found a nice and civil
party atmosphere, thanks to the City Council, which ensured that
the entire event was free of smoke and alcohol.
It was fun to reflect upon the fact that we started 2016 ahead of almost
the entire human race with friends and family in Singapore, Austria, Dayton,
and Los Angeles being 6, 12, 18, and 21 hours behind our schedule.
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