Afternoon activity 2: Christchurch gondola
One of our aims in setting up the afternoon activity schedule for the students was to provide them with a broad overview of Christchurch right at the beginning of their stay in New Zealand. The city tour accomplished that in a specific way, and our 2nd activity, a ride on the Christchurch gondola, helped by giving students a clearer understanding of their wider surroundings.
After a short seven minute ride up one of the hills on the outskirts of town, we were treated to some pretty spectacular views, as the accompanying photos and video clip show. We could see Lyttelton Harbor, the Pacific ocean, and the mountains way off in the distance. In addition, we rode on this theme-park like attraction called the "Time Tunnel Experience," a simple ride that provided some nice background information on the geological and historical history of this area.
Judging by their comments, I think the students really enjoyed themselves and the chance to really get a sense of where they were. Mr. Kawahata sure did- just listen to what he had to say about the experience (the audio clip may take a few moments to load):
Naturally lots of photos were taken of this activity. Here is a slideshow of a few of them. Clicking on the photos will allow you to see larger size versions.
Finally, we have a short video of the event. Thanks to Keita, Yui, Tomoe, and Toshie for lending their voices.
If you check out the photos or watch the video clip, please leave a comment! Thanks.
