Jan 23rd

The last 30 odd miles from Amberley to Christchurch went without mishap although there was a noticerable build-up of traffic as we neared Christchurch. Another hot sunny day - arrived on the edge of the city where our friend Rosemary lives. We met her in Cyprus but she is actually from Christchurch but has spent her entire working life in London but has now retired to NZ where she spends most of the time, just returning to the UK for Spring and Summer.Her house here is opposite a forest and about 5 minutes walk from Pegassus Bay and the Pacific Ocean. After lunch we walked along the beach for some while and then Jeff and Rosemary swam in the sea; there were big waves with a massive undertow but warm once you were in. Pegasus Bay , wide and sweeping and with very few people on the beach where we were. Linda did some beach-combing - how on earth we will be able to carry everything back she collected is another matter!Rosemary's home was damaged in the earthquake but minor compared with much of Christchurch. The earthquake damaged the church in Amberley where we stayed last night. It is reckoned that the city will take decades to re-build with sewage, water, and electricity services all damaged. Immediately after the earthquake Rosemary tried to leave her house for fears of a tsunami but could not get very far because of liquidification ie ground water bubbling up from beneath the earth's surface and flooding the sorrounding roads; fortunately no such tsunami flooding occured.