This past weekend, Ben and I drove from Twizel to Christchurch to attend his cousin Sophie’s wedding. We spent three nights sleeping in the van and had lots of fun catching up with friends and eating out. Here’s what we did during our packed wedding weekend in Christchurch, including some of my favorite spots around town!
Twizel to Christchurch
Starting in Twizel on Friday afternoon, we drove a few hours east before getting hungry. We were near the town of Ashburton, so we decided to stop for dinner at an Asian fusion restaurant called Formosa. We ordered online, listened to a bit of Harry Potter audiobook while we waited, and picked up our food to eat in the van.
The food was delicious! We got the dinner special, which included two appetizers, two main dishes, and rice. Eating in the van isn’t the most dignified activity, but we managed to make it without any major spills. After dinner, we continued to drive a few more hours before making it to Amberley (about 40 minutes north of Christchurch). We parked up at a family friend’s driveway for the night and had a good night’s sleep.
The wedding
After having a wonderful morning and lunch at our family friend’s home in Amberley, we started getting ready for the wedding. It was being held a few minutes outside of Amberley at Sophie’s family’s house. It was gorgeous — they have a massive yard with views of green, rolling hills.
The ceremony and cocktail hour were held out on the lawn. Once those were over, we all went into a large marquee tent for speeches, dinner, and dancing. Thankfully, we were staying in the van on the property, so Ben and I were free to drink as much champagne as we wanted without worrying about driving. And drink we did!
The day after the wedding, we stayed at the house for a post-wedding lunch. I had never heard of people doing this, but it was essentially a second, more casual wedding the day after (score!). There was a buffet and drinks and plenty of sunshine.
After Wedding 2.0, we drove the forty minutes back to Christchurch to spend some time with our friends Mark and Alesha. We met them at Smash Palace, an outdoor bar and burger place that we love. Afterward, we drove back to their house near the water and had a lovely dinner. We ended up watching a movie called Tenant and parking the van up in their driveway for the night.
Fun day in Christchurch
Originally, Ben and I were planning to drive up to Arthur’s Pass National Park for a short hike on Monday. The weather was not cooperating, so we decided to have a chill day in Christchurch instead. Our first stop was a cafe called Barefoot Eatery. It’s one of several cafes and shops located in a single, open warehouse-type building.
The decor and menu were very trendy (we ordered our lattes with macadamia nut milk!). We also ordered a mushroom Benedict, avocado toast, and açaí bowl — hipster heaven and 100% vegan. The cashew sauce and pesto on the mushroom Benedict were to die for.
After brunch, we caught up with a few of Ben’s former coworkers at the Banqer office. We then drove over to Habitat for Humanity ReStore, one of my favorite thrift shops (a.k.a. op shops) in Christchurch. We scored a $10 mirror, a Christmas tree stand, and a gold elephant statue for our bookshelf. We also stopped by Bunnings (like a Home Depot) for some things Ben needed. Feeling like we scored with our purchases, we started the four-hour drive back to Twizel on Monday afternoon.
Final thoughts
The one thing that struck me all weekend was amazement at being able to live life like normal. In New Zealand, there currently aren’t any restrictions on gatherings or mask-wearing in public places (except for on airplanes and public transit in Auckland). Going from the States to the South Island was a bit shocking in that regard — in a good way!
Now more than ever, I feel extremely grateful to live somewhere with a competent government and citizens that are willing to sacrifice for the greater good. Large weddings and events obviously aren’t happening in the States, but they can happen here because of the fast actions taken to control COVID. You can read more about my experience in the government’s managed isolation program here!
In the next few weeks, we’ll be getting our Christmas tree and taking a trip to Queenstown for Ben’s birthday. Stay tuned!
xoxo Niki
Hi Niki, I hope you are enjoying life, I know you are!! I just wanted to tell you that in Poland, the day after the wedding, it is very customary to have a second day celebration, like another wedding, it’s called poprawiny! Ask mom and dad! So maybe New Zelanders have a similar tradition as in Poland:)? Happy December!! Xoxo grace.
Oh awesome, it sounds like they do! Miss you guys, have a merry Christmas! 💜