I took the kids on the bus into town today to the new waterfront development: Wynyard Quarter. Under normal circumstances I think it would be a great place to visit, but these are not normal circumstances for me. Before the earthquakes I used to wear rose-coloured glasses wherever I went in this amazing country but I’ve lost those glasses and now everything seems to irritate or disappoint me. Oh New Zealand, show me the love again, please!
The bus trip was painful with two preschoolers unable to sit still and nowhere to stow the push chair. The crowds around the new development were huge and unlike anything in what now seems like deserted Christchurch. But what I hated the most was the sun. How do I dim the lights please? It was *so* bright and I was wearing sunglasses. I spent the whole day squinting and the wind changed and now I have a permanent squint. I probably should have put on sunscreen but neglected to and didn’t have any with me so now have a few new sun-induced wrinkles to add to my squint.
The children’s playground was terrific and the kids loved it but like so many places in New Zealand, it was totally devoid of any sort of shade. It was also packed with way too many kids for the size of the place. They should have made it bigger. The landscaping was really nice though and they’ve developed the area in such a way that it retains its industrial feel and origins whilst making it interesting and aesthetically pleasing as well. I would have taken photos for the blog if I had my camera but Ben has it so if anyone’s interested they can follow the link at the top of my post.
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