Christchurch

Christchurch or Ōtautahi (in Ngāi Tahu), aka The Garden City. Population: 350,000.

Downtown Christchurch in Winter

Interactive Map of Christchurch

Located on the east coast, Christchurch is the South Island's largest city. For many travellers Christchurch International Airport is the point of entry to the country.

• On the eastern edge of the city is Pegasus Bay and the Pacific Ocean with safe swimming beaches and good surfing.

• Banks Peninsula/Horomaka lies to the SE of the city and features sheltered bays, sandy beaches, bush clad valleys, rocky coastline and high, wild places. Boating, tramping, a visit to the wineries and the French settlers' harbourside village of Akaroa are key peninsula attractions.

• To the west, past fertile Canterbury Plains and braided rivers, are forested foothills and lakes. Beyond them lie the the Southern Alps, strung out parallel to the coastline. The Alps contain a number of ski areas - the largest commercial ski area being Mt Hutt approx 90 minutes drive from ChCh.

• Kaikoura is 2 hours to the north on SH1.
• Dunedin is 4-5 hours drive to the south on SH1
• The West Coast is 2 hours drive to the west over Arthurs Pass

Couch Surfing Community

• There is a healthy number of active CS hosts in Christchurch and a growing CS Community. We try to have at least one get-together each month. Check the Christchurch group for info about the next get-together.

Until early 2008 KirstySarah was the CS City Ambassador but Christchurch is now an Ambassador-free city.

• CS Groups:

Christchurch

New Zealand

New Zealand Brotherhood

Upcoming CS Social Meetings

Check the Christchurch group for info about our regular social meetings.

Past CS Meetings

• Sept 06 - Luna1^TalkCS hosted NZ Collective Meeting.
• Nov 06 - KirstySarah hosted CS BBQ at her house.
• Dec 06 - KirstySarah organised a late afternoon get-together at Dux de Lux followed by meal at Fu Hua.
• March 07 - Kirstysarah organised get together at "Cheap as Chips" concert, University of Canterbury.
• March 07 - Shai, Anu and Kirstysarah organised a get together at Dux de Lux.
• April 07 - Kirstysarah hosted a party April 21.
• May 07 - Kirstysarah organised a dinner/get together at Sampan House, Tuesday May 22.
• June 07 - Frederique Bertrand hosted a Bday/St john Baptiste/CS Meet at her house June 24

Christchurch for the Visitor

History

• Maori oral history suggests that people first inhabited the Canterbury area about a thousand years ago.

• These first inhabitants were moa-hunting tribes and these were followed by the Waitaha who are thought to have migrated from the east coast of the North Island in the 16th century. This migration was joined by the Ngati Mamoe and Ngai Tahu and continued until about 1830.

• The first European landed in Canterbury in 1815, 45 years after Captain James Cook sighted what he named "Banks Island", later found to be a peninsula.

• In 1840 the first Europeans settled on the plains and whaling ships were operating out of Lyttelton by 1850.

• During 1850-1851 the first organised groups of English settlers, the founders of Christchurch, arrived on the 'first four ships' into Lyttelton Harbour.

• Christchurch became a city by Royal Charter on July 31, 1856, making it officially the oldest established city in New Zealand.

• In 1893 New Zealand women achieved a first in the world when they won the right to vote. This significant event was honoured in 1993 when the Kate Sheppard memorial, a commemoration to Women's Suffrage was unveiled on 19th September 1993.

• Canterbury's economy was built on primary products and Canterbury has long been recognised as living "off the sheep's back". Although its economic beginnings were in refrigerated sheep and dairy meats and in other dairy products, Canterbury now has a diversified regional economy with growth across a range of sectors.

Attractions

• Canterbury Museum
• Botanic Gardens
• Antarctic Centre
• Art Centre
• Christchurch Cathedral
• Lyttelton
• World Buskers' Festival - January each year
• for a comprehensive list of festivals, shows and events (many free) see be there

Eat

• Fu Hua Hot Pot, 178 St Asaph Street.

CSers Guaka, Beito and KirstySarah were happily surprised by the mess they were able to make for dinner in this more than interesting and quite cheap Asian restaurant. You should try it with your hosts/guests.

• Govinda's, 602 Colombo Street. HareKrishna restaurant open Mon - Sat 11.30am - 2.30pm for $6 vegetarian lunch. Also open Friday evenings 5.30pm - 8pm. Good value and delicious!!

• Mum's 24. Corner Gloucester and Colombo Streets. Japanese and Korean.... large menu, nice and cheap. Value for money

• C1 Espresso, 150 High St. Not quite as funky atmosphere as it used to be (the surrounding area has gone Upmarket) but still the best coffee in ChCh. Good range of affordable food and great music & friendly staff.

• Sophie's Cafe - If you've got your PJs with you as you travel a great place to be on a Sunday morning is Sophie's cafe - 8 Papanui Road (about 15-20 mins walk from the Square , corner of Papanui Road and Bealey Ave). They give a half price discount for pyjama wearers, and the food is plenty big, and delicious. It gets pretty busy though, so you may wanna give em a call and book the night before (03) 3552133

• Soul Food Cafe(formerly Gravity Cafe), Cotters Lane, 158 High Street. A very nice small quiet cafe with large courtyard. Vegetarian and vegan food only. Hare Krishna owned and operated. Fairtrade coffee.

• Switch Espresso, Carnaby Street, New Brighton Mall, New Brighton. Roasters of excellent organic Fairtrade coffee. Coffee only - no food.

Live Music Venues

• The Dux de Lux, located at the Arts Centre. Cnr Hereford and Montreal Streets. Live local music most nights, see Dux Gig Guide

• Al's Bar 31 Dundas Street. Awesome bar with live acts most nights... Run by local music legend Al Park, who is frequently found behind the bar himself and is always armed with musical conversation. Great atmosphere and Al always hand picks prime nz musicians to play

• the Wunderbar located just out of the city in the harbourside town of Lyttelton. Another great live venue for kiwi musicians, also hold regular poetry nights. Definitely the bar with the best (and most interesting) decor in the Canty area.

• The Loons, 16 Canterbury Street, Lyttelton, Christchurch.

• FOR A LIST OF MUSICAL ACTS, PLAYS AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENT IN VENUES THROUGHOUT CHRISTCHURCH SEE: nzlive

• FULL MOON FIRE...and drumming

New Brighton, on the beach, under the pier. From dusk on the Friday evening closest to the full moon. Year round. All welcome!

Keeping Active

• Centennial Leisure Centre Armagh Street. Large modern swimming pool and gym facilities in central city, with reasonable casual rates.
• the roxx climbing centre Cnr Waltham road and Byron Street (about 30 mins walk from Square or 10 mins by bus. Over 100 top rope & lead climb routes; dedicated bouldering area with marked problems.
• South Island Surfing Company Beach end of New Brighton Mall, New Brighton. Learn to surf with Dave or Trish. Lessons for beginner and intermediate surfers. Summer and winter.

Browse

• One hour of internet access at an internet cafe usually sets you back NZ$2 (or outrageous NZ$19 at Starbucks)

• Wifi hotspots are limited but are becoming more widely available.

You can find free wifi at Christchurch Central city library (opening times). Just bring your wifi-enabled computer and accept the license terms upon launching your browser. Similar free wifi services available in the foyer of the Hoyts movie theatre at Riccarton Mall, however, there are no power sockets available so you must run your laptop off battery.

Getting Around

• MetroInfo - Bus timetables and routes. NZ$ 2.50 for adult ticket, discounts with the Metro Card (if you have a local address). Airport bus takes off from Cathedral Square right at the heart of the city every half an hour (days) or hour (evenings) for NZ$7.00

• Bicycling is a good way to get around within the central city (it being flat as a pancake with biking lanes on most of the main arterial roads) and there are some mountain biking tracks on the nearby Port Hills and in Bottle Lake Forest at Waimairi Beach/North Shore.

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