If you’re planning to take a short vacation with your family or friends, Christchurch and its surroundings may just be the perfect destination. Settled on the River Avon, this is the largest city of New Zealand’s South Island and third biggest in the country.
Once it was famous as the most English city out of England, but nowadays it’s known as the Earthquake City (the reason for this being a big earthquake which hit the town in 2011), but this should in no way deter you from visiting it, knowing that Lonely Planet listed it as one of the top 10 cities to visit in 2013 and the New York Times ranked it second on its list of 52 places to go in 2014.
The combination of historic elegance and contemporary culture creates plenty of interesting venues and even more ways to spend a couple of fun days, make this place and the Canterbury region ideal for your trip.
The Must-Sees
- Garden City
Christchurch was once also known as the “Garden city”, so you may start your trip by exploring why it was called like that. It abounds in public parks and residential gardens, like famous, over 150 years old Christchurch Botanic Gardens, Hagley Park, Willowbank or Burwood. You may also visit an Edwardian township at Ferrymead Heritage Park. If you’re a sport type, here you can play golf, cricket or rugby, or, if you prefer easier vacation, take a cycle tour or make a picnic. If you’re lucky, you may catch some of the open-air concerts by local bands and orchestras which are usually held at one of these parks.
- Art Venues
If you want to learn about the history of Christchurch and its people, you should visit Canterbury Museum. One of its most fascinate exhibitions is the world’s greatest collection of artefacts from the Antarctic, the Māori collections in the Iwi Tawhito and Ngā Taonga galleries, and the quirky kiwiana of Fred & Myrtle’s Paua Shell House at Canterbury Museum. The town’s cultural diversity is represented by institutions on one hand and the street art gallery on the other. At the city centre you will find many colourful canvas made at walls of abandoned buildings.
- Cathedral
Placed at the centre of Cathedral Square, the cathedral was built in 1864 and since then has been the pride of this town, but now it’s just a ruin, a shadow of old days. The so-called “Green Chapel” stands as a symbol of post-earthquake history of Christchurch and is put in juxtaposition with the present. Subsequently, one can observe the changes which this town has went through.
- Memorials
Some of the city’s monuments, like the installation of 185 different white chairs or Cardboard Cathedral made from industrial cardboard and corrugated plastic, are built as memorials to the victims of the earthquake. It would be good to visit them and give the honour. The Quake City museum will give you the complete understanding of events in this area’s recent history.
Popular Spots
- Flea Markets
All around the city you will find flea marketplaces, where you can buy almost everything you want, from unique arts and crafts to jams and jewellery.
- Re:Start Cashel Mall
Placed at the very center of Christchurch this mall has everything you may need. Made from colourful shipping containers, Re:Start Cashel Mall was built to replace a shopping center after the earthquake. There you can find boutiques with designer clothes or some unusual homeware, but also coffee houses and quirky eateries, post office, banks, etc.
- The Diamond Bar
For a night out, visit the Diamond Bar, an elegant cocktail lounge decorated with more than 3500 hanging crystals. As the place itself shines, you should also, so don’t forget to check their dress-code.
- Gig at the Darkroom
Live music and sometimes even comedians are hosted in one of the Christchurch best clubs, the Darkroom. This is another, definitely a more casual option for an exciting night out.
Fun and Active Vacation
- Adrenalin Forest
If you need an adrenalin injection – Christchurch covers that. Pick one of the 100 challenges of the Fun Park and dare yourself and your friends to share it. You can also climb, fly, jump and scream at the Adrenalin Forest.
- Ballooning
Have you ever flown in the Hot Air Balloon? Now you have a chance. Christchurch and the places in its vicinity is a unique place in the world where you can fly over the mountains on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other.
- Akaroa Magic
Situated on Banks Peninsula, just an hour’s drive from the Christchurch, this small town offers you a unique chance to enjoy spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife, including the rare Hectors dolphins, fur seals and penguins, as well as herds of grazing alpacas. For more family fun, you should definitely visit the Giant’s House, and check out local vineyards if you are a hedonistic type.
All these pieces of information are just a part of the many more of what you can find in Christchurch and its surroundings, but they should be more than enough to intrigue you into visiting it. So, now may be a good opportunity score a free car rental and start the adventure.
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Article by Lillian Connors
