Last week we had a public holiday, Waitangi Day, so I took some further days off and had a nice 4 day weekend. I went to Christchurch to visit my brother and my partner's parents. Was such a lovely trip! My brother likes his hiking and long distance running, so he dragged me up into the Port Hills where I took this shot

The body of water is near Lyttleton harbour, on the other side of the Hills we climbed up. The city is well off to the left down the hills once more. The harbour exits into the Pacific.

We went to the latest installments of the Art Gallery

I found this tree! I used to play in this tree when I was a child growing up in this city. I remember the feel of the bark and the safe surroundings very well. A wonderful bit of nostalgia during my trip.

Now this is new. This is the Riverside Market, it opened up at the end of last year, in the main area where the city was demolished by the Earthquakes. We arrived at about 10am and it was dead quiet, but that photo was taken just after lunch and it was humming full of people. The Market was primarily indoors and hosted at least 50 different shops and eateries. Absolutely mindblowing to find it here! We had crepes in the morning, ramen for lunch on the tables in front, then went upstairs and had a few beers from the local brewery under one of those red umbrellas.

We visited the memorial erected for those lost in the earthquakes

It was really tastefully done, I felt. A simple wall just sitting by the lazy Avon river, people having lunch in it's shadow, or visiting the names of those they lost.

Just another photo - this is directly outside the City Council building. I've always admired the energy put out by the Maori carving work.

Afterwards we headed back to her parent's place and by night time her father had his telescope out and we had a look at the moon in startling clarity. Could make out the scars and craters all over.

I've become a 12 year old again and have been having an absolute blast playing Modern Warfare. I thought I was too old and crusty to be any good but my old friends who felt the same banded together and clean house most matches. Infected is a wonderful game mode - for the uninitiated, Infected is where all players started with the same equipment; a count down begins giving you time to run and hide or barricade yourself in somewhere. Once the countdown ends, a randomly chosen player switches sides and becomes the infected player, armed with a knife and greater movement speed - tasked with turning every other member over to their side. It quickly becomes an absolute mess as you find your team mates whittled down and switched over, suddenly you're holed up in a dingy building as these madmen clamber over your walls and claymores to end you. Or you hide in a bush and pray they don't get close enough to see your nametag.

Anyway I've been having fun. Hope you're all safe and sound.