Christ!!! Church!!!

Well, here I am! Christchurch, NZ. And what a lovely place it is! Arrived here yesterday afternoon and it's definitely not as cold as I had expected. I'm staying in the same brand hostel as in my Sydney stint and it's right in the heart of the city - Cathedral Square (named fittingly after its beautiful gothic centrepiece, Christchurch Cathedral). So far, I have checked out the Art Gallery, the Museum (with some great Maori history) and the serene Botannical Gardens, all within 5 minutes walk of the Square.
They say that Christchurch is Adelaide's sister city... I haven't seen much resemblance so far apart from the relative quietness of the town as compared to other cities. Most of this region's activities are outside of the CBD. From here, I am planning on skiing (beginner-style), hot-air ballooning, maybe some whale watching, and having a red-hot go at horse riding. All very expensive excursions, but hey, that's what I'm here for... As you can see from the top photo, a lot of the snow has melted from the peaks and apparently the slopes in Queenstown have turned to slush.. Mt. Hutt, however, has been getting some good snow and should remain open well into October - this is where I'll be heading.
I have been able to upload some photos now, so enjoy..

Photos:
1. Flying over the Southern Alps on the way to Christchurch
2. Looking down the Avon River
3. The 18m-high Metal Chalice sculpture in Cathedral Square, with Christchurch Cathedral in the background
4. An interesting sculpture adorns the river banks of the city's Botannic Gardens