Right when I got to Christchurch, the shuttle took me straight to the jailhouse so I could get checked in.  No, I didn’t get into trouble, I stayed at a historic jail house.

This jail was built in 1874 and was closed in 1999. It was vacant until 2006 when it was bought by a couple who turned it into a hostel.

Christchurch was hit with massive earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. I took a walk around town and it became very apparent that they were still recovering.

As of October 2013 rebuild activities have been accelerated with a completion date in the end of 2016. Damaged infrastructure in the central city amounts to $160 million. 

The city created a re start mall where all shops could move to temporarily in trailers.

Next day was scenic train day on the Transalpine from Christchurch to Greymouth where beautiful Arthur’s Pass is. You can stand outside on an open car to take pictures.

Want to save a lot of money on your NZ train tickets? If you purchase online from another country it will be more expensive. You can use a NZ proxy to make your IP address look like it is in New Zealand. I waited to purchase my ticket until I got to NZ. I saved $50 NZ dollars doing this. You could also get a travel agent within New Zealand to book for you or just google how to use the proxy.

Off to Franz Joseph Glacier for some sky diving and night glow worm hikes.