The largest city on New Zealand's South Island, Christchurch was a city originally conceived as being forever English, and is dominated by the Anglican Cathedral at its centre as well as the River Avon that flows through its centre.
It's a great place to begin a holiday on the South Island, and nearby there are beaches, mountains and wilderness areas for which New Zealand is famous, but there is also plenty to see and do in the city making it much more than just a place to stop off on the way to somewhere else.
Christchurch has great shopping along Colombo Street, as well as a great nightlife, and plenty of historic buildings and some interesting museums to visit, most notably the Nga Hau e Wha National Marae, the largest traditional Maori complex in New Zealand, where local guides will show you the old ways and changes that they are going through.
Christchurch is also well known as an arts centre for the country, and many of the buildings that made up the old University of Canterbury have been converted into galleries for painting and sculpture by many of the regions best-known artists.
Most visitors come to Christchurch as a part of a longer holiday exploring the Antipodes, or as a stop off on a round the world holiday, and as the gateway to the rural South Island of New Zealand, it's a great place to visit and there is plenty to do for a few days before heading off elsewhere.
Facts for the Traveller:
Name: New Zealand
Capital: Wellington
Area: 270,534 Sq KM
Population: 3.8 million
Language: English, Maori
Flight Time: 24 Hours from London
Currency: New Zealand Dollar
