NZ...Unexpected Encounter with XXX Blossoms in Auckland...

After leaving Christchurch, we flew to Auckland , the capital city of NZ.

The old and the new, like the church in the above photo and Sky Tower in the following photo, come together in this city:)

So, we decided to stroll around the town.

 When I headed to the shop to get my favorite shampoo which you can get only in NZ, I noticed something....

Something in purple... over my head....

When I finally found the shampoo shop, I noticed a tree having purple flowers just in front of it, again.

Could it be....?   Could it be what I'd been wanting to see....?

YES! !

It was Jacaranda Blossoms!!!

Do you remember that I posted about Jacaranda before?

In Japan, Jacaranda doesn't grow because of the cold winter. So, I wished I could see it just once. Before we left Japan, I asked Mr. Craig, the local guide in Christchurch, that I could see it around there or not. And his answer was "NO". Jacaranda cannot survive winter in Christchurch, as well.

But look at thaaaaat!!!! 

It seems that Jacaranda can grow in Auckland which is over 1000 km north of Christchurch! 

How lucky I was to visit there in its bloom period!

So, can you imagine how delighted I was? 

But my husband couldn't understand why I was so excited, hahaha...

And I also excited to see the night view of Auckland:). In that case, so did my husband:)

NZ...A Tour of Antique Shops

Today, I'd like to share my favorite shops around Christchurch in NZ:)

Mr. Craig, the local guide, took us to an uique shop on the way to Lake Tekapo!

 

 

The shop was a clothes store built with galvanized sheet metal.

I was amazed by the scene above! The combination of roses and a rusted steel wall was strangely matched!!

It has other unique materials. A big cock made of galvanized sheet standing just in front of the shop entrance surprized visitors.  And an outbuilding restroom was also made of the same materials. The human-shaped signs representing "Male and Female" were completely rusted, but cool!

The other day, we visited Sunday Market in Christchurch. A lot of people went out there for Christmas shopping.

 

It was fun!

There were many attractive goods for gardeners!!

 

 

I wanted one of  the stone figurines above,  but my husband didn't allow me to carry home...

In addition, we visited some antique shops in Christchurch, which Ruth taught me:)

They had many British vintage goods, as this country was  a British colony in the past.

Here are what I got in a tour of shopping!

This was a Chrismas gift for my friend...

and...

Cupcake mold, I decided to use it as an accessory case:)

And ball ornaments for Christmas:)

All of them are "light" and "small" which my husband allow to put in our suitcase.

Oh, over a month has passed since I got home from NZ...

I have to finish this trip posts, before spring comes, hahaha...

NZ...Christchurch, Garden City...

Hi, everyone!

How was your New Year's Holiday? Mine was pretty good:)  Now the holidays are behind us and time to get back to work.

Today, I would like to share my trip to NZ, again.

Mona Vale in Christcurch

Christchurch has been damaged by the big earthquake of 22 February 2011. It left deep scars on the beautiful city.  However, known as a "Garden City", Christchurch was filled with many flowers. 

Mona Vale in Christcurch

Firstly, we visited Mona Vale which is an historic property. The Victorian homestead is surrounded by 5.5 hectares of English-style landscaped gardens on the banks of the Avon River.

Love such a combination of flowers and grasses!

 

Rose Garden in Hagley Park

As Ruth recommended us, we visited Hagley Park, a large expansive park centrally located in Christchurch that covers an area of 407 acres!

Rose Garden in Hagley Park

Visited the Rose Garden there, roses were little bit beyond their peak. But we still could enjoy them! 

 

Cafe in Hagley Park

 They say, some of the largest, tallest and oldest trees in New Zealand can be found here.

 

Maybe, I could! :)

 

We had a great time strolling around the beautiful park, and headed to the antique shops!

In my next post I'll share photos of them:)