Christchurch Botanical Gardens, And Vicinity

Left: Rhododendrons, and a plenitude of other flora.

Below: Monkey Puzzle Tree.






Left: A magnificent Atlas Cedar (from Northern Africa).

Below: A statue of William Rolleston, a Canterbury notable, at the Christchurch Museum.







Left: The pedestrian mall (with telephone booths) from the Arts Center to Cathedral Square is really pleasant.

After two weeks in Christchurch, I began feeling like I was going native. An abashed teenaged girl on the street approached and asked me "Do you know where the Arts Center is?" And I knew where it was!





Left: Here is a photo of that TV One news crew I met in Cathedral Square. I asked them what they were doing:

TV 1: You're not local are you?
MPV: No, but what are you asking people?
TV 1: "Given the pressure of the world's economic collapse, are you changing your Christmas shopping plans?"
MPV: Well, I flew to New Zealand.
TV 1: (Laughter).




A very striking statue! And haunting!

This is Robert Falcon Scott, the Briton who was narrowly bested by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen in 1911/1912 to reach the South Pole first. Scott, and all his party, perished, making him an iconic hero of the British Empire for many years.

This statue, carved by Scott's widow Kathleen, was erected in 1917.

The statue's inscription reads:

I do not regret this journey which shows that Englishmen can endure hardships help one another and meet death with as great fortitude as ever in the past.