Christchurch Information - hotels, restaurants, golf, weather, maps & more

Ask a random group of Americans and Europeans to name two cities in New Zealand, and you might be met with some blank stares. Most folks can name the capital city of Auckland without too much trouble, but after that, most people go blank. However, thanks to the worldwide impact of the Lord of the Rings films, New Zealand has been experiencing a surge in tourism and popularity like none they have ever seen before. The capital city has benefited greatly from this publicity, but so have smaller towns such as Christchurch, Canterbury and Queenstown. Locals can only hope that these bucolic bergs retain their charm and their innocence now that the secret is out.

The city of Christchurch is located on the southern island and is right on the water, which makes it one of the most important cities in the country. The city itself is incredibly beautiful, very well laid out and a photographer’s dream come true with the rugged coastline and steep mountains just a stone’s throw away. The population here is just over 350,000, but it doesn’t seem to be that crowded. The city forefathers took great care in laying out Christchurch so that the city has a natural, even flow to it, and thanks to the ingenious planning, Christchurch has acres and acres of green space for everything from sports to picnics. There is a reason why more and more tourists flock to New Zealand each and every year; this is a very special place.

While it may not be your main goal when you get here, if you have ever had any desire to visit Antarctica, there are excursions that leave from this part of New Zealand a few times a year during the summertime. You may never get another chance to have such an amazing adventure, but even if you decide to stick to Christchurch, there is plenty here to get your blood pumping.

Unfortunately many people have targeted Christchurch as a very proper city with a large native population, but the recent influx of tourists has led to another phenomenon: immigration. The number of new New Zealanders over the past 10 years has skyrocketed. That fact combined with a burgeoning university population means the streets of Christchurch are alive with an energy and youthfulness the city hasn’t seen in eons. This basically means that when you come to visit, there will be more daring restaurants, more fashionable clubs and more interesting boutique hotels open for tourists everywhere to enjoy. The art scene is exploding up here, as well. Galleries and showrooms line the streets in certain parts of town and it seems like there is a new opening or show every month. What was once a quiet city has turned into one of the hottest spots in the hemisphere for music, art and film.

So if you are planning that once in a lifetime New Zealand vacation, don’t forget to spend a week in Christchurch. It is a city you could spend weeks in all by itself.