We drove towards Kaikoura which is a beautiful drive by the coast
As recommended by Ian, we look for a restaurant serving crayfish in town – but there was none
We saw this painting on the wall of one of the restaurants and it was a sign! 🙂
James had been insisting we go to Nin’s BinÂ
And so we did! Â Thanks to my hubby we found crayfish in Kaikoura – Nin’s Bin Crayfish shack! Nin was a lady and lived in the small red shack! Nin’s bin started in 1977 and now owned by the nephew #kaikoura #crayfish #ninsbin #newzealand #H2HNewZealand2016
They call it a caravan 🙂
A caravan that accepts credit cards! 🙂
Simple menu
with a small kitchen
 Crayfish is expensive in New Zealand because of the demand. They are being exported to Japan. If you can look closer at the photo the price is written on each piece and these range from $60-109 per piece! We passed by Kaikoura on the way to our final destination. Kaikoura means eat crayfish or delicious crayfish. So we made sure we had crayfish.
They call the yellow part – the Mustard which they use it like a sauce. Â We call it ALIGUI or TABA! haha!!
 Our eating adventure today was by a picnic table at Nic’s Bin with our van behind us to block the sun by the Kaikoura Coast facing the Pacific Ocean eating muscles, crayfish and beer battered chips with our hands! It’s the most expensive shack meal ever :-O  but anyway the hubby treated since he’s celebrating his birthday
 One of the best celebrations ever for one of the most generous and kindest persons ever – I am so lucky and blessed
 It will take 20 to 100 years to rebuild the city of Christchurch after the Feb 22, 2011 earthquake. There is a lot of construction going on but still a lot of empty spaces.

This buildings is doing Base isolation where the base is separated from the building by using technology that is the same as springs/ airbags on a truck to protect it from future earthquakes. There are around 15,000 earthquakes in New Zealand a year since its part of the Pacific Ring fire. Around 100-150 are actually felt
 Lots of beautiful street art in walls of buildings in Christchurch. After the earthquake there were many walls that were exposed when some buildings fell hence the artwork
 185 Chairs Monument at Christchurch in memory of the 185 people that died during the 2011 earthquake. There are all kinds of chairs -Wheelchair, babies chair, office chair, stools and some have flowers on them #chairmonument #chairs #christchurchearthquake #christchurchnz #newzealand #H2HNewZealand2016

Leaving Christchurch and still unending scenery
 On the way to our next destination from Christchurch – many tree farmsÂ
Kale
Love sheep scenes 🙂
and cows 🙂

 Re:Start, Christchurch’s most innovative and diverse shopping experience with a wonderful selection of boutique retailers, banks, food carts, and great coffee all inside beautiful bright shipping containers. Following the earthquake, Christchurch had to rebuild and this is a start #restartmall #shoppingmall #christchurchnz #containermall #newzealand #H2HNewZealand2016
 Pod Oasis at the ReStart mall in Christchurch. It was originally used at Ellerslie International Flower Show in Hagley Park and after de-construction there, moved it to the Restart mall to be enjoyed by the public. It’s part of the transitional gardens of Greening the Rubble’s purpose to create responsive spaces and To promote wellbeing and biodiversity

Click below to go to their website
We had dinner at Pescatore on the 2nd floor of our hotel
Previous entry:  The George  May 8, 2016
 The entrance of Pescatore at the George – Chandelier, leather quilted doors and cozy couch
Bread plate
 Fun gastronomic experiences – smoke, Fig spray, noodles coming out of an injection and cracked white chocolate domeÂ
Or you can just have ala carte – the Decisions menu
 The most popular dessert at Pescatore – Apple TartÂ
 Petit Fours at Pescatore ( The George) edible Businesscard made out of Sugar paper and olive oil , Hibiscus, Basil and mascarpone , Soba noodle and cafe lime , Bee pollen glass #pescatore #thegeorge #christchurchnz #newzealand #H2HNewZealand2016

Click below to go to their website
Our home for one night ( which it were more) at the George. The residence suite which has 3 floors, 3 rooms, 2 dining rooms, 2 living rooms and its own private garden  #thegeorge #christchurchnz #newzealand #H2HNewZealand2016
Hallway leading to the residence
 Leading to our residence, in the outdoor terrace is a wall with different designs of plates!
Guest bathroom on the ground floor
 Different designs of Wallpaper
Dining room
Second floor living room and dining room
Javier stayed here in the living room. Â The advantage of traveling in a group – staying in the residence suite of the George Hotel in Chrustchurch which has 3 bedrooms plus 1 extra bed in the 2nd floor living room. Â
Everything is electronic
Attic – our room 
Each room gets a George Teddy bearÂ
BreakfastÂ

 Click below to go to their website
We have seen New Zealand from many different ways- Planes, helicopters, bus, car, boat and now train!  It’s beautiful everywhere.  Nature at it’s best!  Untouched and just magical         Â
 Scenes from the #tranzalpine from Greymouth to ChristchurchÂ
 There’s a viewing deck at the back of the #tranzalpine so you can take photos and videos without the glass windows. The views on the left side are better than the right so make sure you get a C and/or D seat #nzbytrain #newzealand #H2HNewZealand2016



Braid
food on the train 🙂








Front of the train turning on the bridge














click below to go to their website
Ian took us to this brewery before boarding to our next destination
For a non beer drinker like me, I don’t mind beer on food!! 🙂  So I enjoyed it here!!! We had our lunchÂ
 wish we could order all! 🙂 Â
Antipasto platter
Soup of the Day- Mushroom soup
 Beer battered fries – YUM!!!
 West Coast Beer battered turbot bites
YUM!!!
Cute catsup holder 🙂
Monteith’s Famous Sticky Sweet Baby Back Ribs
Havelock Green Lipped Mussels
Outdoor seating
What to do with wooden pallets 🙂  
 Launched last May 1 at @ramennagimanila – the latest Summer Dishes from Japan: Tsukemen and Tonkatsu-men #tonkatsumenramen #tsukemen #ramennagimanila #ramen
 Tonkatsu-men at @ramennagimanila starting May 1, Sunday. Cold noodles topped with tonkatsu dipped in a sweet broth with tomatoesÂ
Broth of the Tsukemen
Spanky and I shared the Green King which is my favourite 🙂
Interesting 🙂  I’m looking for the cheddar cheese!! 🙂  
We were supposed to trek up to Franz Josef Glacier. Â This was the view from below. Â There is a sign below explaining the trek. Â It would take 30 minutes to an hour to walk and it will depend on the weather conditions. Â It was drizzling a bit
We decided to take the helicopter instead the next day which is a 30 minute tour from start to finish

They took us to a spot that is your very own
JUST AMAZING!!!!!
Going back down

After the hot glacier pools, we rushed for our degustation dinner which was already included in our tour. Â The restaurant is in the same place as where we stayed – The Canopy
Our server Nicolaas who used to work in a 6 star cruiseship ( Seabourn ) and he would land in Boracay, Palawan and Hundred Islands so he is familiar with the Philippines
We had a wonderful meal!!!
 The Cheeseplate for dessert
 It had 3 New Zealand cheeses – Te Muri Triple cream Brie, Matakana waxed blue and 7 year aged cheddar. the wooden tree board and the pine cone which they used to put the crackers #thecanopy #tewaonuiforestretreat #pinecone #cheeseplate #newzealand #H2HNewZealand2016













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