NZ Day one-Christchurch

We got in to our accommodation at about 2am local time. Dave and I awoke at a reasonable hour but the boys slept until 11:30 and (we finally woke him up) 12:30 respectively. 

First order of business was to figure out how the much larger than we had expected pile of luggage was going to get to Auckland. There was no question that the rental car I had arranged was not going to cut it.  We borrowed the Air BnB host's car (so awesome) and drove through the craziest bunch of hail storms the city has seen in about 2 decades. We upgraded the rental car and then hit the CBD.  The evidence of the hail still quite visible everywhere. 

 We took the tram around the main part of the city and hopped on and off to see the sights.

 Anything that is a combination of neat transportation and a city tour is a sure win for us.

 The tour tram drivers were all men of retirement age who were full of facts and figures and were given exclusive access to the microphone.  In fact, we were PAYING to have them impart their wisdom. It occurred to me that my father would love this job!

 At one of the stops we found an establishment that was free, had a floor covered in Lego and had WiFi.  I have no idea how they pay their rent, but our boys would still be there if they had the option!

 The city is rebuilding after the 2011 earthquake, but there is still more to be done.  This cathedral stands as a silent witness to the destruction that occurred.

We were all very interested in checking out the Re:Start Mall. They built the mall entirely from shipping containers. It's really very interesting to see.

Tomorrow we plan to check out more of the CBD (Central Business District) on foot and then collect our rental car in the afternoon.