Monday 2nd April 2007. Christchurch. New Zealand.

I spent this morning working on the project and then headed out to lunch at Moko on New Regent Street before meeting up with Michael to go and spend the day at his parents...It is great meeting locals (Michael is my friend from Wellington).

Tonight is the big dining night when I am taking the Christchurch Tramway Restaurant. Trams initially disappeared from Christchurch's streets in 1954 before their recent re-introduction in 1995 after a forty year absence.

Our journey begins at the pseudo Victorian Cathedral Junction. This glazed retail arcade is based on the ideas of John Britten who first muted his proposals for the site in the early 1990's. However before his ideas could be realised he passed away (1995) and with his estate choosing not to continue with the project the site was abandoned for seven years.

The vacant site became a car park and earned the name Little Bosnia or 'the bomb site' due to its shabby appearance.

When Britten's estate sold the site in 2002 the expanded vision included not just a shopping arcade but twin towers with 87 luxury serviced apartments, the conversion and restoration of heritage buildings on Worcester Street into a boutique hotel, underground and multi-level car parking and open public spaces.

Some of the original decorative elements including the name, logo and fired clay punga panels were either kept and integrated or redesigned for the new project. New features were also added such as the Gloucester Street gates, fully automated tram doors and a performing mechanical clock.

Tram 411 was built in Australia by the Melbourne (where I have been on the trams) Tramways Board in 1927 as a passenger car. It continued in service until April 1982 when it was withdrawn and placed in storage.

In 1986 the Maroubra Junction Hotel in Sydney bought car 411 and installed it as a dining area known as The Trattoria amidst poker machines and a bar.

The Sydney Tramway Museum acquired it in June of 1995 and in 1999 it was converted into a dedicated operational restaurant car, fully air conditioned in a fabulous colonial style. Car 411 arrived in Christchurch on 21st December 1999 commencing operations on January 7th 2000 here on the Christchurch Tramway. Since then it has been a part of the dining, entertainment and cultural heritage of this city.

So tonight Michael, Ang and I dine "where dining is not only a culinary delight, but a step back into history".