Our first week in Christchurch was packed with organizational tasks. After checking into our Airbnb late Saturday afternoon, we took a quick stroll into the city center to grab some dinner and buy breakfast for the next day. Marie, completely exhausted from the overnight flight, was not impressed at all: “The houses aren’t pretty, everything is stupid… I want to leave and go to Wellington!” (which she doesn’t know either 😉).

On Sunday, we finally slept in and had a nice breakfast before exploring the “Garden City” on foot. Well-rested and with the sun shining, we (all of us, Marie included!) found the city very beautiful. It’s a lovely mix of old and new—friendly, open, and incredibly green. Christchurch is essentially a city within a large park that winds along the Avon River. Even though Marie and Ferdinand had the unique opportunity to explore what is currently the second-largest playground in the Southern Hemisphere (boasting a massive 16,288 m², a 10-meter climbing tower, a water play area, and countless other attractions), they couldn’t care less and just walked right past it. By the end of the day, the jet lag finally caught up with us, and Ferdinand fell asleep right at the dinner table.

Starting Monday, we had a long to-do list. First up was opening bank accounts (only to learn from a very friendly customer service representative that this can only be done online, not in the branch) and buying a set of SIM cards (which were unexpectedly expensive). In between tasks, I managed to set up the NAS in the storage closet. One thing I noticed while strolling through the city is the abundance of men’s clothing stores. There are far more here than in the shops back home in Germany, where men’s fashion is usually tucked away in the furthest corner.

We also wanted to get mobile as quickly as possible. We bought a used Toyota RAV4 and got our New Zealand driver’s licenses, which was a very smooth process thanks to the help of the friendly staff at the AA (the New Zealand equivalent of the DMV and ADAC combined).

Slowly but surely, a bit of a routine is setting in, and on Wednesday morning, I finally managed to go for my first run. It felt incredibly good after the Christmas holidays and the many hours spent sitting on the plane.

To improve his language skills, Ferdinand bought an English joke book, which he finished in a single day. Anyone who knows him knows that he has hundreds of jokes up his sleeve. Now he’s expanding his skillset to include New Zealand humor: “What do you get when you cross an insect with a rabbit? Bugs Bunny!”

My gravel bike, which I sent via DHL, arrived undamaged (a huge thank you to Brendan for letting me ship it to his place!). Daniel’s tip was especially valuable: he suggested sticking a picture of a TV on the packaging, as couriers tend to be a bit rough with bikes but handle TVs with kid gloves. All I had to do was mount the handlebars, pedals, and saddle, and pump a little air before I could take my first short spin through the streets of Christchurch.

With our newfound mobility, we were able to explore the surrounding area during the second half of the week. On Thursday, we visited Akaroa, a picturesque little town on the Banks Peninsula founded by the French in the 1840s. The drive there alone is an experience. Just past the summit near the Hilltop Hotel, a dreamlike view opens up over Akaroa Harbour, which sits nestled in a fjord-like bay.

On Friday, we drove to Pine Tree Beach. It’s a section of the many-kilometers-long sandy beach at Pegasus Bay, east of Christchurch. Fine sand, shallow water, and a pleasant surf. Our highlight of the day was the first outing of the “Weißwurst” (the inflatable white sausage) that Robert and Wolfgang gave us as a farewell gift. Unfortunately, the valve isn’t 100% airtight, and we didn’t come close to inflating it enough to match the tension of Robert’s well-toned belly. No matter, we had a blast anyway—first in the waves, and then on land, as we chased down the “Weißwurst” while it was being blown across the beach by the steadily increasing wind, all under the amused eyes of the locals (Kiwis).

On Saturday, we took a stroll through the wonderful Botanical Gardens. As you’d expect, there are hundreds of plants from all corners of the world. But what makes it different from other botanical gardens for me is that it’s truly a park for the people. Groups sit together for picnics under shady trees, while others interestedly study the plant descriptions. In between, you’ll find joggers and children playing. There’s something for everyone, and it all feels completely stress-free—there’s plenty of room for everyone, after all.

In the afternoon, we had a meeting with Claudi and Alex, a German couple who have been living in Christchurch for four months. We learned a lot from them—for example, what you need to do to rent an apartment, which supermarkets have the best prices, and that the recycling center is called EcoDrop. If it’s up to us, this definitely won’t be our last meeting.

We headed to the EcoDrop first thing Sunday morning to dispose of my bike’s shipping packaging. We were quite amazed to find peacocks roaming freely there!

We spent the rest of Sunday moving into our second Airbnb—this time with perfect North-West orientation and a fantastic view of the Pacific Ocean.