Downtown Christchurch, Christchurch

Favorite thing: Travel to Christchurch is great as the weather you get here is normally quite good. With cool but dry winters and warm summers Christchurch is a good place to be. Sometimes the weather doesn't play its part and it can get really cold and wet. It can also snow here but not often though when it does, it is usually quite memorable. If it does get messy, weather wise, there are plenty of places to hold up in and wait out the weather - bars, cafes etc etc.

Favorite thing: At the Cathedral Square in the centre of town you will find a huge chess board. It's open for use during the daylight hours and it's pretty much runs on 'wait your turn' rules. There is a mini 'grandstand' there so you can sit and watch as long as you like too...

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Favorite thing: The Visitors Centre should be one of your first places to go when coming to my fair city. It has heaps of help for the travellor including accommodation finding service, brochures of all the places you want to go in Christchurch plus most of the South Island, bus timetables and it has the entrance to the Aquarium.

Fondest memory: The Centre is located in the South Western corner of the Cathedral Square and can be accessed through the main doors (as you can see in the photo) or via the Wheelchair access to the left as well as access through Hereford St walkway.

Fondest memory: Free entertainment - ah.. always a good thing.

Saw this session at Cathedral Square... the group was pretty good actually.. spent 1/2 hr simply lolling time here.. be careful of the seagulls though.. they can get pretty agressive.

Favorite thing: One a nice sunny day - head down to Cathedral Square and watch the guys battle it out in a game of mind blowing chess - giant style.

This game is open for anyone - but its first come first serve - so be early and get ready to be surrounded by lookers.

Favorite thing: I was expecting this market to be really super touristy and a bit trinkety, since it is right in the middle of Cathedral Square (not sure how many days a week it's on), but it's anything but. There are many different stalls here - selling everything from polar fleece hat/scarves, to carved greenstone and bone jewellery, to African jewellery, quality souvenirs, and other crafts.
Well worth a look. I spent quite a lot of time here and didn't come across those 'seen it all before in 100 other souvenir shops' stalls.

Favorite thing: Fountains and statues
Plaques
Cathedral Square Birdman Memorial Plaque
On north facing wall of the old Chief Post Office Building in Cathedral Square there is a
cast brass plaque in memory of The Birdman who died in 1988. He used to feed the birds and nearly everyone saw him regularly feeding the city birds. After he died this memorial was set in his memory.

Favorite thing: This statue of Scott Reserve is on Riverbank Reserve, cnr Worcester Street and Oxford Terrace.

Marble statue of Robert Falcon Scott set on stone base commemorating death of Scott and his party returning from the South Pole in 1912. Two bronze plaques are set on the plinth and one inscription carved into the stone.

written

"I do not regret this journey which shows that Englishmen can endure hardships, help one another and meet death with as great fortitude as ever in the past."

Favorite thing: On street outside Museum on Rolleston Avenue. (Named after William Rolleston)

White marble statue on stone plinth of William Rolleston fourth and last superintendent of Canterbury. Inscription carved into stone.
William Rolleston Superintendent of Canterbury 1866 - 1876



Rolleston Statue.

Favorite thing: Spend some time at the Square. I had a ball listening to a concert band from Perth (ok, they will probably have left by now), enjoying lunch while watching the skaters, and listening to the Wizard (attached photo found on the net).