From GF to Denver to LA. Then the long flight to Auckland, through customs, and off to Christchurch… where things stalled! But it was all good. The flight from NZ to the ice got delayed a week due to weather. The bad: I had to move five times, from hotel to hotel during the week. The good: I got seven days in Christchurch and surrounding areas. I also got to learn a little bit about the city; mainly its devastating earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. That’ll come a little later.
A huge thank you to Ruffles for recommending the speakeasy at the Denver airport. Since I had enough time during the layover I was able to wander to Williams & Graham. It was a great experience. They ask your name at the front. And it was a little busy, so took a bit to get a seat. I was brought in through the hidden bookshelf door and seated. Right off I felt welcomed because the server was prompt and used my name. Talked to me like I was an old friend, not a stranger just passing through. That was great, I wish more places would do that. The drinks were amazing as well. Cocktails crafted with skill and care.
The flights from the US to the Ice were good for the most part. The worst flight twice now is the 13 hour flight from LA to Auckland. Cramped in a little seat between strangers… not my cup of tea!! But, the flight from Christchurch to the Ice was on an Airbus, meaning better seats than a C-17 AND windows!! Lots of cool things to see once we got closer to the continent. Soooooo many mountains and glaciers and… well that’s it. So not really lots of cool things to see, but still cool things to see!!
Rewinding though, Christchurch is a pretty nice city. Much of it is new since the earthquakes. While at the Quake City museum I learn 1,600 commercial buildings were deemed damaged eventually torn down. Much of the city has been rebuilt since and more work continues. While I was in the city in 2025, my brief three day stay, I noticed some of the reinforced buildings, but figured it was just refurbishment. Now I know the massive damage that the city and its people went through in 2010 and 2011.
In September of 2010 there was a 7.1 earthquake about 25 miles outside of the city. This quake caused some damage but nothing terribly significant compared to what was coming. In February of 2011 a 6.1 aftershock rocked the city. With the weakening of buildings in September of 2010 this aftershock caused significant damage to the city.
In addition to the approximate 1,600 commercial buildings, 10,000 homes were deemed damaged beyond repair and another 100,000 were damaged but repairable.
I was able to explore the Art Museum, Quake City Museum, Botanical Gardens, city of New Brighton, and Lyttleton. Got to see the ocean, but not go in… it’s far too cold!! Soak in some salt water hot pools while staring out over the ocean. Met quite a few others also going to the Ice. We hung out randomly in Christchurch for lunches or dinner or drinks. It was pretty cool to meet people on the way down this time.
I was also less timid traveling the city. The bus system in Christchurch is great and cheap! I was able to figure things out. I was also recommended a better eSIM for my phone so I had service everywhere. That makes life easier for sure!! In 2025 I tried an eSIM and it screwed my phone up to the point that I could not use cellular or WIFI. This year I had all the functionality… (minus contacts information) that made things interesting. I had to figure out who was texting me via remembering the phone number rather than having a contact name. That was a little bizarre but I made it though!!
Anyway, some cool things from Christchurch and surrounding areas:
And here a few photos from the Airbus while flying from Christchurch to the Ice:
And in conclusion, I have arrived safely to the brutal cold of Antarctica once again. Albeit this time the temps upon landing were much warmer. We landed in a very nice -23F and yesterday was -8F with a windchill of -41F. It’s amazing how moving air feels soooo much colder. And hurts so much more! But, I love the weather here from the blue bird days to the brutal wind and zero visibility!
Until next time my friends… stay cool!!
