Christchurch is a very special city. A wealth of attractions, festivals, entertaiment, heritage and culture combine to make it a wonderful place to live, work and spend time.
Its Maori name is OTAUTHAI. Legends tell of early tribes who arrived by land or canoe of the Waitaha, Ngati Mamoe and, later, Ngai Tahu of Tautohi, one of the Ngai Tahu chiefs who built his “pa” more than 200 years ago on the banks of the Otakaro (Avon River.)
By the time, European settlement began in the 1840’s, no more than 500 lived in Canterbury, as a result of fierce confrontations with the Northern Maori tribes. It was with their assistance that the first European colonists received food and shelter.
The city of Chirstchurch today is New Zealand’s third largest city. It is a city built for people, known as the Garden City. At its centre are the expansive Hagley Park and the Avon River. Christchurch lies on the edge of the New Zealand largest plain, bounded to the East by the Pacific coastline and the hills of Banks Peninsula and looking inwards to the mountains of the Southern Alps.
The early British colonists dreamed of establishing a Church of England settlement and their success is most evident in Cathedral Square, dominated by the Christchurch Cathedral. This place is a busy pedestrian area, well known for its market days and fruit and flowres vendors.
Old stone buildings nestle beside modern shopping malls and high-rise office blocks, and it is this combination of the new and the historical that give Christchurch its unique character. The Canterbury Provincial Government Buildings are an example of High Victorian architecture. Nearly stands the Bridge of Remembrance, a proud monument to the soldiers of World War.
New Regent St., a faithfully restored, pinturesque Spanish colonial styled mall is lined with cafés to suit all tastes. New Regent St. is a major feature of the 2,5 km. tram route that operates around the centre of Christchurch.
Worcester Boulevard features attractions such the Antigua Boatsheds, the Robert Mc Dougall Art Gallery and the Canterbury Museum. Across the road from the museum is the Arts Centre, formerly the site of the University of Christchurch.
In the Christchurch Botanical Gardens you will find the finest single collection of exotic and indigenous plants in New Zealand. The gardens cover 30 hectares and feature broad walking tracks, attractive vistas, floral features, trees, conservatories and statues encompassed by the Avon River.
Across the river you will find Hagley Park, which covers 161 hectares and was declared a public reserve in 1856.
I remember now my few days in Christchurch and I know that each day that I spent there, there was something fresh for me to experience. Around every corner there were new surprises. Each day was a new and different adventure. But the most important memory that I brought in my heart was the beautiful banks of the Avon River, where I spent a lot of hours reading, relaxing, writing and missing my faraway children, in not a very good time. It gave me the peace and the serenity for continuing with a better and hopeful life.
Its Maori name is OTAUTHAI. Legends tell of early tribes who arrived by land or canoe of the Waitaha, Ngati Mamoe and, later, Ngai Tahu of Tautohi, one of the Ngai Tahu chiefs who built his “pa” more than 200 years ago on the banks of the Otakaro (Avon River.)
By the time, European settlement began in the 1840’s, no more than 500 lived in Canterbury, as a result of fierce confrontations with the Northern Maori tribes. It was with their assistance that the first European colonists received food and shelter.
The city of Chirstchurch today is New Zealand’s third largest city. It is a city built for people, known as the Garden City. At its centre are the expansive Hagley Park and the Avon River. Christchurch lies on the edge of the New Zealand largest plain, bounded to the East by the Pacific coastline and the hills of Banks Peninsula and looking inwards to the mountains of the Southern Alps.
The early British colonists dreamed of establishing a Church of England settlement and their success is most evident in Cathedral Square, dominated by the Christchurch Cathedral. This place is a busy pedestrian area, well known for its market days and fruit and flowres vendors.
Old stone buildings nestle beside modern shopping malls and high-rise office blocks, and it is this combination of the new and the historical that give Christchurch its unique character. The Canterbury Provincial Government Buildings are an example of High Victorian architecture. Nearly stands the Bridge of Remembrance, a proud monument to the soldiers of World War.
New Regent St., a faithfully restored, pinturesque Spanish colonial styled mall is lined with cafés to suit all tastes. New Regent St. is a major feature of the 2,5 km. tram route that operates around the centre of Christchurch.
Worcester Boulevard features attractions such the Antigua Boatsheds, the Robert Mc Dougall Art Gallery and the Canterbury Museum. Across the road from the museum is the Arts Centre, formerly the site of the University of Christchurch.
In the Christchurch Botanical Gardens you will find the finest single collection of exotic and indigenous plants in New Zealand. The gardens cover 30 hectares and feature broad walking tracks, attractive vistas, floral features, trees, conservatories and statues encompassed by the Avon River.
Across the river you will find Hagley Park, which covers 161 hectares and was declared a public reserve in 1856.
I remember now my few days in Christchurch and I know that each day that I spent there, there was something fresh for me to experience. Around every corner there were new surprises. Each day was a new and different adventure. But the most important memory that I brought in my heart was the beautiful banks of the Avon River, where I spent a lot of hours reading, relaxing, writing and missing my faraway children, in not a very good time. It gave me the peace and the serenity for continuing with a better and hopeful life.
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