CHRISTCHURCH - South Island, New Zealand

Christchurch is the capital of the Canterbury region and is the largest city in the South Island. It is living proof of the statement that you can take the colonists out of England but cannot take England out of the colonists as it so resembles a slice of Kent transported to the southern hemisphere.

You can see an array of 19th century gothic architecture along with modern day sleek urban buildings. The Avon River meanders gently through the city with punts sliding along it.

A combination of rich volcanic mineral deposits and gravelly soil caused by erosion of the Southern Alps causes anything to grow well in Christchurch. The tree lined grid patterned streets of Christchurch give the city a calmly dignified relaxed appearance in the rough and tumble of the 21st century.

Christchurch is called the Garden City of New Zealand; beautiful Hagley Park, close to the Civic Centre, houses the world famous Botanical Gardens. In recent years the traditional conservatism of Christchurch has been taken over by vibrant modern day trends such as bars, restaurants, cafes, art galleries, music, street entertainment and theatre.

Christchurch provides a feast of festivals and activities all year long. The popular activities of rafting, mountainbiking, paragliding and ballooning are available in the city periphery. Some of the top skifields are located within a 2 hour drive from the city. The cafe culture and nightlife is a buzz and the shopping is excellent.

As for history, Christchurch was a flat dry wind swept area sparsely populated by the Maori. In 1849, the Canterbury Association, headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, envisioned the creation of a strong Anglican community in New Zealand.

At this time, Christchurch was already occupied by a few Europeans, and was being farmed most notably by the Deans brothers. Four ships with 800 settlers arrived in Lyttleton in 1850 and headed for Christchurch to start a new life in difficult and unknown terrain.

Christchurch City

The downtown area of Christchurch city is enclosed within the Four Avenues namely Fitzgerald, Moorhouse, Deans and Bealey Avenues, at the centre of which is the Cathedral Square with its unique spire.

The Square is a fantastic hub of activity with buskers, stalls and various festivals held in and around it. One of the most notable features of downtown Christchurch is the absence of highrise buildings.

The city's magnificent gothic architecture buildings sit alongside modern day attractive architecture like the new art gallery, all within walking distance of the Square.

On the western periphery of the city centre is the 165 hectare Hagley Park, a pivotal point for sporting and leisure activities. The best way of seeing some of the really pretty spots of Christchurch is to take a ride in a punt along the genial Avon River that runs through the city.

Christchurch has a well-developed suburbia as the city fans out into Riccarton, Fendalton, Merivale and St. Albans. All the suburbs are adorned by beautiful gardens. The nearby western suburbs of New Brighton and Sumner enjoy a seaside feeling.

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Akaroa

Akaroa is a small waterside town 85 kms from Christchurch on the SH75. Akaroa means "The Long Bay". It is home to New Zealand's French settlement. Akaroa has a claim to world fame in the form of the Hector dolphin, the world's smallest dolphin.

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Aoraki Mt Cook

Aoraki ("cloud piercer") is the Maori name for Mt Cook; the names are used interchangeably. Aoraki Mt Cook is located south of Fairlie on SH8 running through the Mackenzie sheep country. The Aoraki Mt Cook National Park was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1986.

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Arthurs Pass

Arthurs Pass is the most major of the Southern Alps crossings linking the east and west coasts of the South Island. The road runs along splendorous SH73 providing an incredible visual feast and is also connected by rail through the TranzAlpine train line. The pass was first discovered by its namesake, Arthur Dobson, in 1923. The scenery along the route is mindblowing and it is very popular with city people eager to take a break in the country and skiing enthusiasts eager to get on to the various skifields available in this region.

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Ashburton

Ashburton is a quiet suburban town about 87 kms southeast of Christchurch, located on the north bank of the Ashburton River. If you are driving on SH1, you will pass through Ashburton.

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Lake Tekapo

Lake Tekapo is a popular stop on the run between Christchurch and Queenstown. It is renowned for its exquisite scenic beauty and provides an unending source of inspiration to camera wielding tourists who click away delightedly at one of Mother Nature's most visual masterpieces.

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Lyttleton

Lyttleton is an attractive port town just 12 kms from Christchurch city. It has a beautiful harbour where the first European migrants landed in 4 ships. The port is a hub of activity with ships servicing the New Zealand and American bases in Antarctica leaving from here. It is a port of call to most cruise ships. Like any port town, Lyttleton overlooks the quays and locks and has some of the best waterfront pubs, bars, restaurants, accommodation and shops. Christchurch is a good base of accommodation and it is easy to travel back and forth to Lyttleton.

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Methven

Methven is a Canterbury winter sports capital located 100 kms west of Christchurch on SH77. Methven is the base from where you can enjoy the amazing ski slopes of Mt Hutt. Methven is also home to a stack of its own natural attractions which are a rewarding experience for any tourist willing to stop and look around the place.

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Mt Hutt

Mt Hutt is about 26 kms northeast of Methven, just off the SH72, also called the Inland Scenic Route. Mt Hutt bustles with activity in winter owing to its excellent skifield, regarded as one of the best in the entire southern hemisphere. Methven is a good accommodation base for the exciting skiing activities at Mt Hutt.

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Omarama

Omarama is the gliding capital of New Zealand. It is located south of Twizel on SH8 and means "the place of light" in Maori. Omarama is blessed with extraordinary weather conditions created by the Alps, with clear air, enhanced wave systems and spirited thermals all making the place ideal for gliding. The World Gliding Championships is an annual event in Omarama where ten top pilots pit their skills. This competition has been held since January 2007.

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Timaru

The lovely town of Timaru is a two hour drive south from Christchurch and is a major port in South Canterbury. It is a self-contained town with a decent population of around 30,000. Timaru means "the place of shelter" in Maori. The harbour was established on reclaimed land in the 1870s. This reclamation also resulted in the formation of Caroline Bay, a great family beach. Agriculture thrives in the hinterland and there are many light manufacturing plants associated with export and import trade.

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Twizel

Twizel is a small town located 9 kms south of Aoraki Mt Cook at the junction of SH8 and SH80. A lovely little pastoral town with an impressive alpine environment, over time it has matured into a service town catering to the residents of the Mackenzie region. Of late, there has been a building boom with lots of holiday homes being constructed. Twizel serves as an inexpensive base to the lively destinations of Aoraki Mt Cook, Omarama and Lake Ohau.

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Lake Ohau

Lake Ohau, 25 kms west of Twizel, is a scenic place renowned for its crystal clear pure river waters and uncrowded powder skifields. Kayaking and fishing are very popular with two major rivers flowing into the north end of Lake Ohau. The Ohau Forests, to the northwest of the lake, offer great walking tracks. The DOC at Twizel has lots of information on these tracks. Twizel serves as a good base for your accommodation to pursue adventure activities in Lake Ohau.

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Christchurch Transportation

The Christchurch Airport is about 10 kms northwest of the city centre with freephone facilities for accommodation and car hire bookings. If you have booked your room, many hotels offer free pickup from the airport. There is the Red Bus city flier that operates every 30 minutes on weekdays and hourly and half hourly at different times on weekends.

There are shuttle buses and taxis providing rides to the city centre. There is a train service to Clarence Street, close to Hagley Park about 2 kms southwest of the city centre. You can then get a shuttle bus or taxi to the city centre from there.

To the south side of Cathedral Square is the old post office which has been turned into the Christchurch and Canterbury Visitor Centre. You can book your transport and activities here, as well as get information on the popular sightseers route by tram and pick up a city centre walks brochure. You can also track down all the information on Christchurch festivals here.

The Christchurch city transport is quite well organised. City buses depart from the City Exchange bus station on the corner of Colombo and Lichfield streets to almost all suburbs of Christchurch. City sights are covered by the environmentally friendly yellow shuttle buses, running every 10 to 15 minutes.

Another great way of viewing the sights is to hop on the 2.5 km tram ride with a running commentary passing through Cathedral Square and the Arts Centre. You can get on and off the tram as much as you want. Christchurch is a fairly flat city and biking is a great way to look around. You can hire bike rentals at very affordable prices on per day basis.

Christchurch Accommodation

Christchurch Activities

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