Not wanting to waste a clear sunny Saturday, I decided to go for a bike ride, one that would keep me physically fit and last most of the day. Biking in Middle Earth is pretty much the same as anywhere else in the world, as long as you follow the golden rule - 'Keep Left'. The only time you can bike against traffic is on the sidewalk. My destination was a neighbourhood on the other side of Christchurch called New Brighton. It’s situated on the coast and has a beach called New Brighton Beach (naturally) and I wanted to see if it resembled the Brighton Beach neighbourhood in New York City.
My older brother and I visited the Brighton Beach neighbourhood back in 2004, not for the swimming, but because of its criminal history. Russian immigrants settled in BB and would later succumb to the infiltration & influence of the Red Mafiya. ‘Unfortunately,’ my brother & I didn’t see or meet any mobsters, just gazed at the Russian shops, and endless lines of Mercedes cars parked in front of lower class apartment blocks.
While I biked through downtown Christchurch, I wondered if New Brighton was under Red Mafiya influence. Along the way, I was surprised to see an Ottawa Road sign so I photographed it. Christchurch seems to like Canadian city names; there’s a Montreal Street downtown and a Vancouver Street in another suburb. Thinking the day was perfect in every way, I jumped a street curb with my bike and received a flat tyre. Overconfidence doesn’t work. On the plus side, I was near a Mobile gas station so I walked the distance with my bike on my back. A car wash cleaner named Jim offered his services despite having a job to finish, and helped me fix my punctured air tube and fill up my tyre with air. It turns out Jim is a Gideon, which explains why he was so helpful and solved my problem. Well, better a Gideon than those bothersome Jehovah Witnesses.
The New Brighton Beach area is a place to spend money. A street mall housing shops & restaurants, and decorated with many tall palm trees, greeted me as I rode closer to the sounds of rushing water. Beyond the street mall sits the New Brighton Library, an oval structure showing off its modern architecture. The library hides the New Brighton Pier, a 300 metre long concrete walkway that lets people walk out to sea without fear of getting wet. Just wear a sweater or a coat because it can get pretty windy. Below the pier, an artist was crafting a portrait in the sand using a rake and it was almost complete when I had arrived. Naturally, energetic swimmers and surfers, wanting to enjoy the waves that wash up along the shoreline, visit the beach on a regular basis.
After enjoying the tropical setting and not finding any Red Mafiya establishments, I continued my bike ride into the small residential neighbourhood of South New Brighton. The houses are of tropical designs, resembling a Miami setting but there were none that interested me in buying. Riding wilderness bike paths in South New Brighton Park was a lot of fun and enjoyable. While heading back to my residence, the Bromley Sewage Treatment Works caught my attention because the main buildings were two huge white domed structures.
Overall, my bike ride turned out great – I received some much needed fresh air and exercise. I saw a neighbourhood I hadn’t visited previously, and spent time away from my residence. I’ll do another such bike ride in the future but it’ll have to wait because other priorities require my attention.
Not wanting to waste a clear sunny Saturday, I decided to go for a bike ride, one that would keep me physically fit and last most of the day. Biking in Middle Earth is pretty much the same as anywhere else in the world, as long as you follow the golden rule - 'Keep Left'. The only time you can bike against traffic is on the sidewalk. My destination was a neighbourhood on the other side of Christchurch called New Brighton. It’s situated on the coast and has a beach called New Brighton Beach (naturally) and I wanted to see if it resembled the Brighton Beach neighbourhood in New York City.
My older brother and I visited the Brighton Beach neighbourhood back in 2004, not for the swimming, but because of its criminal history. Russian immigrants settled in BB and would later succumb to the infiltration & influence of the Red Mafiya. ‘Unfortunately,’ my brother & I didn’t see or meet any mobsters, just gazed at the Russian shops, and endless lines of Mercedes cars parked in front of lower class apartment blocks.
While I biked through downtown Christchurch, I wondered if New Brighton was under Red Mafiya influence. Along the way, I was surprised to see an Ottawa Road sign so I photographed it. Christchurch seems to like Canadian city names; there’s a Montreal Street downtown and a Vancouver Street in another suburb. Thinking the day was perfect in every way, I jumped a street curb with my bike and received a flat tyre. Overconfidence doesn’t work. On the plus side, I was near a Mobile gas station so I walked the distance with my bike on my back. A car wash cleaner named Jim offered his services despite having a job to finish, and helped me fix my punctured air tube and fill up my tyre with air. It turns out Jim is a Gideon, which explains why he was so helpful and solved my problem. Well, better a Gideon than those bothersome Jehovah Witnesses.
The New Brighton Beach area is a place to spend money. A street mall housing shops & restaurants, and decorated with many tall palm trees, greeted me as I rode closer to the sounds of rushing water. Beyond the street mall sits the New Brighton Library, an oval structure showing off its modern architecture. The library hides the New Brighton Pier, a 300 metre long concrete walkway that lets people walk out to sea without fear of getting wet. Just wear a sweater or a coat because it can get pretty windy. Below the pier, an artist was crafting a portrait in the sand using a rake and it was almost complete when I had arrived. Naturally, energetic swimmers and surfers, wanting to enjoy the waves that wash up along the shoreline, visit the beach on a regular basis.
After enjoying the tropical setting and not finding any Red Mafiya establishments, I continued my bike ride into the small residential neighbourhood of South New Brighton. The houses are of tropical designs, resembling a Miami setting but there were none that interested me in buying. Riding wilderness bike paths in South New Brighton Park was a lot of fun and enjoyable. While heading back to my residence, the Bromley Sewage Treatment Works caught my attention because the main buildings were two huge white domed structures.
Overall, my bike ride turned out great – I received some much needed fresh air and exercise. I saw a neighbourhood I hadn’t visited previously, and spent time away from my residence. I’ll do another such bike ride in the future but it’ll have to wait because other priorities require my attention.
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