Postcard from Christchurch

This morning I had my Hydrotherapy class and I couldn't do all my exercises because of ankle was really sore. I had planed to have a walk around the Travis Wetlands seeing it was such a beautiful morning and there was no wind. I did walk a very shot way to see if there were any cygnets or ducklings. I did find five cygnets and they are so lovely to see. They are in my shots Bottom Left and Right.

The other shots are of the Avon River and the Red Zone area where once houses stood. Because of the earthquakes the land is too damaged for housing now. 

The people you see in and by the river in my other shots, were Whitebating. 
What are Whitebait you may be asking.. The word whitebait does not refer to a single species. It is a general term used in many countries to describe small freshwater fish that are tender and edible. In New Zealand it describes the juvenile forms (around 4–5 centimetres long) of five species of the fish family Galaxiidae.

In spring, whitebait make their way upstream from the sea, swimming near the river’s edge. Large shoals are referred to as runs. Big runs often follow floods, a few days after the water clears – usually in the daytime on a rising tide.

Whitebait can be caught from many New Zealand rivers. Whitebaiters set nets and sit on the river bank, hoping to harvest this popular delicacy.

For more information on Whitebait.