The day 1 of the 4-day trip is incomplete without writing about the second half of my journey. (You can read about the first half of Day 1 by clicking on this link here). After spending good 4 hours in Picton, I left for Christchurch in the Intercity bus (which I pre-booked before departing from Wellington). The distance between Picton and Christchurch is approximately 330kms and took around 6 hours including a 40-minute stop in Kaikoura. While the bus was a great option on my budget, you can also travel by Coastal Pacific train, or drive all the way from Picton, Blenheim, Kaikoura to Christchurch. This 6-hour journey (mostly by the sea) will bring you breathtaking views of Pacific, Kaikoura mountains, and a timeless experience as you transcend into the lovely Canterbury plains. I was lucky enough to see hundreds of seals resting by the sea during the coastal journey between Picton and Kaikoura. I did manage spotting some penguins too at some points.

Here are some photos from my bus journey from Picton to Christchurch (most of them captured from the moving bus).

Kaikoura is a beautiful coastal town in South Island famous for whale and dolphin watching and also for New Zealand’s fur seal colony. You can find out more about Kaikoura here.

I reached Christchurch around 7.30pm and it was still broad daylight which gave me a little bit time to take a short walk around the central city after which I had a light dinner. I was carrying semolina pancakes (with stir fried veggies) which I cooked a day before starting my journey which saved me money and time hunting for vegetarian options.

What were my first impressions of Christchurch? Where did I stay? Stay tuned to find it in my next blog.

Do you have a memory traveling to Christchurch or a fond memory of your travel? Feel free to share it in the comments below.

Images subject to copyright © Srishti Moudgil