Christchurch, the largest city on New Zealand’s South Island, is located roughly half way down the east coast and is the ideal place to start/finish a tour of the island. Much of today’s city is shaped by the devastating earthquake in 2011, which killed 185 people and severely damaged thousands of buildings. We spent two days in this charming town during our circumnavigation of South Island.
How to get to Christchurch
We arrived in South Island by ferry and drove down the east coast, stopping at Christchurch along the way. After driving up the north coast, we returned to Christchurch by train. One of the highlights of our trip was our ride on the Tranz Alpine Railway, which runs coast to coast from Greymouth to Christchurch, across the Southern Alps, providing spectacular scenery along the way.
At the end of our visit, we departed by plane. Christchurch Airport is located around 6 miles north west of the city. There are internal flights, plus flights to 5 other countries (Australia, China, USA, Singapore and Fiji).
Getting around Christchurch
The main sights in Christchurch can be visited on foot. If you’ve had enough of walking, there’s always the historic Christchurch Tram. The trams follow a route fairly similar to my walking route, with 18 stops along the way. You can hop on/off at any stop or just stay on for the entire 50 minute loop. A day ticket costs $40.
Where to stay in Christchurch
We stayed at Tuscana Motor Lodge, just to the north of the city centre, which can be reached via a peasant walk through Hagley Park. The motel offers clean, comfortable rooms close to the park and various shops and restaurants. Rooms are self contained and there’s also a communal laundry.
Christchurch in 2 Days Itinerary
| Day 1 | Drive to Christchurch Fanfare Christchurch Gondola Ride Accommodation – Tuscana Motor Lodge Hagley Park Christchurch Botanic Gardens |
| Day 2 | Canterbury Museum Christchurch Art Gallery Arts Centre Cathedral Square Lunch in New Regent Street Transitional Cathedral Gap Filler Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial |
Attractions
| 1 | Christchurch Gondola Ride |
| 2 | Hagley Park |
| 3 | Christchurch Botanic Gardens |
| 4 | Canterbury Museum |
| 5 | Christchurch Art Gallery |
| 6 | Arts Centre |
| 7 | Cathedral Square |
| 8 | New Regent Street |
| 9 | Transitional Cathedral |
| 10 | Gap Filler |
| 11 | Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial |
Day 1
Drive to Christchurch
Today, we are travelling to the South Island’s biggest city; Christchurch.
We stop on the outskirts of town to admire the Fanfare Sculpture. Measuring 20 metres in diameter and weighing in at 25 tonnes, it is New Zealand’s largest piece of public art. It is covered with 360 steel fans, each 1.5 metres in diameter.
Christchurch Gondola
Our fist stop is Christchurch Gondola, for a ride up Mt Cavendish and a spectacular view across the city. The gondola is located around 6 miles south east of the city. We stopped on our way into town, but from Christchurch it’s a 15 minute drive down State Highway 56. By public transport, take bus No 8 from the Christchurch Bus Interchange.
The gondola takes you on a 1 km ride to the summit for a spectacular view. You can see Christchurch and the ocean on one side and mountains and lakes on the other.
Here, you will also find the Christchurch Discovery Ride; a time tunnel ride through the history of Christchurch. It’s like an educational ghost train. When we visited, the ride broke down and we had to be rescued from the 1850s and escorted to safety.
The gondola is open daily from 10 am until 4pm (last ride down at 5pm). Tickets cost $42.
Accommodation – Tuscana Motor Lodge
Tonight’s accommodation is Tuscana Motor Lodge. It’s has a motel style layout with free parking. It’s right next to Hagley Park, so you can walk into town via the park and Botanic Gardens. The accommodation is clean and comfortable and the owners friendly and helpful. The apartments are self contained, or there are some nice takeaways within a few minutes walk.
Hagley Park
Once we have checked in, we set off to explore the local area. We are staying next to the beautiful Hagley Park. This large urban park has a north and a south section, which sandwich the Botanic Gardens. The Avon River runs through the north section.
Christchurch Botanic Gardens
We continue into Christchurch Botanic Gardens. Just the right pretty flora to weird sculpture ratio.
There are still some lovely displays of roses and bedding plants, despite the fact that autumn is officially only a day away.
As well as greenhouses dedicated to cacti, orchids and carnivorous plants, there is a large Victorian greenhouse with an array of tropical plants. Next to a banana tree is a sign saying ‘Eat Me!’ so the old man helps himself to a banana. Then we hear an angry gardener bemoaning the fact that people keep stealing her bananas. I am tempted to give her a lesson on English grammar regarding the use of the exclamation mark to form the imperative, using Alice in Wonderland as my case in point. But the old man points out that following instructions to ‘Eat Me!’ did not work out well for Alice. So I make do with furtively secreting the contraband in my handbag and beating a hasty retreat.
The gardens are open daily from 7 am until at least 6.30 pm, later in in summer (conservatories are open from 10 am until 4 pm). Entry is free.
Day 2
Today we have a full day to explore Christchurch. It’s a sadly fascinating experience. Sad because of the destruction caused by the earthquakes, but fascinating to see the resilience and creativity employed in attempting to regain some normality. From the ‘cardboard’ transitional cathedral constructed round 96 cardboard tubes to the ingenious use of shipping containers to the murals painted on derelict buildings.
Canterbury Museum
We start at Canterbury Museum. The museum has some interesting collections, apparently much of this is down to the first curator’s success in trading moa (a large flightless bird) bones with other museums; it can therefore boast a mummy as well as various other treasures.
It focuses on the history of the local area and its people. Hence there are sections dedicated to Maori art, a collection of artefacts from Sir Edmund Hillary’s Antarctic expedition, an exhibition documenting Canterbury and its role in WW1, the wonderfully tacky Fred and Myrtle’s paua shell house (a house decorated with shells and other kitsch) and obviously some moa bones.
Note: Christchurch Museum is currently undergoing major redevelopment and isn’t due to reopen until 2028. In the meantime, the temporary museum, Canterbury Museum at CoCA, houses collection highlights and visitor favourites from the Museum’s permanent galleries. It is open daily from 9 am until 5.30 pm (5 pm April to September). Entry is free.
Christchurch Art Gallery
Next stop is Christchurch Art Gallery which, my guide book informs me, is bright and bold. The old man only enters art galleries under duress and this one contains a fair number of pieces he feels do not actually count as art. There are a number of (loud) exclamations of “Call that art?!” We do not stay long.
The gallery is open daily from 10 am until 5 pm (9 pm on Wednesday). Entry is free.
Arts Centre
The Arts Centre consists of a cluster of 19th Century Gothic Revival buildings which originally made up Canterbury College. It now houses tourist information, shops, cafes, galleries and museums.
The centre is open daily from 10 am until 5 pm. Admission to The Arts Centre is free, but some events have entry fees.
Cathedral Square
Then on to Cathedral Square, where the devastation caused by earthquakes of 2011 is very apparent. The cathedral itself, which was badly damaged, doesn’t look too bad as we approach from the side, but when we reach the front, there is very little left.
The devastated Christchurch Cathedral has been the subject of intense debate as to whether it should be rebuilt or replaced. It was finally agreed to rebuild it – an undertaking which is expected to cost $104,000,000 and take until 2027.
Lunch in New Regent Street
New Regent Street is a pedestrian precinct lined with pretty pastel coloured buildings housing an array of restaurants and bars – the perfect place to stop for lunch.
Transitional Cathedral
On to the Transitional Cathedral; designed by a Japanese ‘disaster architect’ with its cardboard tube roof and shipping container walls, decorated with colourful triangles of stained glass, it has become an iconic building, nicknamed the Cardboard Cathedral. This unique building, erected in just 11 months after the city’s cathedral was destroyed, symbolises a determination to rebuild and move on in the face of adversity.
Gap Filler
Gap Filler is a charity which emerged as a result of the earthquake. They created art installations in derelict spaces where buildings had been destroyed. Their placemaker installations, focusing on urban play, can be seen in areas across the city. Check out their website for current projects.
Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial
The Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial is dedicated to the victims of the 2011 earthquake; a place for contemplation on the banks of the Avon River.
That’s enough sightseeing for one day, we have walked in a big square round the city and are exhausted. We return to our motel to refuel and recharge.
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
- Trip Taken: March 2018
- Updated: August 2024
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