Pro

Like A Little Country Town With A Big Green Heart
Con

Smog in Winter, easterly winds and earthquakes (since 4 September 2010)
In a nutshell

Gardens, green, lovely people...
154 Reviews You might have followed the discussions about the fate of Christ Church Cathedral as the damage it suffered in the earthquakes has been a topic worldwide. Now we know that the Anglican Diocese is going to have the symbol of the city demolished, and since yesterday (16 April 2012) we know that it...
The Christchurch botanical gardens
37 Reviews When you walk under the majestic trees and huge shrubs of the Botanic Garden you get an idea that they must be very old. In fact they have been founded in 1863. Wetlands and sand dunes have been transformed into a place of lush beauty, exotic and indigineous plants side by side. There are many...
1 Review and 148 Opinions We recently stayed at The Lorenzo Motor Lodge which was fab. The Lorenzo is ideally located on...
8 Reviews Post-earthquake update June 2011 The Dux has been an institution in Christchurch for years and years. The announcement of the Arts Centre's board of trustees - who surely do NOT own the Arts Centre - not to have the Dux repaired any sooner than the entire Arts Centre complex despite its distant...
7 Reviews Post-earthquake update 9 June 2011 You find some of the foodstalls that used to be at the Arts Centre at the Ferrymead Heritage Park. Others can be found along Worcester Boulevard. The Arts Centre is the Arts Centre - and not the Art Centre, as the VT database suggests... It is a pity that...
7 Reviews Although New Zealand has a gambling problem, and we must hear and read every now and then how horrible it is to go to a casino, I quite like the Christchurch Casino. For those who are no gambling addicts it is ok to go there, and it is much more than gambling. In fact we mostly go there not for...
5 Reviews Not much about it really, but THE square in town. The cathedral is beautiful and well worth a visit. At night, even in mid-winter, when this picture was taken, there's lots of people out there. Souvenir shops, Internet cafes, Starbucks, the Visitor's Centre, restaurants...well, I guess, it simply is...
29 Reviews - PUBLIC TRANSPORT - new Central Station since 25 Oct 2011 Bus service had become veeeery time-consuming, not just because of traffic jams but because we lost the central Bus Exchange (in the Red Zone), and two major hubs that were linked by a shuttle service had been created. So often you needed...
17 Reviews - If you want to start or end your NZ trip in Christchurch, or both, the most comfortable way of getting here is by chosing an airline that flies directly to Christchurch, and not via Auckland, check out the luggage, check it in again, and then walk or shuttle from the International Airport to the...
7 Reviews This is Christchurch’s and – nearly logical – the South Island’s biggest shopping mall. You have a choice of 150 shops, and especially if you are looking for shoes this is the place to go. Sometimes I have the impression every second shop is for shoes – and I still do not find what I want LOL There...
7 Reviews UPDATE - unfortunately this has been closed since the February 2011 earthquakes. Located in the back of the Art Center building, the Fudge Cottage is a small yet fully stocked sweets outlet. Regardless if you call them candies, sweets or lollies, the Fudge Cottage will have something for you. The...
9 Reviews This old english method of having a bloke yelling the news pre newspaper days was trialled a few years ago as a tourism stunt - and it stuck. The Town Crier of Christchurch screams a few items of interest using a very random schedule. When he isn't doing the yelling thing he wanders about the...
Useful Tips.......Emergency number
7 Reviews The New Zealand dollar has depreciated in value over the last few years. It now lies around $1NZ=$0.49US good for all of you wanting to travel to NZ but bad for us kiwi's!! The notes were changed over 10 years ago to depict famous kiwi faces instead of the queen. She has been retained only on the...
5 Reviews Departure Charge for International Flights You no longer need to pay a a separate departure charge at Christchurch Airport. NZ$12.50 will be applied to each international arrival and departure as part of the airfare costs. Refunds If you believe you have paid more than NZ$25 for your return trip,...
2 Reviews ...almost good enough to be under 'attractions'...but to me, not quite.. Address: www.willowbank.co.nz/ 60 Hussey Road, Christchurch We wanted to see at least 1 wildlife Park during our 9 day stay in New Zealand, and by half way through the trip we hadn't seen really any birds in the wild at all,...
10 Reviews Make sure you bring plenty of warm clothing in our colder months of May through September. These months tend to be wetter than usual and often include a cold southerly wind which will make the temperature feel even colder. Given that it is likely to get wet make sure you have a good rain coat....
18 Reviews Gethsemane Gardens If you would like to visit a wildly romantic garden with a Christian theme, then this is it! St. Cecilia Chapel is an enchanting little trellis structure in the heart of Gethsemane Gardens. High on a hill and close to heaven, the chapel overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Romantic...
11 Reviews and lots of charm. With its brightly painted houses tumbling down the steep hills and narrow stairs to go up and down, Lyttelton reminded me of the Chilean port of Valparaiso way across the other side of the Pacific. Whilst still the busiest commercial port and deepest harbour on the South Island,...
5 Reviews Rugby is the big team sport which is played in Jade Stadium in winter, and the Crusaders are probably the best club/regional team in the world. They have been the champions of the Super12 and Super14 series which is the league for the best professional rugby teams of New Zealand, Australia and South...
29 Reviews - The city centre features a huge new steel sculpture, an oversized bunch of wheat, higher than the surrounding high-rise buildings. Its name is "Flour Power". (August/September 2008) The square at the corner of High and Colombo Streets is now called Stewart Plaza (in the strange attempt to make...
23 Reviews - This impressive stately building with its classical ornamentation is located right behind Christchurch Cathedral, and opposite the Press buidling and Cathedral Junction. It was designed in 1909 (and built from 1911 to 1913) to accommodate many of the Government Departments in Christchurch. It was...
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Plan a Christchurch vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Christchurch locals

Shaken but not beaten: A city rising from ruins - Christchurch was on the road to recovery from the 7.1 earthquake that had rattled the city on 4 September 2010 when a far more ferocious 6.3 quake reduced it to rubble on 22 February 2011, killing 182...
392 members live in Christchurch

Q: I've sent an email requesting a booking for the Hanmer Connection shuttle from Christchurch to Hanmer Springs. Their website...

A: no reason for them not to leave from Rolleston Ave..there is no traffic disruption on Rolleston Ave there s a YMCA and a YHA in walking distance, a couple of B&Bs nearby...
Read 5 Replies
1
Shaken but not beaten: A city rising from ruins

Christchurch was on the road to recovery from the 7.1 earthquake that had rattled the city on 4 September 2010 when a far more ferocious 6.3 quake reduced it to rubble on 22 February 2011, killing 182...
2
My Home - The (Shakey) Garden City

For the latest view on Christchurch have a look at a drive through the Red Zone This is an interesting tour of the city with one of the local engineers providing a running commentary of the...
3
Over Looking Lyttelton Harbour

The Port Hills have a rich and varied Maori and European history. The 'recent' biological history stretches back to the last ice age approximately 14000 years ago. The landscape qualities of the Port...
4

These terracotta maidens are to be found looking down on Christchurch from the walls of a fine red-brick Victorian building by the bridge crossing the Avon River right in the heart of the...
5

I left summer in Norway for winter in NZ. Pretty stupid, I know, but it was the only time I could get off work for 2 months to do my research on my PhD without upsetting my boss too much. Judging by...
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