Christchurch

We are currently in Christchurch staying in a prison!! We weren't planning on staying in Christchurch – Magic bus doesn't have over night stops here any more since the earthquake but the other day we found out that if we wanted to stay, the bus would pick us up. So, we decided to go for it and booked in to stay in jail! It is an old prison (last operational in 1999) and not much has been changed! We are literally staying in a cell and you can still see the prisoner's graffiti on the walls and they have kept a load of the old furniture. I feel like I am living in an episode of Bad Girls! But it is really freaky – they put all the lights off at 21.00 and I was too scared to go into our cell on my own. It is silence after 21.00 and it is so eerie and freaky! Definitely a unique experience! Not sure how well I will sleep tonight though knowing that my cell used to be home to prisoners and it is right next to the isolation room!

As for Christchurch itself, we went for a walk through the town and everywhere is shut down and closed. Most places are fenced off and the buildings are left as they were before the quake hit. We saw the Cathedral which has more or less collapsed. The roof has fallen in and everywhere is fenced off. We also saw massive cracks in the road and broken windows everywhere. Its is like a ghost town. Some parts of the town centre have been reopened and the shops there are temporary ones made of corrugated iron. Its very strange. Christchurch is meant to be the 'little England' of NZ. We went for a walk in the park along the Avon river and through the botanical gardens and English rose gardens. When we got back we ate dinner in the middle of the prison with an English girl. I am currently sat writing this in the reception area because our cell is so cold, dark and scary. I can't believe we paid to stay in prison!

Photos: South Island