The Garden of England on tour

CHRISTCHURCH, CANTERBURY, NEW ZEALAND - 29th January 2010

I've had the unusual and highly enjoyable experience of getting to sleep two consecutive nights in the same town. Better still, I not only had my own bed, but my own bedroom - thanks to the open arms welcome from friend-from-home Dave Booth and his housemates. This was especially generous considering that Dave and I - great friends that we are - have only previously met twice or, at most, thrice, at Speldhurst Cricket Club's indoor net sessions back in 2006; the common link between us is a certain Oscar Renton. And it was thanks to Oscar's tip-off about Dave's whereabouts that one thing led to another, and I managed to claim the bedroom currently vacant while its inhabitant is in Japan.

The drive up to Christchurch from Queenstown was a long one, though I broke it midway with a lunchtime stop at the gorgeous Lake Tekapo - another glacial lake whose water shimmers a lush light blue, reflecting the towering mountains behind it. Some photos will appear at some stage.

Arriving at Dave's place at about 6.15pm, I was soon enjoying a welcome home-cooked dinner - courtesy of Dave - and kotching with a crate of beers and a terrible, terrible movie (Bring It On III does what was generally considered impossible by making its prequel look vaguely good), before an excellent slumber.

Morning featured more chillaxing, a trip to the nets for a bit of a cricketing masterclass, and an awesome lunch in the form of buy-one-get-one-free Hell's Pizzas. Not only are they massive and mega tasty, but the cardboard pizza box transforms into a cut-out coffin after you're done! Fun for all the family.

Another beautiful sunny day saw us head to town in the afternoon, wandering around Christchurch's various sights - an Arts Centre architecturally akin to an Oxford College, punting on the River Avon through the middle of town... no prizes for guessing what the place was named after - and catching a bit of the World Busking Festival currently going on all over the city. Some impressive hoopla dancing girls and a guy catching flaming torches while on top of an 8 foot unicycle were entertaining enough, but there was nothing to beat an ice cold tasting rack of Monteith's 7 beers (the same ones sampled at the brewery in Greymouth) - bar the "Black", which wasn't too great, they went down an absolute treat.

Christchurch has the reputation of being the most English of cities in New Zealand, or indeed anywhere outside of England, and it is easy to see why. The rolling hills of the wider Canterbury region (for some reason, "Canterbury" is a region here rather than a city like its English namesake), the very English town planning, the river and the general apperance of the place is pretty much like walking through a town in Kent or Oxfordshire. The only difference is that the roads are about 5 times broader, and parking is close to, if not, free.

Back home, it was off again to the nets - a proper club session in the evening - before I cooked up some Rodrigues-style green chicken and Mangalore-style cauliflower for everyone for dinner. Then more beers... and wine... and a disastrous game of Ring of Fire. Great times.