Christchurch is a compact city with much to offer. Parks and gardens provide tranquility while the cosmopolitan restaurant scene buzzes with happy crowds seven nights a week. The city's great arts scene means that a diverse range of people live and work here and a sense of tolerance and festivity hangs in the air.
Locals in Christchurch love to go out at night and the bar and restaurant scene here easily holds its own with that of larger places like Auckland and Wellington. Some people claim the nightlife in Christchurch is the best in the country certainly it is the most eclectic and diverse.
Like so much of New Zealand, Christchurch is blessed with access to the finest and freshest natural produce. The red meats here are treated with justified care while dairy products and wines are world class. Locals here love to eat out and the choices are wide, from à la carte fine dining to fish and chip shops that provide quick service with a smile.
Possum fur gloves are as warm and cozy as they are unique and they make for a real conversation point when brought back home. They are just part of the array of wonderful things to buy in Christchurch which also includes sheep and lamb wool sweaters and bat leather key rings.
Beautiful Christchurch is the unassuming jewel of New Zealand's South Island. Built around English university towns like Oxford, Christchurch comes replete with a river called the Avon and weekend punting under willow trees. It is a warm and inviting place that is a compact and cosmopolitan contrast to brassy adventure sports capital Queenstown, the other major South Island destination.
Christchurch combines its Gothic architecture, sedate gardens and parks with an exciting sense of the urban. While the sightseeing here is tranquil and old world, the arts and cultural scene in Christchurch is cutting edge and vibrant and there are dozens of outstanding restaurants offering South Pacific and fusion cuisine.