Christchurch-Travel in
The Garden City

This comprehensive guide to Christchurch-travel information for independent travellers should help you plan your sightseeing, activities, accommodation and travel while on holiday in the Garden City.

Many of you will arrive or leave by Christchurch airport. Being the second international airport, and main link for the South Island, this gives you the opportunity to arrive at one end of the country and leave from the other, after spending time travelling through both islands.

Situated on the east coast between the Canterbury Plains with the magnificent Southern Alps in the background, Banks Peninsula and the Pacific Ocean, Christchurch was New Zealand’s first formally recognised city, when it became a city by Royal Charter in July 1856. North, south, east or west, each direction offers totally different activities for locals and tourists to enjoy.

Built around Cathedral Square, which is fronted by the historic Gothic Revival style Cathedral, Christchurch is our most English city.

With several neo gothic stone buildings including the Arts Centre, Canterbury museum, churches, and a charming Curators House now a restaurant, in Rolleston Ave on the corner of the beautiful Botanic Gardens, the English influence is apparent.

The Botanic gardens with its large specialty collections of plants, take up 75 acres of the greater 1.61 kilometre Hagley Park.

Here locals play sport and exercise, listen to outdoor concerts, and enjoy the Park with its open space, huge English trees, and the River Avon running along side. Punting on the river is a fun family activity. There are many lovely gardens in the city, with displays of azaleas and rhododendrons, roses, and a style of garden suited to a European climate. With hot dry summers and cold winters, you see seasonal changes you don’t get in the north. Mona Vale is well worth a visit.

Christchurch, with a population of 350,000 people, is compact and flat, so good for walking. Travel around Christchurch is quite easy. There is a good bus system, and the historic Christchurch Tramway.

You will find driving a hire car or campervan a breeze. You may need to adjust to the one way street system, initially.

For Christchurch maps and tourist information The Christchurch Tourist information centre is on the corner of Cathedral Square.

The 2.5 kilometre Christchurch Tramway, (buy an all day pass), has a running commentary with information on the city and entertainment.

This is your best way of saving your feet and getting from place to place in the inner city. You can get on and off as you come to :

Sightseeing and Activities

• Southern Encounter Aquarium ( see Kiwis in the Kiwi House )

• The Arts Centre

• Botanic Gardens

• Canterbury Museum

• Punting on the Avon

• Victoria Square

• New Regent Street

• Christchurch Art Gallery

• The Cathedral(check out the view from the top)

Other activities to enjoy in the city:

• Riccarton House and bush

• Science Alive

• The International Arctic Centre ( by the airport)

• Yaldhurst Museum of Transport and Technology

• Ferrymead Heritage Park

• Central city “Lanes Walk”

• Air Force World – for those who love planes and all that goes with them

• Willowbank Wildlife Reserve ( see kiwis)

• Orana Wildlife Park- for a close encounter with lions etc

• Christchurch Casino

• Christchurch Town Hall – concerts

Christchurch travellers will find an abundance of outdoor activities and experiences.

For wonderful 360 degree views of the Canterbury Plains and over Lyttleton Harbour take the gondola ( which leaves every 15 minutes) to the summit of the Port Hills, from the Christchurch Gondola Base Station.

You can enjoy a meal with the spectacular view! You can also view the Heritage Time Tunnel.

In need of some cooling off ! The Christchurch Leisure Centre has a complex of pools, while the family should have a ball at the QE 2 Park. Here they have an Atlantic themed pool featuring a sunken ship, stone ruins, a wave pool, lazy river vortex and a bubble pool.

Christchurch beaches, as with most of New Zealand, are long and gorgeous. Brighton makes a good outing with shops, cafes and the Brighton Pier.

My personal favourite would be Sumner, with the steep hills behind and the Esplanade adjoining the beach. The restaurant over the sea is a treat for lunch, and you might see the locals kite boarding or windsurfing.

Further round at Scarborough beach and Taylors Mistake surfing is popular. Do take note of the safety signs! On the outskirts of the city you will find any of several nice beaches – Waikuku, and Woodend are close.

Activities for Adrenaline Junkies

Being compact, travel round Christchurch means short distances.So all these are very near the city centre around Moorhouse Ave.

The Circuit will give you plenty of thrills with many activities

• Science Alive

• Laser strike

• Aimtru’s Indoor Archery

• Roxx Climbing Centre

• Action Dirt Karts

or

• Hot Air balloon over the city

• Paraglide over the Port Hills

• Skydive

If you are keen to enjoy a round of golf Clearwater which is only 15 minutes from the city has golf, walking, fishing, tennis and petanque.

Day Trips from Christchurch

Akaroa – This is a wonderful day trip over the Port Hills or through the Lyttleton tunnel. Golden hills edging blue harbour inlets taking you past a winery on top of the hill before you wind down into historic Akaroa. It still retains a very French flavour, inherited from the French whalers who arrived and settled in the mid 19th century. Cafes, art and crafts galleries, interesting architecture and the village atmosphere make Akaroa a popular holiday spot. Stop at Barrys Bay Cheese factory en route. If you are a bird watcher, Birdlings Flat will be another place to stop a while. There is also a great cafe and art gallery not far past the cheese factory.

Governors Bay, Diamond Harbour, and all the small bays and inlets you pass through make a pleasant drive. Have lunch at Frenchs Bay winery. Especially nice on a fine day when you can sit outside in the beautiful garden.

Kaikoura – On the coast north of Christchurch, Kaikoura is best known for the Whale watching you can experience here. Swimming with Hector dolphins is another marine life treat. A fishing village, it is a good place to enjoy fresh fish at one of the restaurants in the area.

Rakaia and Waimakariri Rivers – Take a picnic and enjoy the ambience of the rivers, or if you are keen on fishing there are day tours with salmon and trout a likely reward after a days’ fishing on the river. Or perhaps some white water rafting, jet boating or kayaking will be more to your liking. All are found in the area.

Arthurs Pass – this is also a route to the West Coast, but if you are unable to go as far as the coast, this mountain town is a nice scenic day trip giving you lovely views of the Southern Alps, braided rivers, and lakes.

The viaduct is worth stopping to view from the viewing area. The town itself has a very nice cafe in Arthurs Pass Store. If you prefer not to drive, the Tranz Alpine train is a great experience, especially in cooler seasons when you will be going through snow covered mountains.

Arthurs Pass Viaduct

Mt Hutt – for skiers and snowboarders.

Mt Hutt is the nearest ski field to Christchurch city and considered one of New Zealand's best ski fields.

Information on Christchurch Food and Wine

Restaurants and Cafes

Strawberry Fare has great desserts, while the Seafood Kitchen next door is highly recommended. I celebrated a wonderful birthday meal there last year. Oxford on Avon opposite the Town Hall is good for cheap, filling, yet delicious roast meals.

The Curators House on the corner of the Botanic Gardens is a lovely place to enjoy the historic character in garden surrounds.

Make a day of it and drive out to Jo Seagar’s cafe and cookery school at Oxford. She also has a great shop for cooking fans. Jo has done television cooking shows and written many recipe books, so is well known in New Zealand.

Jo Seagar's Oxford Cafe

Shopping in Christchurch

Christchurch enjoys some wonderful shopping for a small city. Near Cathedral Square, Ballentyne’s is the oldest department store in New Zealand. Parking is underneath.

The Arts Centre has a fantastic range of New Zealand wood, wool and specialty products, great for gifts to take home. Merivale Mall is another lovely shopping area with its boutique interior decor and clothing shops. There are several markets including in Cathedral Square on weekends. DressMart for discount stores is at Hornby.

Christchurch Accommodation

Hopefully this Christchurch travel information has given you plenty of ideas for an action packed stay in this lovely city. Be sure to allow a few days to explore the area before travelling further a field.

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