Come on England

Hotel Off the Square, Christchurch

In truth there isn't a lot to tell of our last few days in Christchurch but I said I'd write another one while I was here and I've got half an hour to kill. Keen not to leave with the campervan memory souring everything we have spent our last two nights in a hotel which has been a pleasure.

It has been raining most of the time, so we've mooched about a few markets , been to the cinema and the cathedral and seen three generations of a half-Maori family perform a rendition of the Haka at the Christchurch art gallery. The All Blacks are a bit more frightening. At one of the afore-mentioned markets I purchased a fake but not terrible England shirt, ready for kick-off, from a Scotsman. Recognising his accent I asked if he would be supporting the Auld Enemy in South Africa. Irritated, he replied in the negative and with a glint of delight in his eye asked me if I'd heard about Ferdinand's injury on the radio that morning. I had not, so hurried off to check BBC Sport before I could deliver my knockout "at least we qualified" blow. For the record, he said he'd support New Zealand, and after that "anyone but England". Bless.

Today is our last day in New Zealand. I admit to being a touch disappointed by the experience we have had here. Everyone who has ever spoken to me about New Zealand has raved about it, and to an extent I can see why. If one were to come here in season, with reasonable weather, and make a sensible decision on accommodation then the range of things one can see and do is phenomenal, and we've only seen the South Island. And although some of these elements have not been present, parts of our three-week stay have been tremendous and I don't regret coming at all. Having said that, it is possibly the country in which I have had the least good time of those we've seen, and certainly the one I am least likely to revisit.

I do not recommend a campervan, or anything similar, as a holiday option.

Told you there wasn't much to tell. I'll do one more when we get back.

Over.