From the dramatic, untamed Southern Alps to the playful dolphins of Kaikoura, Canterbury is a region of many personalities. Serious skiers shred powder on the slopes, while summer visitors brown on the shores of the Banks Peninsula. In Christchurch, Canterbury gets a dose of urbanity in a city known for its borrowed British sensibility.
☎ 03 Christchurch This garden city (pop. 350,000) remains closely bound to its English heritage, most evident in its stone Gothic Revival churches and meeting houses. Named after Oxford’s Christ ...more
Flights: Christchurch Airport (☎ 374 7100), 9km from the city on Memorial Ave., is served by Air New Zealand, Qantas, and many Asian and South Pacific carriers. Air New Zealand (☎ 0800 737 000) ...more
Christchurch’s flat grid of streets extends in every direction from Cathedral Square, the city’s center, where food stalls and artisans congregate beneath the bell tower of Christchurch Cathedral ...more
Public Transportation: Bus Crossing at the Exchange (☎ 366 8855; www.metroinfo.org.nz), at Colombo and Lichfield St., serves as the bus depot and information center. Open M-Sa 6:30am-10:30pm, Su 9am-9pm ...more
Visitors Center: Christchurch i-Site Visitor Centre (☎ 379 9629; www.christchurchinformation.co.nz), in the Old Chief Post Office Bldg. in Cathedral Sq. Open daily in summer 8:30am-7pm, in winter ...more
Try to book ahead for all Christchurch accommodations particularly if looking for single rooms, though last-minute deals at high-end hotels are occasionally available; ask at the visitors center. ...more
Many restaurants are concentrated on Colombo Street, north of Kilmore St., and on Manchester Street, south of Gloucester St. Vendors in Cathedral Square sell a range of kebabs and stir-frys around lunchtime ...more
Christchurch’s cafes are some of the city’s hippest lounge spots and also some of its best restaurants. Java Cafe (☎ 366 0195), at High and Lichfield St. The second story of Java looks out over ...more
Christchurch Cathedral. The centerpiece of Christchurch, this looming 1865 Gothic Revival cathedral combines stones quarried and hewn in Canterbury with wooden beams from native matai and totara. Inside ...more
Christchurch has a professional theater company and several excellent art cinemas; check the back page of The Press for current listings. The Court Theatre at the Arts Centre has two theaters running ...more
Christchurch hosts an amazing number of festivals for a city its size. The International Buskers Festival (www.worldbuskersfestival.com) attracts the world’s most talented to the streets of Christchurch ...more
For a small city, Christchurch has a lot of life. Nightlife, that is. On The Strip, the row of bars on Oxford Terr., late dinners often become pub sessions. After a few drinks on the Strip, partygoers ...more
Just 12km from Christchurch, Lyttelton is a 20min. bus ride (bus #28 or 35, every 15-30min., $2-3) from the city center via the Tunnel Rd. The small port of Lyttelton (pop. 4000) provides a welcome ...more
☎ 03 Canterbury Skiing The ski fields in the Southern Alps explode in the winter, with skiers coming from all over New Zealand to challenge Mt. Hutt. Canterbury’s slopes offer great runs, less glitz ...more
☎ 03 South Canterbury Travelers choosing to head through the plains of south Canterbury are welcomed by the locals, most of whom stand on four legs. The abundance of flat farmland in this region, ...more
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