Christchurch.
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Overview

Christchurch (Māori: Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the second most-populous urban area in the country. As well as having the most attractions of any place in the South Island, it's the major international entry point for visiting the rest of the island. It is on the east coast of the South Island, and is the centre of the Canterbury region.

Christchurch is rebuilding after an earthquake in February 2011 that severely damaged it, even a decade onwards. The city is back in business and open to visitors; you will encounter construction sites, roadworks and vacant land (often used as temporary car parks) as you travel around.

Understand

Christchurch is on the Canterbury plains on the eastern coast of the South Island, just north of Banks Peninsula. The city has a population of 385,000 (2023), increasing to 520,000 people when including its commuting zone. Whether Christchurch or Wellington is New Zealand's second-largest urban area is debatable and depends on where people draw the boundaries; however, the boundaries as used by Statistics New Zealand clearly give Christchurch the title in all measures.

Christchurch has a rich English heritage. This especially shows in the older buildings, especially in the cultural precinct along Worcester Boulevard (which is open from the Avon River towards the west), where most heritage buildings remain. The Avon River flows through the central city and disrupts the regular rectangular layout of the city streets.

Christchurch is known as the Garden City, a well-deserved name. Looking from a few floors up, one is struck by the number of trees that grow like a forest throughout the suburbs.

The Canterbury Association was established in London in 1848, with the intent of settling English emigrants in what was to become Christchurch and the Canterbury region. The city's name was chosen on 27 March 1848, named after the Christ Church college at the University of Oxford. The first settlers arrived in the future Christchurch in December 1850. Christchurch was declared a city in 1856, New Zealand's first. Construction began on the landmark ChristChurch Cathedral in 1864; the cathedral was completed and consecrated in 1881.

The Port Hills, which separated Christchuch from the deepwater port of Lyttelton, proved to be an obstacle in the early days, with goods requiring transshipment onto smaller ships that could use the shallow port at Ferrymead, or carried on horseback across the hills. The separation was the impetus for New Zealand's first railway, opening in 1863 from central Christchurch to Ferrymead in 1863 and then to Lyttelton once the 2.6-km Lyttelton Rail Tunnel under the Port Hills was completed in 1867. Nearly a century later in 1964, the rail tunnel was supplemented by the 2.0-km Lyttelton Road Tunnel, which held the title of New Zealand's longest road tunnel until the Waterview tunnels in Auckland opened in 2017.

At 4:35AM on Saturday, 4 September 2010, the city and region was hit by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake, located 10 km deep and 40 km west of the city centre. Parts of the city were damaged, but there were no fatalities. However, 5½ months later, at 12:51PM on Tuesday, 22 February 2011, a magnitude 6.3 aftershock struck 10 km south of the city centre at 5 km deep. Already damaged buildings collapsed, killing 185 people, 115 of which resulted from the six-storey Canterbury Television building collapsing and catching fire. Many other central city buildings, old and new, were damaged beyond repair and were subsequently demolished. The landmark ChristChurch Cathedral lost its spire tower and most of its western facade. Liquefaction severely affected the eastern suburbs, resulting in 10,000 homes having to be abandoned due to land damage (the "residential red zone"). Some residents moved out of the city after the quake; many moved out to the Waimakariri and Selwyn Districts north and south of the city respectively, and some moved to other areas in Canterbury and further afield.

A very hip scene has developed in some of the suburbs close to the centre, and many 'gapfiller' projects (as part of the earthquake recovery) are stunning. In 2013, Lonely Planet declared post-earthquake Christchurch as one of the top 10 travel destinations in the world.

In March 2019, an Australian man with white-supremacist views carried out a terrorist attack on two mosques in the city, killing 51 people in the deadliest mass shooting in modern New Zealand history. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. The attacks resulted in a significant tightening of gun laws in New Zealand.

Like the rest of New Zealand, Christchurch has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, mild to warm summers, cool winters, and rainfall evenly distributed throughout the year. The city is the driest of New Zealand's major cities with only 630 mm of rain per year, half of what Auckland and Wellington receive. This is due to the city being in the lee of the Southern Alps, which blocks the moist westerly winds off the Tasman Sea and causes the moisture to fall back as rain on the West Coast. The Southern Alps also causes a hot and strong foehn wind, locally known as the "Nor'wester", to blow across Christchurch and the Canterbury plains. The Nor'wester is most pronounced in summer and can cause temperatures in Christchurch to soar over . Despite this, typical summer average temperatures are only for daytime highs and for nighttime lows; and summer temperatures above during the day and over at night are uncommon. Christchurch occasionally receives snow during winter; on average one significant snowfall occurs in the city every 1 to 3 years. Winter sunrises are as late as 8AM, with sunsets prior to 5PM. In the summer, daylight lasts from 5:45AM to as late as 9PM.

Visitor information Official website

Get in

There are three regular public bus services from the airport to the city centre. The number 29 bus travels via Fendalton, and the number 3 bus travels via the University of Canterbury and Riccarton, however, the 8 travels through Burnside.

If you have a few hours to spare and no heavy luggage, you can walk to the airport. There is a footpath alongside Fendalton Road/Memorial Avenue all the way to the airport and the 8 km walk through residential neighbourhoods is quite pleasant.

By car Christchurch lies at the intersection of State Highways 1 and 73. State Highways 1, 74 and 76 form a ring road through the outer suburbs of the city.

From the Upper South Island, follow State Highway 1 southbound through Waipara, Amberley, Woodend and Kaiapoi to approach Christchurch from the north.

From the West Coast, follow State Highway 73 over Arthur's Pass and via Darfield and West Melton to approach Christchurch from the west. Alternatively, you can follow State Highway 7 over the Lewis Pass, meeting State Highway 1 at Waipara and approaching Christchurch from the north.

From the Lower South Island, follow State Highway 1 northbound through Ashburton and Rolleston to approach Christchurch from the south-west.

Typical distances and non-stop travel times to Christchurch are: Picton – 340 km, 6 hr (via Kaikoura); 480 km, 7 hr (via Lewis Pass) Blenheim – 310 km, 5 hr 30 min (via Kaikoura); 450 km, 6 hr 30 min (via Lewis Pass) Nelson – 420 km, 6 hr (via Lewis Pass) Greymouth – 240 km, 3 hr 15 min Timaru – 170 km, 2 hr 15 min Dunedin – 360 km, 4 hr 30 min Queenstown – 480 km, 6 hr Invercargill – 570 km, 7 hr

By bus National operator InterCity provide multiple daily connections to destinations throughout the South Island. There are daily bus services to and from Picton to the north, Dunedin, Queenstown and Aoraki / Mt Cook to the south, and the West Coast (Greymouth, Hokitika). The bus stop is outside the Bus Interchange on Lichfield Street, and there is an Intercity office inside the Interchange. Newmans Coach Lines buses (to Tekapo/Queenstown) depart from outside Canterbury Museum in Rolleston Ave, nearest the Worcester Boulevard intersection.

Smaller shuttle operators also operate from Christchurch: East West Coaches run shuttle buses from Westport via the Lewis Pass, and via Greymouth and the Arthur's Pass. The bus stops at the Canterbury Museum, Rolleston Ave.

The TranzAlpine can take you coast-to-coast between Christchurch and Greymouth, a town on the West Coast. This scenic train journey can be done as a day trip. The train departs from Christchurch daily at 8:15AM, arriving at Greymouth at 12:45PM, then leaves Greymouth at 1:45PM, getting back to Christchurch at 6:05PM. During the trip you’ll see the fields of the Canterbury Plains, followed by spectacular gorges and river valleys of the Waimakariri River. The train then climbs into the Southern Alps before descending through lush beech rain forest to Greymouth.

The Coastal Pacific runs between Picton and Christchurch. At Picton the Coastal Pacific connects with the Cook Strait ferries from Wellington in the North Island. The train departs Christchurch at 7AM and arrives in Picton at 1:15PM, connecting with the 2PM ferry to Wellington. The 9AM ferry from Wellington connects with the train departing Picton at 2:15PM and arriving in Christchurch at 8:30PM. Canterbury Shuttles pick-ups for the Coastal Pacific are 6-6:30AM.

Get around

Christchurch is mostly flat with a grid-pattern layout, so navigation by road is generally simple. The central city is contained by the "four avenues": Bealey Ave in the north, Fitzgerald Ave in the east, Deans Ave in the west, and Moorhouse Ave in the south. Watch out for one-way streets and bus-and-taxi-only intersections in the central city. By bike Many people get around on bicycles, and special-purpose bicycle lanes have been added to many streets to help promote cycling. The city is more bike-friendly than many other New Zealand cities and almost all Australian cities. The Central City also has a uniform 30 km/h limit on all streets, which means that it is mostly safe to cycle even on the main street. Drivers in general are also a bit friendlier toward cyclists compared to other cities in the region.

Rental cars are available. Most depots are on the airport side of town, with just a few near the CBD.

Uber is also available in Christchurch.

Refer to Tram Ride in the Do section for more details.

The city bus service is called Metro. Buses interconnect through the on Lichfield St, just east of Colombo St. Services cover the whole city and areas of interest for a visitor that lie outside the central city, such as Sumner and New Brighton beaches, Lyttelton, and the Gondola.

The core bus network has four cross-city routes and a circular route through the inner suburbs. Buses on these routes run every 15 minutes during the day, seven days a week. The four cross-city routes converge at the Bus Interchange.

Route 1 - Runs north–south between Belfast and Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH). Every other service continues north of Belfast to Kaiapoi and Rangiora, and every other service continues south of PMH to Cashmere. Connects with Orbiter at Northlands (north) and PMH (south). Route 3 - Runs northwest–southeast between the Airport or Sheffield Crescent (alternating services) and Sumner. Connects with Orbiter at University of Canterbury and Westfield Riccarton. Route 5 - Runs west–east between Hornby and New Brighton. Every other service continues west of Hornby to Rolleston. Connects with the Orbiter at Westfield Riccarton (west) and Eastgate Mall (east). Route 7 - Runs south-west-northeast between Halswell and Queenspark. Connects with Orbiter at The Palms Mall. The Orbiter (Or, green) - Runs a circular route through the inner suburbs, starting and ending at Eastgate.

In some areas buses may be infrequent, particularly at the weekend, when there may only be one or two buses per hour.

They do not come with safety equipment such as helmets. Pedestrians may need to watch out for inexperienced riders.

See

Arts Centre. Gothic Revival stonework of former University campus. This area was damaged during the 22 Feb 2011 earthquake. By late 2022 reconstruction work was mostly complete, with two buildings still to be restored. The beauty and historical significance of these building can be appreciated by viewing them from surrounding streets such as Worcester Blvd and Hereford St, or from the internal courtyard. Four art galleries, the Great Hall (and the courtyard outside) and Rutherford's Den (donation requested), an exhibition on physics, are open. If you want to stay, the Observatory Hotel has 33 upmarket rooms. There is also a cinema (Lumière Cinemas) located here showing art-house films.

Christchurch Art Gallery. The gallery reopened in Dec 2015, after 5 years of being a Civil Defence Centre and then repairs. You can store your suitcase at the reception, so it is a nice place to go in the morning if you are leaving in the afternoon.

Centre of Contemporary Art. Contemporary Art by New Zealand artists.

Cardboard Cathedral. Designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, well known for his use of cardboard elements in buildings. Completed in August 2013 to serve as the transitional Anglican cathedral since ChristChurch Cathedral was damaged in an earthquake in 2011. Unfortunately the original Christchurch Cathedral still has not finished its repair in 2025 so this Transitional Cathedral served and will serve a longer term for Christians in Christchurch. It is built on the site of St Johns church, which was demolished after being severely damaged in the 2011 quake.

St Michael and All Angels Church. This wooden Anglican church dating from 1872 suffered only minor quake damage (it was closed for three months). It has an unusual separate bell tower.

Air Force Museum. Opened in 1987 before the closure of the Christchurch RNZAF base, this museum has full-size replicas of fighting planes and dramatizes the history of New Zealand's Air Force from World War I to Vietnam and beyond.

Canterbury Museum. Includes colonial, Māori and natural history sections, Antarctic exploration display, and visiting exhibitions. Closed until mid-2029 for rebuilding. A small selection of exhibits is on shown in the CoCA gallery at 66 Gloucester Street (daily 9AM-5PM), near the Art Gallery.

International Antarctic Centre. A world-class Antarctic experience with simulated polar weather, Hagglund All-Terrain Vehicle ride, penguins, extensive exhibits about Antarctic science missions, café and gift shop.

Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities. A collection of artefacts from Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Near Eastern cultures.

Yaldhurst Museum. Mostly interesting for its collection of over 150 classic and vintage vehicles. Closed since Covid and it is estimated to reopen in 2025.

Earthquake tourism Tours of affected sites are available. Visitors can also make their own way to sites of particular significance such as:

Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial. Dedicated to those who died or were injured in the 22 February 2011 earthquake. It is beside the Avon River, immediately downstream from Montreal St and upstream from Rhododendron Island in the Avon.

185 Empty Chairs. Was an art work and memorial to the 185 people who died in the 22 February 2011 earthquake. The chairs were on the site of the demolished St Paul's Church, across the road from the site of the most casualties, the Canterbury Television building, where 115 people died. The chairs were removed in April 2023 and have been dispersed around the city; most are in private gardens, but a few may be visible.

Site of Canterbury Television building. The site of the CTV building, where 115 people died was planted as a memorial garden in 2018.

ChristChurch Cathedral. The Gothic revival cathedral was consecrated in 1881 as the seat of the Christchurch Anglican diocese. Damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, the cathedral sat largely untouched for years due to debate over what should be done with it. Removal of rubble commenced in late 2018 and rebuilding work is expected to take 10 years.

Quake City. Coordinated by Canterbury Museum, it has exhibits about earthquakes in Christchurch, particularly the quakes of 2010–11.

Christchurch Botanic Gardens. 30 hectares of exotic and indigenous plants and trees wrapped in a loop of the picturesque Avon River and linking to the 160-hectare Hagley Park. These put the "Garden" in the "Garden City", and the combined total with Hagley Park makes them the second largest inner city park in the world (after New York's Central Park). A new visitor centre and cafe opened in 2014.

Bridge of Remembrance. A memorial to those lost in World War I and subsequent conflicts. A memorial arch was added to an existing bridge over the River Avon in 1923-24. The arch was damaged in the 2011 quake and reopened after repairs on Anzac Day 2016. The bridge is open all the time to walk across, but has been closed to vehicles since 1976.

Ferrymead Heritage Park. A recreated Edwardian township and museum with horse and carriage (daily), tram (weekends and school/public holidays) and train (first and third Sunday) rides. Not all attractions run at all times, due to the voluntary nature of the historical societies managing the park. Special events are often held and the park has been used to film the TV One reality show Colonial House.

Orana Wildlife Park. New Zealand's largest wildlife sanctuary and conservation project featuring endangered animals from around the world. The park's design minimises fences and cages in favour of natural boundaries and habitats. Lion Encounter (limited 20 tickets per day, participants must be above 1.4 metres in height).

Riccarton Bush. The last remaining forest remnant on the Canterbury plains is in Christchurch city. If your time is limited in NZ, this is a great way to experience an example of the country's native forests. The circular track passes under tall kahikatea trees, and there is a diversity of small trees, shrubs, climbers and ferns. Christchurch's oldest house, Dean's Cottage (built 1843), is adjacent. Five minutes drive from central city and easily accessible by bus.

Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. A smaller park than Orana, with a focus on New Zealand species including kiwi in a natural environment. The site also houses Ko Tāne replica Maori village which offers cultural performances and hangi dinners.

Statue of James Cook. Commemorating the 3 journeys of Captain James Cook to New Zealand. The statue was unveiled in 1932 and was moved to its present location in 1989.

Mona Vale. Elizabethan-style riverside homestead with gardens.

Do

Antigua Boatsheds. Boat hire from historic British boatsheds for a hands-on water experience.

Christchurch Adventure Park. Very good mountain biking trails for advanced, intermediate and beginner bikers, and also zip-lines. Take the chairlift up then bike down. There are bike and gear rentals, lessons and skills clinics, and a cafe and bar. There are charges for the chairlift, rather than the biking as such – you can take the uphill trail for free.

Christchurch Casino. Dress code (jeans now allowed). You get a free meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner) if it is your birthday (booking essential).

Christchurch Gondola. Ride in an enclosed gondola car up to the summit of the Port Hills then view the Heritage Time Tunnel exhibit, take an outdoor nature walk, visit the cafe and shop. The trip takes 10 min but it is recommended to allow an hour all up. An hourly shuttle bus with the sign "Gondola" runs from 9:30AM-4PM in summer from Cathedral Square (beside Tram Stop 2). Alternatively, you can take #8 public bus from Bus Interchange.

Cricket: Hagley Oval. With a capacity of 9000, it hosts Test matches, plus Canterbury Knights men's and Magicians women's teams.

Garden City Helicopters. Scenic flights from 20 min to 3 hours.

Punting on the Avon. Punts depart from Antigua Boatsheds (see above). Glide down the river in Cambridge University style with a uniformed boatsman. An additional route departure at Worcester Bridge is available in summer.

Summit Road. Drive it or bike it or take a bus then walk it. The road (and the Crater Rim Walkway) traverses the crest of the Port Hills, which separate Christchurch from Lyttelton Harbour. Breathtaking views over Christchurch, the Southern Alps, Pegasus Bay, Lyttelton Harbour and Banks Peninsula – often all from the same vantage point. Lots of sheep on the walkways, some of which traverse working farms. It is not possible to drive along all of Summit Rd because part is closed due to earthquake damage. The route passes through countryside that was badly burned by the Port Hill fires in Feb 2017.

Tram ride. Runs on a loop in the central city that takes 50 min in total. Get on and off as you please with your day-long ticket. Ticket can be bought online, on aboard, or at the office in stop 1 (109 Worcester Street).

Christ's College. 80-minute tours of the independent (fee-paying) boarding school. The school was established in 1850 and follows the English public school model. The school has about 650 boys who wear a black and white striped blazer. Tour tickets can be bought from the i-Site.

Sign of Walkway. From Sign of the Takahe on Dyers Pass Rd. to Sign of the Kiwi through Victoria Park, and then along the Summit Rd. to Sign of the Bellbird. You will pass various "Sign of the..." places which were built during the Depression as rest stops.

Bridle Path Walk. Take #28 bus to Heathcote, then walk to Lyttelton. This steep walk takes about 1.5 hours one way. An alternative option is taking the Gondola up to Mt Cavendish and walk down.

Awaroa-Godley Head Loop Track. Starting from Taylors Mistake car park, this loop takes about 3 hours. Along the way you can observe various seabirds, penguins, or even dolphins, seals, and whales if you are lucky.

Electric Avenue. Music festival running in February in Hagley Park.

The World Buskers Festival. Runs for two weeks in January and usually features about 30 comedy, street, and circus acts from around the globe.

Kidsfest. During the midwinter school holiday. Programme is announced in early June.

Christchurch Arts Festival. The largest arts festival in the South Island, it takes place every second year around Aug-Sep.

Carnival Week. Centred on a number of events taking place in November - Guy Fawkes' night (a major public firework display at New Brighton Pier), the two New Zealand Cup (trotting and galloping) horse racing meetings, and the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral show, which is the largest in the country.

Carols by Candlelight. A long-standing tradition on Christmas Eve.

Open Christchurch. Architecture festival in early May giving an opportunity to see inside about 50 buildings, some require pre-booking.

See the Christchurch City Council website for a directory of smaller events.

Buy

Riverside. Indoor market with fresh produce and food stalls - full of artwork, local products and seating areas

Ballantynes. This major upmarket department store has been through its fair share of disasters – as well as the earthquakes of the 2010s, in 1947 the store was gutted by the deadliest fire in New Zealand history, with 41 deaths.

Christchurch Farmers' Market. Meet the growers, farmers, brewers and other artisan producers. A lively affair in the grounds of Riccarton House.

New Regent Street. A beautiful street of terraced Spanish Mission-style speciality shops that opened in 1932 and have reopened since the quake. The tram runs along the street.

Northlands Shopping Centre. 135 stores over 42,000 m2, including Woolworths, Farmers, Hoyts cinemas, Pak'nSave and The Warehouse.

The Palms. 110 stores over 34,000 m2, including Woolworths, Farmers and Reading Cinemas.

Westfield Riccarton. The South Island's oldest (1965) and largest (55,000 m2) mall. 200 stores, including Briscoes, Farmers, Hoyts cinemas, Kmart and Pak'nSave.

Riccarton Rotary Market. Selling all sorts of things from plants, fruit and vegetables to Kiwi souvenirs and cheap Asian wares. Has performances, bouncy castles and food.

Ashe Gallery. A boutique art gallery and design store showcasing contemporary New Zealand art, homeware, and unique gifts. They also offer interior design services and feature works from local New Zealand artists.

Eat

Self-prepared Fruit and vegetable shops offer locally grown high quality fresh produce for prices often much cheaper than supermarkets. Supermarkets

Fresh Choice. The most central supermarket, but also the smallest, and not the cheapest.

Pak'n'Save. The cheapest supermarket chain overall, but may not have as wide a range as Woolworths and New World.

Aha Wildlife Bakery. Wildlife themed bakery shop - bakes delicious animal-shaped bread and cookies fresh on the market. Try a kiwi, have a whale - and enjoy the artwork on the walls!

Funky Pumpkin. Fresh fruit and vegetables and some meat.

Holy Smoke. Deli specialising in food that has been manuka-smoked in house. The smoked salmon alone is well worth the trip. (No longer has a restaurant.)

Fish'n'chips is the cheapest meal out.

The Asian district is mainly in the Riccarton/Upper Riccarton area. Church Corner is often considered the unofficial 'Chinatown'. It has Chinese supermarkets, all kinds of Asian restaurants and more. There are many Korean restaurants there, and in the shopping precinct near Westfield Riccarton. KOSCO, a Korean supermarket, has several branches in Christchurch, including one in Riccarton.

Perry's Cafe. Surprisingly good cafeteria-style food with touches of cafe class, gets crowded around lunchtime.

Welcome. Delicious Chinese vegetarian meals. Don't miss the hotplate and clay pot special dishes too!

Afghan Restaurant. A rustic place that offers tasty chicken or lamb cooked over an open flame grill, served with rice and salad. A chicken curry is usually available too. Large portions, and you can takeout any leftovers. There is no menu and no toilet on site.

Addington Coffee Co-Op. Sells fair trade coffee and clothing in a lively atmosphere. Also has a laundry.

Dux Dine. Pescatarian restaurant with lovely garden seating, the pizzas are good value to share, and the salads are fantastic. Also serves their craft beers including alcoholic ginger beer. One half of the erstwhile Dux de Lux in Hereford St.

Under the Red Verandah. Offers a range of food incorporating fair trade coffee, free range eggs and gluten-free baked goods.

Velvet Burger. Gourmet burger joint which also offers local beers.

C1 Espresso. A café that serves food via pneumatic tube.

King of Snake. Offers Thai and Asian fusion food.

Pascatore and 50 Bistro. Two restaurants in this upmarket hotel. Great views of Hagley Park from Pescatore.

Carries an extensive menu of modern interpreted New Zealand dishes and many dessert dishes. Reservations are required.

The Watershed Restaurant & Bar. Overlooking the waterfront in Ferrymead.

Tramway Restaurant. Have a seasonal dinner in a moving tramcar and enjoy sightseeing central Christchurch outside the windows. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan and halal options available. Duration: 2.5 hours (an airplane-style restroom is available in the tramcar).

Drink

Aikmans. An upscale bistro and bar in trendy Merivale.

No. 4. Bar and restaurant. Relaxed during the day and busy (but not too busy) on weekend nights. Great wines, Monteiths beers and a solid menu.

Speight's Ale House Tower Junction. A relaxed atmosphere bar, a great place for meals.

If you fancy a short drive or bus ride (approx. 15 minutes from city centre), go to The Wunderbar in Lyttelton. It has a small room for gigs and is popular with artists. The Monster Bar (downstairs, next door) is an excellent Yakitori restaurant and bar though smaller and with more of a focus on DJs.

The Beer Library. A family-run bottle shop and tap room with craft beer, over 300 varieties of craft beer, wine, and small-batch spirits, and a draft station.

Sleep

Following the earthquakes, some major hotels were demolished. This reduction in supply and the increased demand due to construction work means that accommodation in Christchurch is a little more expensive than other cities in New Zealand.

Backpackers are safe, clean, cheap and cheerful. Most offer single rooms, twin and double rooms and shared rooms. The standard of backpackers is very good in New Zealand.

Motels are a notch up. There are also many good quality B&Bs in Christchurch and surrounding district.

Dorset House Backpackers. Charming hostel accommodation in an 1871 heritage home, top-rated. Open again after full renovation and re-decoration. Free Wi-Fi, car-parking, spacious rooms, no bunks, all beds fully made. Set among flower gardens and 50 m from Hagley Park. On the airport bus route. Multi-share and family rooms available. Secure online bookings available.

Jailhouse Accommodation. Renovated heritage backpacker accommodation with a colourful history - the former Addington Prison (closed to inmates in 1999). The Jailhouse has single, double, twin, dorm and family rooms. Wi-Fi and free parking. Secure online bookings available.

Haka House Christchurch. In a heritage building, formerly YHA Christchurch.

Drifter Christchurch. Very convenient if you get in or go around Christchurch via buses. Beds in dorms have curtains and USB chargers. Its kitchen has nice facilities but is usually crowded and thus sometimes messy. Don’t forget to bring in your photo ID or passport since it is required to check in, but you can self-check in online, which only requires you to input the number of your photo ID or passport; you can use the Goki app to open the door of your room.

AAA Northlands Motel. Close to Northlands Mall and QE2 Park.

Addington Court Motel. Close to Addington Raceway, A&P Showgrounds and Westpac Trust Stadium.

Airport Christchurch Motel. 4 minutes drive to the airport, but not on any flight path.

City Central Motel Apartments. 5 minutes walk to Lichfield St restaurants and 7 minutes walk to Cathedral Square. Rooms feature a decent kitchen and bathroom and are generally very clean. The motel itself might not be the most attractive place, but it is the location that's the draw.

Classique Lodge Motel. 5 minutes to Westfield Riccarton Shopping Mall.

Designer Cottage. A charming and cozy bed and breakfast that served as a sailors' retreat in the 1970s. Accommodations also include a self-contained cottage in the back garden. Guests gather every morning for a friendly breakfast with the hosts, who are extensive travellers in their own right and have many stories to tell. The hosts are local architects who are very involved in the local community and are more than happy to recommend various places to visit and to dine at. Both can also share valuable perspectives on how the city and the region have changed and evolved over the years.

Heartland Hotel Cotswold. Free WiFi, free parking, on-site restaurant & bar, large guest rooms.

Milano Motor Lodge. 5 minutes walk to Hagley Park or Merivale Shopping Mall, 2-3 minutes walk to restaurants

Apartments For travellers who want to stay a month or longer, there are a number of furnished flats for rent advertised in the papers. A local company called Urban Rooms has furnished rentals specifically for travellers, ranging from rooms in a shared house to self-contained flats with garages.

Red Door Cottage. Self-catering for up to 5. Close to City Centre, public transport, restaurants, shopping. King & queen beds, warm and private, with off-street parking. Minimum stay 2 nights.

West Fitzroy Apartments. Large apartments with parking, short walk to city centre, balconies with views.

Eliza’s Manor Boutique Hotel. Luxury B&B with 8 ensuite rooms, smoke-free.

The George. Luxury boutique hotel by the river Avon and Hagley Park. Two restaurants, 50 Bistro and Pescatore.

Novotel Christchurch. Built in 2010 and reopened in 2013. Meeting and conference rooms, restaurant, bar, gym and 154 rooms. Qualmark rating of 4 Star Plus.

Observatory Hotel. If you want to stay in a hotel inside Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre, this is the only option available.