penguins and poles

/ erect crested penguin via nzbirds /

in honour of endangered species day, i am highlighting nz's erect crested penguin. not only because penguins are adorable, but it means i can easily segue into my visit to the international antarctic centre during my layover in christchurch coming home from singapore (good segue, right?).

/ polar humour /

the place was actually really great and so conveniently located next to the airport. i definitely recommend a visit if you ever have a layover in christchurch - just follow the blue penguin prints on the sidewalk!

/ in the polar room /

one of the attractions is the polar room, where there is real snow and ice and a simulated antarctic blizzard. 

/ brrrrr! /

you can put on one of their winter jackets and go play in the snow, which might sound pretty boring to someone from a country that actually gets snow, but it's a relative novelty in most parts of new zealand.

/ i couldn't resist /

i couldn't resist the somewhat gimmicky 'stand on both poles!' display, so i did. unfortunately no one was around to take my picture, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

/ i'm on both poles! /