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. Here is my pick of the top 10 things to do on a visit to Christchurch.
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: Top 10 Things to do
| 1 | Take a ride up Mt Cavendish on Christchurch Gondola |
| 2 | Wander through pretty Hagley Park |
| 3 | Explore the beautiful Christchurch Botanic Gardens |
| 4 | Learn more about the region’s history at Canterbury Museum |
| 5 | Admire the art at Christchurch Art Gallery |
| 6 | Visit the Arts Centre |
| 7 | See the remains of Christchurch Cathedral |
| 8 | Have lunch in New Regent Street |
| 9 | Admire the innovative design of the Transitional Cathedral |
| 10 | Reflect at the Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial |
No 1 – Take a ride up Mt Cavendish on Christchurch Gondola
Christchurch Gondola takes you up Mt Cavendish for 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 360 degree views. 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.
No 2 – Wander through pretty 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.
No 3 – Explore the beautiful Christchurch Botanic Gardens
Continue into Christchurch Botanic Gardens. As well as plenty of flowers, trees and shrubs, there are a range of interesting sculptures.
When we visited, there were still some lovely displays of roses and bedding plants, despite the fact that autumn was officially only a day away.
There are also greenhouses dedicated to cacti, orchids and carnivorous plants and a large Victorian greenhouse with an array of tropical plants.
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.
No 4 – Learn more about the region’s history at Canterbury Museum
Canterbury 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.
No 5 – Admire the art at Christchurch Art Gallery
Christchurch Art Gallery is, 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?!”
The gallery is open daily from 10 am until 5 pm (9 pm on Wednesday). Entry is free.
No 6 – Visit the 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.
No 7 – See the remains of Christchurch Cathedral
On Cathedral Square, 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.
No 8 – Have 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.
No 9 – Admire the innovative design of the Transitional Cathedral
The Transitional Cathedral was 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.
No 10 – Reflect at the 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.
I hope you found the above information useful. For more top picks from other destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full Top 10 Things To Do list here.
- Trip Taken: March 2018
- Updated: August 2024
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