We play throw and fetch until the canine moves on. The Avon reflects the calm of Christchurch, meandering through the city in willow-shaded yawns. Placid and serene, the stream invites visitors to float its waters. Some rent paddle boats or canoes. Old-fashioned red phone booths dot downtown Christchurch.
Shallow boats made of varnished wood, punts have flat bottoms and square ends.
White-garbed men stand on the sterns. The punts launch near the Worcester Bridge where a pedestrian mall runs from Cathedral Square. Horse-drawn carriages clomp down the avenue. Vivid red phone booths, looking like London imports, stand nearby. I board one of the streetcars and listen to the conductor's narrative as we pass the Gothic-styled Art Centre, Canterbury Museum and Christ's College grammar school.