nz_christchurch1

Christchurchian Charm...

Our drive from the Airport to Christchurch town already had us enthralled. By the time we went downtown again the next day, we were quite sure we wanted to settle down here post retirement! Such a quaint town! The city, with a population just over 300,000, and bordered by hills and the Pacific Ocean, is situated on the edge of the Canterbury plains which stretch all the way to the Southern Alps. It is a city which prides itself on its gardens - Hagley Park and the adjacent Botanic Gardens are just a few of those. And there's the gently winding Avon river which is so small that you might miss it if you didn't know about it.

We were fortunate to be there on a Sunday, when a street bazaar (its called the Craft Market) is organised in the Arts Centre, opposite the Museum. We walked around the market place, browsing at several stalls along the way, buying some knickknacks here and there, and sampling eats from all over the world - fresh fruit ice-creams, felafel rolls, roasted nuts. And then, when we got tired, we just sank onto the grass to watch a live band perform for a local competition. The Arts Centre is housed in a set of buildings, the oldest of which dates back to 1877 while the most recent one was built in 1929. These buildings were the original sites of the University of Canterbury as well as the Christchurch Girls' and Boys' High School. Canterbury College was the first in the British Empire to admit women to its classes! The building complex comprises two quadrangles on either side of a library, and the buildings are linked by a continuous string of arcades. The University moved out of this location in 1975 and since then, the Arts Centre has been a venue for arts and cultural activities and houses some craft shops as well.

We also went to the Canterbury Museum where we got an insight into the scientific exploits of the Christchurch-born Ernest (Lord) Rutherford, the discoverer of the atom's electron. The museum has a section that has replicas of various sections of Canterbury as they would've looked all those years ago: very interesting, making the exhibits come alive with the help of wax models, intelligent lighting and creative sound effects. There was also a section on explorations to Antarctica - for which New Zealand is an ideal starting point because of its proximity to the South Pole. There are other galleries on transport, European arts and costumes, Maori culture, and Asian arts, and the mandatory cafeteria and gift shop. Your time at the Museum will be well spent - it is an interesting though diverse collection of various aspects of Canterbury history.

We next walked to the visitor centre which is located on the river bank in yet another antique red-brick exterior building. The staff were helpful and well-informed and we picked up some roadmaps from there before taking a free shuttle bus to the Christchurch Gondola. The lower terminal of the gondola (unlike the Venetian gondola, this one is suspended from a cable and moves in air!) is in the Heathcote Valley, about 15 minutes from the city centre. The gondola ride took us to the top of the Port Hills, about 500 metres above sea level where we arrived on the rim of an extinct volcano. A scaled model inside a hall in the upper terminal told us all about our bearings in the larger geographical context. To the west was Christchurch town and the Canterbury Plains beyond it. To the south and the east, were views of Banks Peninsula, Lake Ellesmere and the harbour of Lyttelton, formed in the crater of the sunken extinct volcano. And to the north lay Pegasus Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Although we saw all this on the model, we couldn't see them for real due to a thick cloud cover. It suddenly became very windy and cold too, and us cowards remained indoors in the heat of the building. We did see the time tunnel heritage show which explained the geological significance of the volcanic landmass around Christchurch. This excursion turned out to be a disappointing one for us - as for you, you need decide for yourselves whether you want to make the trip.

TIP: NZ weather is variable and could even changes several times within a day - sunny and warm one minute, cold the next, rainy the third... Factor this into your travel plans and also remember to carry some warm clothing which could be taken off if necessary.

TIP: Keep your sunscreen handy because New Zealand's UV rays are among the strongest in the world due to the clarity of the air.

While driving around town, we found the names of roads very intriguing. While there were the more staid and predictable Gloucester or Manchester Streets, there was also Madras Street and another one called Colombo Street! Driving in Christchurch is fairly easy to do. Parking may get a little tough though - especially on weekdays!

An amazing insight into tourism infrastructure in New Zealand: Every single tourist brochure anywhere in the country is of the same standard size, whether broadsheet or pamphlet.

Christchurch could be a hub for trips to several other locations - to Akaroa to see its French quarter and Hector's dolphins and to Kaikoura for looking at giant sperm whales and migratory humpback whales whale. Trips are also possible on the Tranz Alpine Express, a supposedly breathtaking single-day train journey from Christchurch all the way westward to the Arthur's Pass National Park in the Southern Alps, or a half day excursion to Hanmer Springs. Apart from Hanmer, we didn't have the time for these excursions on this holiday, but maybe, just maybe, some other time ...

Dunedin, here we come! Click on the link below to read on...

I wanna go to Dunedin | Kiwi webpages sitemap | Wanderlust

May 01 2003