Don's Travels: Back in Christchurch

This morning after breakfast I eventually headed out the Ferrymead Museum and Historic Village.

But first about the breakfast. When I booked in they asked if I wanted a continental breakfast--I said yes. Expecting a couple slices of toast and jam I was pleasantly surprised. First three slices of bread, two punits of marjorine, one butter, four jams and two marmites. That in its self was good but then there was a small packet muesli and another of wheatbixs, a yoghurt, pottel of fruit, a tomato, a tube of Nescafe Vanilla latte and a bottle of fruit juice. I am having the latte and yoghurt tonight after the meat pie I picked up on my way home.

Now back to Ferrymead. It was a long drive, right across Christchurch, that became all the more confusing as I saw signs indicating I was going to Timaru, Akoroa, the city centre, and once to the West Coast. I soon told my self to ignore all of them and trust my Navman and of course watch out for the traffic lights. This I did until the last half mile when the road was closed for repair. So I turned around, ignoring Mr Navman's order to "make U-turn as soon as possible" until he got the message and recalculated a new route.

Ferrymead is certainly much larger than my last visit, sometime in 1980 I think. Several of buildings are still closed due earthquake damage. Unfortunately the two large aircraft buildings were close but I did see their Mosquito and the work being done to restore it. I saw trams, trains, an old railway station, a large butter churn, old electrical substation equipment along with four large mercury vapour rectifiers. Then there were the old houses, both cobb and wood, an old printery, a lawyers office, school, bakery, church, and old post office and telegraphic equipment. A great day.

On leaving, set the Navman for my motel and followed my orders. Most of the time it worked, but as its maps hadn't been updated since I bought it in 2005 it made mistakes due to local road changes and realignments. On the way I picked up a pie and filled the rental with petrol. Here Sod's Law came into play. On the way out I say plenty of petrol station on the other side of the road, but on the way I didn't find one until about 2 km from the motel. Yes I am OK with real miles as well as these new fangal kilometres.