Christchurch awakes and I celebrate another year of amazing life with family and close friends from home and afar! Perfection!

I looked with horror to see that my last blog was way back in March and rushed to do at least the first for April and , I don't know how, lost it!!! I think I forgot to press save in my rush to publish it. So, I will have to start again. Never mind, I get to enjoy the pictures and memories yet again!!

It was a brilliant month full of action in the house and garden, in the city and on the road with family and friends. In fact, it was just superb.  Plenty of Airbnbs in the early weeks and then David came up for a week just as Dennis arrived from Switzerland. It was perfect to celebrate my birthday with them and of course Mark and Emma and also some of my closest friends. Even Annie, my neighbour's dog, who has already featured in my blogs!

In the garden, there has been a lot going on and my handyman, Chris, has really worked his magic on my front garden, which was really a mess.

Before, once the old plants and  bushes had been cleared

and after he had planted mostly native plants

You can't see them so well, but I will take another photo of the plants nicely tucked in and protected by the beautiful fallen leaves from my maple tree once my drive is clear of all the vans belonging to the workmen putting in my new bathroom downstairs, whilst I write.  Really freezing in the house with all the doors open, but I am well layered with Merino!!! Hopefully I will soon have some pictures of the finished room.

It was great to get all the garden finished before Dennis arrived and we set off around Christchurch and then the South Island. It was so good to see him again - and so the selfies started!!

Actually, it was a pity he missed the opening of the Arts Centre to the first market since the quakes. Millions of dollars have already been poured into this beautiful place and millions will be poured into the rest which is gradually opening up, with life returning.

What a gorgeous day it was. The weather really played its part and the people were so excited and delighted to be back in this very special place again. Hopefully by spring, the market will be a regular occurrence at weekends. The Great Hall pictured at the back has been magnificently restored and housed dozens of top class craft stalls.

It was special to be able to at last go into the next quadrangle, which has only recently opened, and to stand beneath the huge beech tree overlooking the lawns where we so often used to enjoy concerts.

In the background there used to be a wonderful cafe, Annies, but I believe that this is now going to be the new Arthouse Movie centre, with 3 small theatres. Brilliant. I can't wait!

In the centre, life is also returning. Not to the poor old Cathedral, but to the square, where there are lively markets on Fridays, with food stalls and music from buskers. A real buzz, which is generally missing during the week.

What a mess the Cathedral is. It is crumbling away whilst politicians, insurers and bishops discuss its future. Oh for a referendum!!

In contrast, the temporary Cardboard cathedral looks great and is being well used.

Keeping Dennis awake on his first night in NZ was not difficult at the rugby - a big learning curve for him, but he seemed to enjoy it, starting with the famous Crusader horses

Don't be fooled by the empty seats. It filled up for the match against the Japanese team. Crusaders winning their 7th in a row.

Dennis, David and I enjoyed touring the city enormously. Despite all the empty areas, construction sites and damaged buildings waiting for insurers to make up their minds, it has so much to offer. The Gardens in autumn are magnificent - although I find them amazing all year round, I must admit.

I love this sign for one of the many elderly trees there. What a nice way to say it is old and falling apart!!

Just across the road from the Gardens is a place most tourists do not visit unless they love cricket, but I love it because I find it remarkable that we have a national cricket ground, where international matches are played , completely open to the public when there is no match fixture. The views from the top of the surrounding grass terraces are fabulous, especially with such incredible weather!

In the distance the hills and there the sad sight of the damage caused by the forest fires.

They were pretty devastating and it will take a while to have the hills looking quite so beautiful as before, but it serves as a reminder that we can never take anything for granted!

Our trip took us to the sea - especially with the brilliant weather we had. I have not been on the pier since I got back in such perfectly warm weather with absolutely no wind. It was great to be able to wear a sun hat and to keep it on!!! Usually you just about get blown off the end of the pier, but this time it was hot!!!

Thanks to David, we also went to Sumner Beach which I haven't visited for years. I loved it! What a super place. By late afternoon the clouds had come in but this really added to the atmosphere of the beach, especially with the last silvery rays of sun lighting up the patterns on the sand.

We could still enjoy sitting on the terrace of one of the beach-side cafes in the late evening sun.

Then it was time to set off for our 10-day trip around part of the South Island. How lucky I am that Mark and David built and stained my new deck. David did the staining while I was away, so it was fantastic to return to this completed deck, with a stain which blends perfectly with the autumnal leaves in my garden.

What a paradise!! Dennis frequently used this expression during his stay and he is right. I am proud to call such a breathtakingly beautiful place  'home'.