A plan for Christchurch

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. This especially shows in the older buildings, especially in the cultural precinct along Worcester Boulevard (which is open from the Avon River towards the west), where most heritage buildings remain. The Avon River flows through the central city and disrupts the regular rectangular layout of the city streets.

Christchurch is known as the Garden City, a well-deserved name. Looking from a few floors up, one is struck by the number of trees that grow like a forest throughout the suburbs.

History

The Canterbury Association was established in London in 1848, with the intent of settling English emigrants in what was to become Christchurch and the Canterbury region. The city's name was chosen on 27 March 1848, named after the Christ Church college at the University of Oxford. The first settlers arrived in the future Christchurch in December 1850. Christchurch was declared a city in 1856, New Zealand's first. Construction began on the landmark ChristChurch Cathedral in 1864; the cathedral was completed and consecrated in 1881.

Art centres

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. There is also a cinema (Lumière Cinemas) located here showing art-house films. To access spaces not accessible to the public, join the 90 minutes guided walk tour from Wednesday to Sunday (summer hours: 11AM–12:30PM & 1-2:30PM, $30 per adult and $15 per child (12–18 years)). Centre entry free. (updated Dec 2024)

2 Christchurch Art Gallery, Worcester Blvd and Montreal St (one block east of Botanic Gardens), ☏ +64 3 941-7300. Thu-Tue 10AM-5PM, Wed 10AM-9PM. Spectacular $47-million facility opened in 2003, the largest in the South Island, with over 5000 items and visiting exhibitions. The gallery reopened in Dec 2015, after 5 years of being a Civil Defence Centre and then repairs. You can store your suitcase at the reception, so it is a nice place to go in the morning if you are leaving in the afternoon. Usually free. (updated Oct 2016)

3 Centre of Contemporary Art (Toi Moroki, CoCA), 66 Gloucester Street. 9am–5pm. Contemporary Art by New Zealand artists. (updated Oct 2026)

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. (updated Jun 2018)

3 Christchurch Casino, 30 Victoria St, Central City, ☏ +64 3 365-9999. Daily except Good Fri, 25 Apr, 25 Dec. Dress code (jeans now allowed). You get a free meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner) if it is your birthday (booking essential).

4 Christchurch Gondola, 10 Bridle Path Rd, Heathcote Valley (take #28 bus southeast, or take Purple bus and change to #535 bus at Ferrymead), ☏ +64 3 384-0310. summer 10AM-5PM, winter 10AM-4PM, 26 Dec–31 Jan 9AM–6PM. Ride in an enclosed gondola car up to the summit of the Port Hills then view the Heritage Time Tunnel exhibit, take an outdoor nature walk, visit the cafe and shop. The trip takes 10 min but it is recommended to allow an hour all up. An hourly shuttle bus with the sign "Gondola" runs from 9:30AM-4PM in summer from Cathedral Square (beside Tram Stop 2). The shuttle bus costs $6 one way, and you can buy tickets in advance at Tram Stop 1 in Cathedral Junction (no dates on the ticket thus can be used anytime) or from the bus driver directly. Alternatively, you can take #8 public bus from Bus Interchange. Adult $42, child (5-15 years) $22, family (2 adults and up to 3 children) $117, passenger & own mountain bike $30, or with mountain bike hire $70. Discount of 10% when booking online 7 days in advance. $5 discount when buying together with Tram one day pass. (updated Jan 2025)

Self-prepared

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. (updated Jun 2017)

Other

5 Funky Pumpkin, 290 Colombo St, Sydenham. Daily 8AM-6PM. Fresh fruit and vegetables and some meat. (updated Jun 2017)

6 Holy Smoke, 650 Ferry Rd, Woolston (cnr Catherine St), ☏ +64 3 943-2222. Tue-Sat 9AM–3PM. Deli specialising in food that has been manuka-smoked in house. The smoked salmon alone is well worth the trip. (No longer has a restaurant.) (updated Jun 2017)

Budget

Fish'n'chips is the cheapest meal out.

The Asian district is mainly in the Riccarton/Upper Riccarton area. Church Corner is often considered the unofficial 'Chinatown'. It has Chinese supermarkets, all kinds of Asian restaurants and more. There are many Korean restaurants there, and in the shopping precinct near Westfield Riccarton. KOSCO, a Korean supermarket, has several branches in Christchurch, including one in Riccarton.

7 Welcome, 2 Wharenui Rd, Riccarton (just off Riccarton Rd). Delicious Chinese vegetarian meals. Don't miss the hotplate and clay pot special dishes too! Mains around $20. (updated Jun 2017)

8 Afghan Restaurant (AFG), 314 Lincoln Rd, Addington (Orange Line bus), ☏ +64 3 338 7029. Daily 5:30-9PM. A rustic place that offers tasty chicken or lamb cooked over an open flame grill, served with rice and salad. A chicken curry is usually available too. Large portions, and you can takeout any leftovers. There is no menu and no toilet on site. $20. (updated Mar 2018)

Mid-range

9 Addington Coffee Co-Op, 297 Lincoln Rd, Addington, ☏ +64 3 943 1662. Mon–Fri 7:30AM–4PM, Sat Sun 9AM–4PM. Sells fair trade coffee and clothing in a lively atmosphere. Also has a laundry. Brunch dishes $9–22. (updated Sep 2017)

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. (updated Jun 2017)

If you fancy a short drive or bus ride (approx. 15 minutes from city centre), go to The Wunderbar in Lyttelton. It has a small room for gigs and is popular with artists. The Monster Bar (downstairs, next door) is an excellent Yakitori restaurant and bar though smaller and with more of a focus on DJs.

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.

By bike

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. The Central City also has a uniform 30 km/h limit on all streets, which means that it is mostly safe to cycle even on the main street. Drivers in general are also a bit friendlier toward cyclists compared to other cities in the region.

By car

Parking in the city uses a pay and display system and costs $2.60/hour. You can pay with coins, credit card (Visa, MasterCard or AmEx) or with a mobile phone text message (the latter two attract a 50c surcharge) then display the ticket with the expiry time visible on the kerbside dash. Rental cars are available. Most depots are on the airport side of town, with just a few near the CBD.

By taxi

Grab a taxi via +64 33799799 (Blue Star), +64 33775555 (First Direct), or +64 33795795 (Gold Band). Uber is also available in Christchurch.

By tram

The city has a small heritage tram loop, best regarded as an attraction rather than a transport system due to its small size of coverage, high price ($40 day pass), limited hours, and odd choice of route (it is faster to walk in most instances). Refer to Tram Ride in the Do section for more details.

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 areas 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 Fridays and Saturdays, as levels of intoxication can lead to unwanted attention or unprovoked violence. Avoid dark alleyways and confrontations and, if in doubt, make haste to a populated area and call the police (dial 111).

1 Christchurch Central Police Station, 40 Lichfield Street, ☏ 105.

2 24 Hour Surgery, 401 Madras St (just south of Bealey Ave), ☏ +64 3 365 7777. 24 hours. Urgent accident and medical centre, with on-site facilities for fractures. Medical $85-190; Accident (ACC) $70-155. (updated May 2017)