Christchurch (Māori: Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the second most-populous urban area in the country. As well as having the most attractions of any place in the South Island, it's the major international entry point for visiting the rest of the island. It is on the east coast of the South Island, and is the centre of the Canterbury region. Christchurch is rebuilding after an earthquake in February 2011 that severely damaged it, even a decade onwards.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Christchurch is on the Canterbury plains on the eastern coast of the South Island, just north of Banks Peninsula. The city has a population of 385,000 (2023), increasing to 520,000 people when including its commuting zone. Whether Christchurch or Wellington is New Zealand's second-largest urban area is debatable and depends on where people draw the boundaries; however, the boundaries as used by Statistics New Zealand clearly give Christchurch the title in all measures. Christchurch has a rich English heritage.
Christchurch is mostly flat with a grid-pattern layout, so navigation by road is generally simple. The central city is contained by the "four avenues": Bealey Ave in the north, Fitzgerald Ave in the east, Deans Ave in the west, and Moorhouse Ave in the south. Watch out for one-way streets and bus-and-taxi-only intersections in the central city. Many people get around on bicycles, and special-purpose bicycle lanes have been added to many streets to help promote cycling. The city is more bike-friendly than many other New Zealand cities and almost all Australian cities.
1 Arts Centre, Worcester Blvd, Central City. Gothic Revival stonework of former University campus. This area was damaged during the 22 Feb 2011 earthquake. By late 2022 reconstruction work was mostly complete, with two buildings still to be restored. The beauty and historical significance of these building can be appreciated by viewing them from surrounding streets such as Worcester Blvd and Hereford St, or from the internal courtyard. Four art galleries, the Great Hall (and the courtyard outside) and Rutherford's Den (donation requested), an exhibition on physics, are open. If you want to stay, the Observatory Hotel has 33 upmarket rooms.
1 Antigua Boatsheds, 2 Cambridge Tce, Central City, ☏ +64 3 366-5885. Daily; summer 9:30AM-5:30PM, winter 9:30AM-5PM. Boat hire from historic British boatsheds for a hands-on water experience. $12/hr canoe, $25/half-hr rowboat, $25/half-hr paddle boat. (updated Sep 2015) 2 Christchurch Adventure Park, 225 Worsleys Rd, Cracroft. Very good mountain biking trails for advanced, intermediate and beginner bikers, and also zip-lines. Take the chairlift up then bike down. There are bike and gear rentals, lessons and skills clinics, and a cafe and bar. There are charges for the chairlift, rather than the biking as such – you can take the uphill trail for free.
Fruit and vegetable shops offer locally grown high quality fresh produce for prices often much cheaper than supermarkets. Supermarkets 1 Fresh Choice, Lichfield St (Across the road from the Bus Interchange). The most central supermarket, but also the smallest, and not the cheapest. (updated Dec 2018) 2 Woolworths, cnr Moorhouse Ave & Madras St. Daily 7AM-11PM. Supermarket. (updated Dec 2025) 3 New World, 175 Durham Street South. Daily 7AM-10PM. (updated Dec 2024) 4 Pak'n'Save, 297 Moorhouse Ave. Daily 7AM-11PM. The cheapest supermarket chain overall, but may not have as wide a range as Woolworths and New World.
1 Aikmans, 154 Aikmans Rd, Merivale. An upscale bistro and bar in trendy Merivale. Mains $25–35. (updated Jun 2017) 2 Bealey's Speight's Ale House, 263 Bealey Ave. Mains $21–34. (updated Jun 2017) 3 The Craic Irish Bar, 84 Riccarton Rd. (updated Jun 2017) 4 No. 4, 4 Mansfield Ave. Bar and restaurant. Relaxed during the day and busy (but not too busy) on weekend nights. Great wines, Monteiths beers and a solid menu. Pint of beer $10, mains $25–44. (updated Jun 2017) 5 Speight's Ale House Tower Junction, Tower Junction Mega Centre, 55 Clarence St, Riccarton (near the railway station). A relaxed atmosphere bar, a great place for meals. Mains $23–38.
Christchurch has a problem with smog during the winter, but only at night. Although conditions have improved over the years due to the intervention of the city council, take care venturing out on calm frosty evenings if you have a breathing-related medical condition. While violent crime is relatively rare, some people do have a tendency towards aggression when drunk, as in most cities. Linwood is one of the lower socio-economic area of Christchurch, and is rougher than some other neighborhoods, but is still considered safe. As in any city, take care late at night, especially on Friday and Saturdays, as levels of intoxication can lead to unwanted attention or unprovoked violence.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Aug, Christchurch typically sees ~11°C daytime highs and 9 rainy days.
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