Downtown Christchurch, Christchurch

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Favorite thing: Christchurch streetscapes are wonderfully human in scale. There are no canyons of glass, concrete and steel here. Instead the city is a pleasure to walk around and,despite its small size, there are several quite distinct areas within the city centre itself, let alone the suburbs and outer reaches of the city.

The area known to Christchurchians as "The Strip" is the Cashel Street Mall and part of Oxford Terrace. This is where to come to shop in the city's main stores, and to stay on in the evening for a drink or dinner at one of the Oxford Terrace restaurants that overlook the Avon.

Defined as the Cultural Precinct is the area bounded by Cathedral Square at the eastern end and the Museum and Botanic Gardens on Rolleston Avenue at the west. In between you'll find the Art Gallery, the Arts Centre, the City Library and the Contemporary Art Institute plus more good restaurants and another prety litle stretch of the river.

North of the Cathedral you'll find pretty Victoria Square, the river again - an ever -present part of city life and New Regent Street's mix of outdoor cafes, funky shops and art-deco-meets- Spanish-mission architecture. Cross the river here to the Town Hall and another attractive area of inner Christchurch around Cramner Square.

Fondest memory: Just walking, walking , walking. It's all flat, never crowded, the river is never far away, the trams and bright red phone boxes add a whimsical touch, parks and gardens invite you to stop awhile, and there are plenty of good outdoor cafes for a coffee stop. It's all very, very appealing.

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: 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: 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.

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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.

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Favorite thing: Christchurch has two rivers that go through it with the Avon wandering through its heart. On a sunny day it is fantastic to sit on either the grass or one of many seats and take some time out. There are some nice places in the middle of town plus some beautiful spots to kills some time and built some positive karma in the Botanic Gardens at the end of Wordester Boulevard. The Avon winds its way through town (you follow the river during the Christchurch Marathon) and out past New Brighton to finish in the Estuary near Ferrymead.

BTW, the other river is the Heathcoteand this one, unfortunately, goes through part of the industrial area in Bamford/Woolston so it's rather nasty by the time it gets to the Estuary.

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.

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Favorite thing: The City Council have really gotten their act together in Christchurch in recent years and we now have good transportation in the upgraded bus service plus a great approach to keeping Christchurch clean. A great example of this is the Fountain area behind the Town Hall. Each week the CCC give the fountains the once over and clean up the whole area. I captured a before an after shot so you can see what a wee bit of love and attention can do for a city's appearance.

Favorite thing: New Regent St has been upgraded and is a very nice spot to stop and take a break. There is a Tram stop here so you can get off & back on again if you are doing the tram circuit.

The street has a Spanish feel to the architecture with the balconies very similar to those that you would find in the small side streets of Barcelona. Some shops have flowers hanging from their 2nd floor balcony adding to the flair of the street.

There are several cafes, restaurants, a book shop and a beauty shop to mention a few. Of note is 6 Chairs Missing (restaurant) and the Daily Grind for coffee. There is also Little India on one corner and, the hit & miss, Flying Barrito Brothers at the opposite end.