Last Updated on 8th January 2019 by Sarah and Justin
After seeing so much beauty throughout the South Island of New Zealand, it was a bit of a contrast to arrive in Christchurch. We’d heard the center of the city had been leveled by an earthquake in 2011, but we didn’t really grasp what that meant until we got there. Buildings were in rubble and most of the city was under construction. It’s a hard thing to see.
But there were some lovely parts of the city that survived or had been rebuilt and we had ourselves a really nice two days there. If you find yourself flying through Christchurch, don’t just pass on through. Give it a shot (and some of your tourism dollars) and it might surprise you.
See Cathedral Square
ChristChurch Cathedral was destroyed in the earthquake. They are in the process of rebuilding, but half the building is still in rubble. There are art installations all around the ruins, though, which makes it a bit more hopeful.
Eat and shop at Re:Start
Re:Start is an outdoor mall/food court housed in shipping containers. The whole place is brightly colored and fun to walk around. The food is great (including a lot of Asian street food) and the shops are cute.
Visit the Botanic Garden and Hagley Park
We rented really cheap city bikes and rode around Hagley Park and the Botanic Garden. It was a beautiful spot that was a great respite from all the construction.
We found the biggest most beautiful tree.
And (like we did in many other cities all over the world) we happened upon their World Peace Bell.
Play ping pong
There are a few public ping pong tables throughout the city. We played to pass the time before going to the airport, always stopping play for the passing trams.
Go to the Tree Museum
This “museum” is really just a tiny grouping of native NZ trees. If you happen to walk by it, definitely stop in!
Saying goodbye
After nearly a month in New Zealand, Christchurch was a good place to come back to reality a bit. We weren’t entirely ready to move on and away from this amazing country, but we knew we’d given it its due. We left much unseen, though, so we promise we’ll be back.
Hello wonderful travellers…from Bronwyn, Lesley and Lisa in New Zealand.
We have just looked at your blog around our country, posted 29 June….it is fantastic. Your photographs are magic and I am going to send your “time in New Zealand” to all our friends. We know that we are pretty lucky living in this ‘paradise at the bottom of the earth’ and you managed to capture it with your words, your pictures, your choices of where you visited, your appreciation of what our tiny country and its people had to offer and your amazing enjoyment —in the wind, the rain and the sunshine.
It was our incredible pleasure to have met you both and to have been able to share our thoughts places to visit, what to do, what to eat and how to enjoy everything we have to offer. There are so many people who come here and don’t get near even 10 % of where you travelled. No wonder you want to come back; we are waiting for you both with our arms open.!!!