Just before midday and about a thousand sheep later we arrived on the road into Christchurch. Due to the occasional 'problems' Marv had been giving us (even after a mechanical check at the Fox Village) we had with a heavy heart decided to swap Marvin at the Christchurch depot for another and different van, Marv Mk II. We didn't want to be unable to start the van and miss our ferry back to the North Island, or worse still miss our onward flight to Fiji in little over a week. We said our goodbyes to Marvin and swapped all our gear into Marv Mk II. Marv II is a Ford Econovan as well but the Australian version, looking pretty similiar from the outside , but coming with a slightly different layout inside and a worrying lack of power steering. Marv II has the turning circle of a battleship and drives like a tank.
After testing out the new van on the road we arrived at our holiday park in Christchurch. We soon realised however that this new van had a bit of a technical plumbing malfunction. Whenever we used the kitchen sink a good proportion of the water would slowly but constantly seap out from the underneath and onto the floor. Not good. Not wanting to waste any time going out to the depot and back we headed down to the local warehouse store to get a replacement part and some duct tape. Before to long however it was too dark to see and we gave up on our efforts for the day.
The following day marked a much more memorable day for us, April 4th 2012. Exactly six months since we set off from London in October last year, and the potential half way point in our journey. To mark this day we took the TranzAlpine Kiwi Rail from Christchurch across country to the West Coast and back again in a day. Its a single track so the same train that departs in the morning for the West Coast, departs in the afternoon to come back to the Pacific Coast covering nearly 400km. The TranzAlpine is billed as New Zealands most prestigous scenic train ride, and is often ranked as one of the Top 10 rail journies on the planet. Thats a lot of hype to live up to.
Setting off early that morning, the train departed from Christchurch at 8.15am and with several long blasts of the horn we set off through the Canterbury Plains. Passing through the farmland we then wound our way through the hills and alongside the lakes of the Upper Central South Island before arriving at the foot of the Southern Alps. From here we made our way in and out of around a dozen brief tunnels and several long viaducts before climbing 700m up to Arthurs Pass. After a brief stop here we soon made our way down through the lush green vegetation of the West Coast. Passing through a 7.5km (rather unscenic) tunnel which at time of construction was the longest rail tunnel in the British Empire and the Southern Hemisphere.
Around 12.45pm, four and a half hours after leaving Christchurch we arrived at Greymouth on the West Coast. The sun was shining and the skies were a brilliant blue, and we had around an hour for lunch alongside the river before we needed to board for the return journey. Greymouth is a town we passed through fleetingly on our second day in the South Island where we stopped only to refuel and visit the supermarket. We spent no time longer here than we did then but it felt strangely nice to return to a briefly familiar place after several weeks.
Just before 2pm we set off again for the trip back to Christchurch. Travelling the other way, sitting on the otherside of the carriage and under a different light it was like doing a different journey. If it wasn't for the same snippets of factual commentary from the conducter it could well of been. Alas we made our way back up the Southern Alps, through Arthurs Pass and the Canterbury Plains before arriving back to Christchurch around 6pm. It was good to see two perspectives and we had a great day with some stunning scenery, it would however be ideal to see it in two seasons. The blue skies that we had were majestic but its not difficult to imagine the grandeur of the journey on a cold fresh snow covered morning.
Back in Christchurch and back to reality... the following morning it was apparent that we had been unable to fix the water 'issue' and to make matters worse the primary battery for the engine had somehow gone flat. Luckily we were at the holiday camp and could get Marv II jump started, however it proved to be the final nail in the coffin. A lack of power steering, leaking sink, an annoyingly different layout and now a flat battery. Two days, two nights and only 15km on the clock and we were both crying out to be reunited with our beloved and original Marv. Off to the depot we went, and fortunately Marv was still there. The guy at the depot (which is essentially a field on the side of a guys house) sent our original Marv down to the mechanics for a check over and while we waited he showed us round the grounds of his house. This guy, Bryan, has a large plot of land where he has all manner of fruit and nuts growing in orchards, a large pond, and of course a field of sheep (this is New Zealand after all). When Marv came back from the garage he had been given the all clear, the problem which had become apparent was fixed (needless to say it was missed by the mechanic at Fox). We set about moving our stuff back into Marvin and we're even given a big bag of walnuts and hazlenuts as well as some fresh apples before setting off. The Marvelous Marv was back with us and back on the road.
This left us just the afternoon to have a good look around Christchurch, the South Islands biggest (possibly only real) city, and home to nearly half of all South Islanders. Luckily the weather was holding up so we could have lunch in the park and a stroll through the stunning botanic gardens. We also had a nose round the massive Canterbury Museum, of particular interest was all the history and detail of the devastating earthquake that hit in February 2011. The broken bell and crucifix from the cathedral lie in the museum alongside alarming footage captured from civilians and security cameras. Christchurch city centre is still a write-off with the central district still blocked off 14 months on while future planning takes place. In its place they have erected a pop up shopping centre made from shipping containers just south of the old city centre. Walking around the edges of the Red Zone feels a little post-apolocalyptic as you can see through the wire fencing into a deserted and in parts crumbling city.
Hopefully in the years to come Christchurch will redevelop its city centre, but the way in which they are recovering and the speed of the changes seems to be a controversial issue amongst the local population.
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