Kia Ora and Hello from Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand. We arrived. We’re here. We’re happy – although in the beginning, it was clear my Aotearoa driving skills hadn’t improved much. Ōtautahi Christchurch isn’t the biggest city in the country, but I still managed to get lost for two hours, only fifteen minutes from home. Welcome back, Cindy. We see you still can’t drive.

Photo from the plane as we started our descent into Ōtautahi Christchurch.

I can now. Thank you, technology and those screeny things on the car dashboard. When I first bought my car, I didn’t realize what “imported from Japan” really meant until I tried to use the dashboard navigation (aka – the screeny thing) and the voice started speaking to me in Japanese. That’s when I noticed all the maps were of Tokyo. No problem, just look up how to change the location and language in the manual. Aaaaand the entire manual is in Kanji. I don’t read Kanji.

Thank you, ChatGPT, for finding a shop in Ōtautahi Christchurch that specialized in this issue. Thirty minutes later, I had a map of Ōtautahi Christchurch and an English-speaking navigation announcer. All vehicles should have an option to change the language; it would make independent touring much easier for visitors who like to explore on their own.

The glorious Southern Alps of Aotearoa.

We’re still settling in, but taking every other weekend to go and see something. After 19 years, there have been a lot of changes for me to take in, like highways. Last time I lived in Ōtautahi Christchurch, there were no overpasses and the speed limit was definitely not 105 km/h! So far, I’ve been re-familiarizing myself with Ōtautahi Christchurch, but a more in-depth exploration is coming soon. I want to share the art, the changes, and the old beloved sites you’ll remember if you’ve visited before. I want to go punting on the Avon River. Plus, there’s no way I’m not riding the Tram. Be looking for that post soon. I hear you can have dinner on the Tram now!

My son and I were on an errand one day when suddenly, clear as day, the Alps appeared in the distance, covered in snow. The Alps always take my breath away. My son laughs because I gasp out loud every time I see them. I have a story coming up about the day we spent chasing mountains all the way to Arthur’s Pass to play in the snow. No snow at Arthur’s Pass but we eventually found some. It’s kind of funny. I have a photo of the snow in an upcoming post.

I also came across one of the greatest finds of my life on the same day – but that’s for another post, too. I’ll call it The Great New Zealand Tour of Cows. It has a long history. Lol! So, we’re here and loving it. I have been on a few adventures and will tell you about one of my favorite tiny villages where you’ll find the best coffee and cafe food, amazing art, and the coolest B&B I’ve ever seen. Be looking for it and more!

My son took this photo because I was sleeping and he didn’t want me to miss the sun rising over the horizon as we approached Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. .

Thank you for coming along on this adventure with me. I will be posting a new blog post every week as I write “A Love Letter to Aotearoa,” my Kiwi home. If you have any ideas or would like to suggest places I should visit, send me a message. I want to find the hidden gems of Aotearoa, land of my heart. I want to learn everything.