Day 80 (25 August): More Driving

I spent most of the day today driving back to Christchurch, so I can make my 5:50 am flight to Hong Kong via Sydney tomorrow. The drive included a stop in Hokitaka where I saw some stores selling 'Maori' Jade Art and went to a wildlife shelter that housed NZ's National Symbol: The Kiwi, which is a bird not a fruit. Further along the drive, I travelled through Arthur's Pass, which is NZ's highest town. Reaching Christchurch, I walked around the town a bit, but there isn't much to see other than the big cathedral in the central square and a bunch of tourist oriented shops selling things made from 100% NZ Merino wool or 'NZ All Blacks' Rugby 'Kits.'

Observations:
1) The Kiwi is a weird national symbol/animal. It is a funny looking, nocturnal bird, that digs a really long beak into the ground hunting for food. It is nearly extinct, New Zealanders claim because the Australians introduced the oppossum to NZ which hunts down the Kiwi and kills it. (It should be noted that an Australian Oppossum is more like and American Raccoon than any other animal and in no way resembles an American Oppossum.)
2) A lot of Asians (particularly Koreans) have come to NZ for education at its high schools and its universites as a means of learning English in an English speaking country.