Christchurch City Guide - overview

The largest city on South Island, Christchurch is the most English of New Zealand's cities, named after an Oxford college. The atmosphere is reminiscent of an English university town, with school boys in striped blazers and punting on the River Avon, a grand Anglican cathedral dominating the central square, little stone-walled bridges, elegant Victorian architecture and numerous parks and exquisite gardens.

Dubbed the 'Garden City', it is the lively capital of the Canterbury region, priding itself on its green areas, arts and history as well as its sports. The surrounds offer beach suburbs, protected bays and dolphin swimming, green valleys and snow-capped mountain ranges for skiing, hiking, mountain biking and climbing. The city itself has a relaxed and cosmopolitan centre with historic trams rattling along the streets of the bustling downtown area, a lively pub and restaurant scene, theatres, street buskers, museums and art galleries.

Christchurch is the gateway to the South Island and offers the visitor an appealing mixture of historic charm and vibrant city life, a pleasing balance between urban pursuits and outdoor activities. With the least rainfall of any of the other cities and plenty of sunshine it is a perfect base for a Canterbury experience.

Getting around: Christchurch has an efficient public transport system and is an easy city to negotiate. The bus service is reliable and has a Midnight Express service running from 12pm to 4am on four principal routes. Free, bright yellow electric shuttles service the city centre, with easy-to-spot bright yellow pick up points. Visitors can also enjoy a ride on the city's tram, which runs from Cathedral Square, and the City Circuit Bus connects major attractions in the city. Taxis are readily available and there are also several car rental agencies. Bicycles are another popular mode of transport and the city has several safe bike routes.