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Christchurch Tourist Information and Christchurch Tourism
(Christchurch, Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand NZ)



Christchurch is a thriving, exciting city on the South Island of New Zealand and Christchurch is the capital city of the Canterbury region. New Zealand's third largest city, Christchurch is the only South Island city containing an international airport. Christchurch is home to a truly diverse mixture of tourist attractions, which include historic buildings, Christchurch beaches with exceptional surfing conditions, numerous Christchurch shopping districts, world-class restaurants, whale watching, dolphin swimming, and even skiing is possible in the nearby Southern Alps, just a short drive from Christchurch city centre.

New Zealand's friendly city of Christchurch contains plenty of well-stocked Christchurch tourist information outlets, which can be found in and around central Christchurch, in other nearby areas of New Zealand's South Island, and also at Christchurch International Airport (CHC), a major international gateway to New Zealand's South Island. The Christchurch and Canterbury Visitors' Centre is the main tourist information centre and is situated on Cathedral Square, in the heart of central Christchurch. Providing a wealth of informative tourist information, including information about Christchurch's top tourist attractions, breathtaking landmarks, Christchurch travel options, maps and general Christchurch tourism and tourist information, staff at the Christchurch and Canterbury Visitors' Centre are always extremely helpful.




Cheap lodging in Christchurch is easy to find, together with budget accommodation, mid-range guest houses and luxury hotels. Guest houses and bed and breakfast accommodation in Christchurch can vary greatly and the price is generally the best indicator of the quality, although most guest houses in Christchurch offer a reasonable standard of lodging. Hotels in Christchurch are particularly concentrated in the city centre and also around Gloucester Street, Bealey Avenue, Papanui Road, Latimer Square, Cathedral Square and Oxford Terrace, which are all full of impressive, mid-range hotels and a variety of accommodation options. More information on Christchurch Hotels and Accommodation.

Beaches around Christchurch and Canterbury are plentiful and used for many popular beach activities, such as sunbathing, scuba diving, snorkelling, angling, swimming, and surfing - which has long been a major sport in Christchurch. Some of the best beaches around Christchurch are located around Sumners, Redcliffs, and along Christchurch's eastern coastline.

Christchurch is home to countless major tourist attractions and some of the most popular landmarks in the Christchurch area include the Christ Church Cathedral - a spectacular Anglican building dating back to 1865; Cathedral Square - the hub of central Christchurch, bounded by the 'Four Avenues' of Bealey, Fitzgerald, Moorhouse and Rolleston; Christchurch Pier - in eastern Christchurch, stretching for more than 300 metres / 985 feet into the sea; Christchurch Town Hall - a fairly recent landmark built in the early 1970s; the Avon River - winding through the heart of Christchurch city centre, popular for punting; the glorious Botanic Gardens - featuring landscaped gardens, matures trees and important collections of exotic plants; Hagley Park - an enormous parkland, covering over 150 hectares and containing large playing fields; and the University of Canterbury - the largest and most important university on New Zealand's South Island.

Other popular tourist attractions in Christchurch include the Jade Stadium - a premier sporting arena regularly holding major rugby tournaments and cricket matches; the Christchurch Gondola - providing cable car rides around the Port Hills, with incredible panoramic views of Christchurch city; the Southern Encounter Aquarium (SEA) and Kiwi House - with shark feeding demonstrations, colourful marine fish and a nocturnal kiwi house; the International Antarctic Centre - containing many exciting hands-on exhibits, real snow slopes and snowmobile rides; Christchurch Tramway - with lovingly restored trams travelling around the city centre; the Discovery Centre - part of the Canterbury museum complex, full of lively interactive activities; Science Alive - with countless child-friendly science exhibits and workshops; and the Orana Wildlife Park - an important conservation park featuring many African animals, particularly popular with children and families visiting Christchurch. More information on Christchurch Tourist Attractions and Christchurch Landmarks.

Christchurch also contains many exceptional museums and art galleries in and around Christchurch city centre, providing interesting information on the history of Christchurch and regular exhibitions. Major art galleries and museums in the Christchurch area include the Canterbury Museum - the city's premier museum, with vast exhibition spaces; the Maori and Colonial Museum - on the Banks Peninsula, containing impressive Maori artefacts; Christchurch Art Gallery - with striking, modern architecture, a large auditorium area and a wealth of paintings; and the impressive Galleria Arts Centre - built in 1874 as part of Canterbury University complex, now housing a number of different art galleries. More information on Christchurch Museums and Christchurch Art Galleries.

Attractions nearby Christchurch include many districts, suburbs and small towns. Close to Christchurch you will find the towns and cities of Lyttelton, the Banks Peninsula, North Canterbury, Central Canterbury and South Canterbury, all home to a vast array of attractions, such as mountains, lakes, glaciers and local museums. Whale watching is now extremely popular around Kaikoura and dolphin swimming is also available around Kaikoura and off the nearby town of Akaroa. Other attractions within easy reach of Christchurch include numerous scenic walking / tramping trails, top skiing resorts in the Southern Alps and on Mount Cook, and a host of vineyards, wineries and breweries in the Waipara Valley in north Canterbury, and around Canterbury Plains, West Melton, Burnham and Rolleston - to the south of Christchurch.

With sunny weather, fantastic tourist attractions, many heritage buildings, historic landmarks, truly spectacular coastal areas, and plenty of things to see and do, Christchurch attracts visitors from all over Canterbury, New Zealand, Australia and throughout the world.

Christchurch Airports Guide - useful Christchurch Airport (CHC) information.

More Christchurch Information / Fast Facts and Orientation

• Country: New Zealand
• Location: Canterbury, South Island
• Status: region capital city
• Area: 45,240 square kilometres / 17,467 square miles
• Population: 345,000
• Language: English / Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Time zone: GMT +12 hours, daylight saving time is observed from the first Sunday in October until the first Sunday on or after 15 March
• Country dialling code: +64
• Telephone area code: 03
• Religion: various religions
• Average daily January temperature: 22ºC / 72ºF
• Average daily July temperature: 12ºC / 54ºF

 
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