Things to Do in Christchurch

About Christchurch

Christchurch smells of fresh concrete and flat white foam drifting from shipping containers on Cashel Street. The 2011 earthquake tore the CBD out by the roots. What rose back is defiantly experimental. Street art climbs cracked brick of the former Ballantynes department store. The cardboard cathedral glows honey-gold at dusk on the corner of Madras and Hereford.

Rent a bike from the station at Hagley Park. Fifteen minutes south brings you to Sumner Beach where surfers ride the same break Maori whalers watched 200 years ago. Fifteen minutes north lands you in Riccarton where Saturday market samosas cost NZ$2 ($1.20) and the air tastes of cardamom and cumin. The tram looping past the Riverside Market runs on nostalgia at NZ$25 ($15).

The vintage cars are mostly for cruise passengers. Locals catch the purple bus down Colombo Street for NZ$2.50 ($1.50). They spend the savings on pinot noir from the Banks Peninsula. Summer nights smell of cut grass from Hagley Park cricket matches. Winter mornings carry diesel tang of buses climbing the Port Hills to Godley Head.

The earthquake-scarred road still gives way to views worth the white-knuckle drive. This isn't the Christchurch your parents knew. It's better because it had to be.

Travel Tips

Transportation: Grab the Metrocard from any dairy (corner store) for NZ$5 ($3) and top it up. Bus fares drop from NZ$4.50 ($2.70) to NZ$2.80 ($1.70) per ride. The purple Orbiter bus loops every ten minutes past Hagley Park and New Regent Street. Skip the rental car for city exploration. Christchurch is flatter than Auckland. Bike lanes run from the CBD to Sumner Beach. Watch for tram tracks. They'll grab your wheel like train rails.

Money: Cards work everywhere. Cash comes in handy at Riccarton Sunday Market. The best samosas and cheese rolls sit under heat lamps. ATMs charge NZ$3 ($1.80) fees for international cards. Get cash at a supermarket checkout instead. Tipping isn't expected. Rounding up at cafes is appreciated. The currency runs weak. Your coffee costs about 15% cheaper than Sydney prices.

Cultural Respect: The earthquake isn't a tourist attraction. Locals will talk about it when they're ready. Don't lead with questions about 2011. Say 'kia ora' when boarding buses. Drivers respond. At Hagley Park, cricket matches are free to watch. Don't sit on the grass during play unless you understand LBW rules. The cardboard cathedral is still a functioning church. Quiet voices and covered shoulders after 5 PM.

Food Safety: Trust the food trucks on the Square. They're inspected more rigorously than most restaurants. At Riverside Market, the fish guy sells Bluff oysters that were swimming 24 hours ago. Slurp them with an NZ$8 ($4.80) glass of local prosecco. Water's safe everywhere. The tap water in Cashmere tastes faintly of chlorine. Buy a bottle at New World if you're sensitive. The kebab shop on Manchester Street stays open until 3 AM. It has saved more drunk students than campus health services.

When to Visit

January bakes at 23°C (73°F). Hotel prices spike 50% during the cricket tests at Hagley Oval. February brings 25°C (77°F) days good for biking to Sumner Beach. Accommodation still runs 30% above winter rates. March cools to 21°C (70°F). Hotel prices drop 25%. Locals say Christchurch is at its best. April through June sees the city at 15-18°C (59-64°F).

Hotel rates hit yearly lows. Rain is frequent but the Botanic Gardens turn gold. July and August chill to 11°C (52°F) with 60mm of monthly rain. Ski fields on Mount Hutt are 90 minutes away. City hotels offer off-season deals at 40% below summer rates. September warms back to 16°C (61°F). The daffodils explode across Hagley Park.

October brings the Festival of Transitional Architecture. Expect hotel prices to jump 35% for the spectacle. November settles at 19°C (66°F). Canterbury wines hit their stride. Cellar door tastings in the Waipara Valley cost NZ$15 ($9). They aren't yet crowded with summer tourists. December hits 22°C (72°F). The Christmas market takes over Cathedral Square. Book accommodation early. Prices rise 45% for the holidays.