Filed under: Attractions, city tour, food, music, top-feature
Christchurch Highlights
This year, New Zealand’s tiny town of Christchurch is one of the host cities of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. I say a tiny town, but in fact, it is the largest down on the South Island, so I suppose small is a bit relative – the population is approximately 350 thousand. Christchurch has a decent sized airport and you can fly there directly from Melbourne/Sydney without having to connect in Auckland, so if you’re coming for a visit you may very well find yourself with some to spare.
Most folks land and head out – which is a shame, because some time relaxing in Christchurch is very fulfilling. Here are some highlights I enjoyed on my trip, as well as some other places you might want to check out while basing yourself here.
Attractions
Walking around the center of Christchurch, you wouldn’t really know you are in New Zealand – it really does mirror an English town, from the architecture and buildings to just the general vibe or feel. A few must-see attractions:
- Christchurch Cathedral (map): this beautiful building sort of is the icon of the city. While it isn’t the world’s most striking or breathtaking church, poke your head inside. It’s nice.
- Botanic Gardens (map): one of the largest urban gardens in the world, Christchurch’s botanics are a great place to just stroll and enjoy some peace. There’s a nice cafe here as well, if you need a bit of caffeine or a dry place to sit.
- The Art Gallery (map): Christchurch has a number of art galleries and art museums. The Christchurch Art Gallery was my favorite, but there are also WWII museums, centers where local artists display works, and Maori galleries. I suggest you ask around to see what’s showing during your visit, and head for the exhibitions that most interest you.
One thing I wanted to see but didn’t have time was the International Antartic Centre, at the airport. Christchurch is the closest commercial airfield to Antartica, so many of those expeditions you hear about launch from here. You may be surprised if you go onto a map and look how close it is – this would explain why the water around New Zealand is so chilly. Brr!
Note: If you aren’t coming for the rugby, come for the buskers – the World Buskers Festival is here every January, and I can tell you it is a ton of fun. It starts in a week, so if you want to go this year, you’d best hurry!
Food and Drink Scene
Christchurch also has a raging social scene – well, again, raging compared to elsewhere on the island. One of the main things are the live music venues – pubs with free music and a stocked bar. I found this a great way to meet locals, other travelers, and just enjoy a nice evening. The tough thing will be choosing where to go – as you can see on this handy venue map, there are around 30 venues just in a few square blocks of downtown! Local rock singers, smooth jazz musicians, and other notable names worldwide often make Christchurch a stop. If you can’t decide, or don’t have time to look through the schedules, just stroll around and pop your head in to see who sounds good. If you don’t like it, you can always finish your beer and go elsewhere.
Downtown is also where you’ll find many of the restaurants. Right around the main square (and its strange cone-shaped monument), you’ll find plenty of street vendors hawking snacks. But in the nearby streets there are restaurants, many with an Asian focus. My personal recommendation has to be the Copper Chime (map), the best curry house in all of New Zealand. Careful, as they have curries so hot you’ll be burning the next day. Dine Out is one of many sites where you can read more reviews and recommendations.
Daytripping
Christchurch is very well placed for daytrips, since it’s such a central point for the South Islands transport network, including highways, buses, and the few trains that exist. A few ideas:
- Akaroa: This seaside town, sitting out on a mini-peninsula behind Christchurch, is world famous for its “swim with the dolphins” excursions. People just rave about them – unfortunately, I am not one of them, as my visit was marred by fog so thick that traffic almost ground to a halt. Whoops. I would recommend it though if wildlife is of interest.
- Ride the Rails: Perhaps one of the most beautiful train rides in the world, you can take the Transalpine train which traverses the mountains across the center of the island to take you to Greymouth on the west coast. Greymouth isn’t the most exciting town, though it is interesting to walk around and get a feeling for some of these New Zealand towns which had a “boom” at one time and now are fairly quiet. You can get a round trip day pass at a discount, and you must book in advance during New Zealand summer, as the trains are very popular.
- Kaikoura: A long drive up the coast to the north is Kaikoura, popular for whale watching and swimming with the seals. It’s a small place but complete with the small shops and cafes that you’d expect. It is a great place to stop as well if you’re making the drive between Christchurch and Picton, the ferry port up north.
Photo Credit: Alex E Poimos, Tran’s World Productions
