We continued up the coast from Dunedin on the way to Christchurch.  Along the way, with no particular stops in mind, we saw a sign that said "Moeraki Boulders."  It looked like a quick and easy detour, so we stopped.  The Moeraki Boulders turned out to be one of the strangest things I've ever seen.  They are rocks, 6 feet in diameter, most of them perfectly spherical.

How there were formed is not well understood, but some sort of accretion process is hypothesized, like a pearl.  My theory is that this is where god lost his marbles.

Christchurch is one of the larger cities, and renowned to be fairly conservative, but Jennifer and I liked it.  By this time we had thoroughly indulged in the natural beauty of New Zealand, and were ready for a change of pace.  We bought gifts for friends and family (and ourselves.)  We rode the streetcar and walked through Hagley Park, a big beautiful botanical garden in the center of town.

One of the many golf courses I didn't play was in Hagley Park.  Being in downtown Christchurch, it was one of the more expensive.  Green fees were $6.50 US.

This was the scene in town square.  The guy in the red jacket was beating all challengers throughout the day.