Christchurch - The Garden City
The south island’s largest and most populous city has a lot to offer and deserves more attention.
When thinking of Christchurch, many people’s minds go to the devastating Earthquake in 2011. And, while the city may still be recovering from it to this day, the spirit of the locals remains as strong as ever.
Christchurch understandably took a huge hit in visitor numbers following the quake. These days the scars of that fateful day are still visible when visiting the city and surrounding suburbs, but there is still plenty to see and do in the Garden City.
Here are a few things we recommend:
Christchurch Botanic Gardens
The gardens are situated right in the heart of Christchurch and are a much loved gem of the city. The Christchurch Botanic Gardens contain one the most impressive collections of both exotic and native New Zealand plants in the country and, with 500,000 recorded visitors each year, are one of the city’s most visited public spaces. Colourful herbaceous borders and some of the tallest and largest trees in the country make a visit to the gardens an absolute must!
Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu
The building could be considered a piece of art itself, with the glass facade designed to resemble the flowing Avon river. The Christchurch Art Gallery is home to one of New Zealand's most important public art collections. The gallery houses a collections of classics right through to modern art, and regularly displays works from renowned local and international artists.
Hagley Park
Hagley Park has become iconic and is now synonymous with the city of Christchurch. This sprawling park offers vast green spaces dotted with century-old trees and stunning floral shows in springtime. Walk, run or cycle its pathways, or take on the challenging fitness circuit.
Golf
The region of Christchurch and Canterbury has over 40 courses ranging from Championship par 72 courses to charming country greens. On a holiday to Christchurch you could spend every single day playing a different course and still not get to all of them. Some popular courses in the region include Clearwater, Terrace Downs, Pegasus Golf Club, Everglades Golf Course, Amberley Golf Club and Methven Golf Club amongst many others.
Food and Drink
Christchurch’s central city was hit particularly hard by the 2011 quake and businesses there suffered significantly, with many having to cease operations permanently. Thankfully these days the city is again thriving thanks to some immense reconstruction efforts. The city is now again full of some fantastic restaurants and bars that can provide a great night out. Some popular restaurants are Curator's House, Original Sin, Tramway Restaurant, Baretta, Little Neighbourhood and Madam Woo. Popular bars in the central city include Kong, Fat Eddies, Mama Hooch, The Irishman, The Astro Lounge and many more.
Discover Christchurch with Rite Price Rentals! Rent a car from Rotorua, Hamilton or Tauranga and explore everything the city and its surrounding areas has to offer. We have car hire, van hire and truck hire options depending on your needs and the size of your family or group. Rite Price Rentals is New Zealand’s trusted car rental company.
