Hello, I’m Kentaro Takano, a 3rd year student. This is the second time to write a journal from New Zealand. My journal topic is about our trip to Christchurch from Wednesday, January 14, to Friday, January 16.

On the first day of the trip, from midday to evening, we went to the Christchurch Gondola and New Brighton Beach. After getting off the gondola, we could see a view that stretched far into the distance. We could also find the direction of New Brighton Beach, which is about one hour away by bus. In addition, on the opposite side, the bay was spread out, and the scenery was beautiful. After that, when we arrived at New Brighton Beach, I said, “Can we see the peak of the gondola that we were on?” We did not know whether we could see it or not.

At night, we went to New Regent Street. The street around 21:30 was very beautiful because it was lit up. We really wanted to eat gelato while watching the tram, but we found out that the trams run only until around 18:00, so we decided that we would eat gelato the next day. After walking a little, we found a store that sold waffles, and I ate a waffle with vanilla ice cream. I felt that the waffle and ice cream I ate late at night were more delicious than when I eat them at a normal time.

On the second day, we took a shuttle bus from Cathedral Square and went to the International Antarctic Centre and Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. At the International Antarctic Centre, we experienced very strong winds with snow and low temperatures like those in Antarctica, and I felt that making a living in Antarctica would be very hard. In addition, we could see penguins as if they were in Antarctica, and the equipment that people use there was displayed. I noticed that all of it was heavy.

At Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, which we visited afterwards, we could see many varieties of animals like birds, horses, and cows. My friends fed to the animals, but I was afraid to bring my hand close, so I gave them food by throwing it. Lastly, we could see the kiwi, which is the national bird of New Zealand. It was hard for us to see them because they were in a dark place; however, I felt good because I could see the kiwi.
Afterwards, around 16:30, we went to New Regent Street, but unfortunately, it was raining there. We expected that we could see the tram from the outside seating area with a roof at the store where gelato is sold. However, unfortunately, the tram did not appear until we finished eating gelato.

In the evening, we went to Riverside Market and the Bridge of Remembrance, which is near Riverside Market. The market has many stores, and we were quite torn about where to eat as our opinions differed. Finally, we decided to go to a Chinese food restaurant. I felt that even though we can eat Chinese food anytime, the Chinese food we ate there was especially delicious. When paying, we received a coupon from the store that sells ice cream in Riverside Market, so I thought that choosing Chinese food was a good decision. I was still hungry, so I bought a parfait from the ice cream store.

On the morning on the 3rd day of the trip, we rode the tram and went to the Cardboard Cathedral and the Art Centre of Christchurch. During the journey, we passed through Cathedral Square, which we had visited the day before, and we could also see New Regent Street, which we had visited on the 1st day and the 2nd day of the trip. The view from the tram was different from the view when we walked, and it felt very fresh.

At Cardboard Cathedral, the entire building had a sacred atmosphere. The building was built instead of Christchurch Cathedral, which was damaged by an earthquake in 2011, and we learned that the Cardboard Cathedral was built by a Japanese person. It was the first time I had entered a cathedral, and it left a very strong impression on me. I thought that I would like to visit a cathedral in Japan as well.
At the Art Centre of Christchurch, we could see many works of art. When I was looking at the paintings, it was fun to imagine many things. I found a swing that was very colorful, so I wanted to ride on it. However, I gave up riding it because the swing was wet due to the rain.
During the day, we went to a store where pasta was sold. I ordered pasta with a lot of seafood. It was very creamy, and the level of saltiness was very good, and it tasted really good.

This Christchurch trip was the best memory I have had since coming to New Zealand. I don’t think this trip could ever have been realized by me alone. I appreciate my parents who let me go on the trip and my friends who went with me.

Kentaro Takano