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Christchurch, New Zealand (and Singapore) (25 March - 3 April 2009)

My Mum's 50th birthday was on the 29th of March, and for the last couple years I had been planning to make a surprise visit home especially for it; completely unbeknown to her. Furthermore, my intended present for her 50th was a free trip around Europe! As my brother turns 20 later this year, and because it would make it all the more special for Mum to have both her kids there, I decided I would shout him along too (and it would probably be his 21st birthday present also ;) My flights between London and Christchurch went via Singapore, and so for the trip back to London I included an overnight stopover in Singapore so I could run around and see a bit of it - nice! Because of the whole Europe trip thing, I could only take a limited number of days off work in order to save my annual leave entitlement for that trip, and as this was the first time I'd been home in almost three years, I had a lot I wanted to fit in and very little time to do it!

 
 
My flight to Singapore left London in the evening, and this was the view from my bedroom window in the morning. I wouldn't be missing it!
 
Random dude on the opposite train platform at Paddington Station who started preaching to anyone who would listen (and no one was hehe). I wouldn't be missing them either!
 
Outside Heathrow's Terminal 3 (of 5). Heathrow has two runways with a third under proposal which sparked a lot of protests. I might miss the protests - they're good for a laugh ;)

 
 
From the bad weather and worse traffic of London, to somewhere over Malaysia 12 hours later.

 
 
Hmmm, bit of a dirty coastline!
 
As we got over Singapore I noticed more and more of these fields with the curvy tracks throughout. I have no idea what they're growing down there.
 
Phew, one flight done!

 
Singapore's Changi Airport has three terminals, of which I landed and departed from Terminal 3, and it was dead-quiet! With Singapore being a fairly large flight hub I expected it to be swarming with people, but nope.
 
 
There were a few people around the shopping area though. I had four hours to kill so did a bit of window shopping and watched part of Ocean's Thirteen in the free movie cinema.
 
I also took the Skytrain between terminals 3 and 2 to get a couple shots outside the airport; very green!
 
 
The flight to Christchurch was just as dead as the airport, and so I got given two or three of everything since there was no one else on board to eat it hehe - sweet!
 
Nine hours later and I was almost home!

 
 
True to form the West Coast was overcast...
 
The Southern Alps were turbulent...
 
And the East Coast was bathed in sun :)

 
Looking southeast over Christchurch and the city centre.

 
 
Long story short, Mum got the shock of her life when I turned up on the front door step :) My brother (left) already knew I was coming - I needed someone to collect me from the airport.
 
Despite owning 20% of it currently, I'd never seen my house. Mum bought it last year and I'm chipping into the mortgage. It's in a gated community just north of Christchurch which is built around two large private lakes. Note the cloud above. The hot, dry northwest wind that often blows across the Canterbury Plains can send temperatures soaring in Christchurch, and is accompanied by a distinctive cloud formation known as the nor'west arch. Very cool to see it on my first day back :)

 
 
Home sweet home!

 
 
The lakes are up to 16 metres deep in places, and have their own little walking track round the edge. Nice huh!

 
 
Mum's mate across the lake has a dingy and we all went out for a bit of a row, which Mum found amusing, and the neighbourhood watch found the need to photograph us.

 
From every place I visit I send home a fridge magnet (kind of Mum's thing hehe). This is all of them to date, and I expect by the next time I'm home they will have at least tripled!
 
More of the family at Winnie Bagoes gourmet pizza restaurant - yummy!

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Heehee Kim on the boat. It's a wonder she wasn't freaking out that she'd drown!
- Auntee