Christchurch is the largest city on the South Island of New Zealand, with coastlines along the estuaries of Heathcote, Avon River, and the Pacific Ocean. The Maori name for the city is ‘Otautahi’, translating as ‘the place of Tautahi’. It is the third most popular urban area with nearly 400,000 people, where most of the group are ‘European New Zealanders.’ Nevertheless, Christchurch is still home to a developing percentage of Asian, Pacific Islander and Maori communities.
The city is constantly evolving, as it is one of the globe’s most unique destinations, combining urban regeneration and heritage thrive, culture, and thrilling activities. Hence, there is always something new for locals, visitors, and tourists to explore and do. As Christchurch is a tremendously popular hot spot, they offer adventure activities, theme parks, boating, walks, cycling tracks, street art, hospitality and established green space for individuals, couples, and families to enjoy.
Activities and things to do in Canterbury
Everything that New Zealand has to offer can be found in one of the South Island’s cities, Christchurch. All sorts of spectacular experiences include water, land and air adventures and the famous hospitality scene where restaurants are provided across the city. Other major tourist attractions include wildlife parks, art galleries, exhibitions, history, and theatre.
Adventure
There are a few famous biking trails within Christchurch where anyone can enjoy a day exploring the forests, beaches, and parklands. The McLeans Forest is super easy and goes from 1km to 9km. It consists of ten green trails suitable for fitness levels with smooth and safe pathways. These destinations are strongly recommended during the spring when flowers bloom and when the weather is warm. These rides through the forest will suit anyone’s physical abilities to enjoy.
Click the link here to see an extended list of where to find more cycling trails.
Going to the Mt Hutt ski area with your friends and family is strongly recommended during winter. Mt Hutt is known for having one of the best quality snow in Christchurch and being one of New Zealand’s largest ski areas. They have good values for tickets, where you can get a learner area pass for NZ $89, group lessons for NZ $159 and a full day of private coaching for NZ $949. Children under the age of 7 skis free!
Mt Hutt Canterbury New Zealand
New Zealand is home to some of the world’s most breathtaking scenery, including fast-flowing rapids and river systems. A must-do water adventure activity to do by yourself or with your family is the jet boat experience. Staff will share their knowledge about the area while you fly over beautiful landmarks and scenery along the river.
Below are some popular jet ski boat experiences in Christchurch.
Hassle Free Tours – New Zealand
Alpine Jet Thrills – New Zealand
Go on a scenic journey into the Southern Alps and experience an off-road 4WD adventure, a jet boat ride, a guided tourist walk, and a kiwi lunch at the country café before you board the famous TranzAlpine train back through the mountains.
For air adventure, Christchurch offers all the possible air activities for anyone to enjoy. Go on a paragliding experience to see the natural, scenic ocean views, do a tree climb, or go for a bungee jump for the ultimate air experience. Also, enjoy the popular helicopter experience as a mode of transport to one of the world’s most famous wineries with your friends and loved ones.
Click on the link below to find out more about these experiences.
Hospitality
From relaxed cafes to romantic fine dining, the hospital scene offers all restaurants that cater to satisfy all tastes and budgets. With more of the population becoming vegetarian and vegan, numerous famous eats in Christchurch catered to that specific audience. Some of these favourite restaurants include ‘Grater Goods’, which offers an entire vegan gourmet and ‘Bikanervala’, a vegetarian restaurant that sells Indian dishes and desserts inspired by Indian cuisine. Another popular vegan restaurant is a family-operated café called ‘Potershed Specialty Café’, where they serve anyone kiwi-styled vegan eats and drinks. Christchurch is extremely popular for its cheese scones, so head over to ‘Grain – Rustic Chive Twist’ and ‘Niche Coffee + Eatery’ for their fluffy yet chewy scones. All locals and visitors love all these famous eats!
Education in Canterbury
Christchurch has some of New Zealand’s top secondary schools that are modern and world-class. Parents seeking schools for their children will not need to worry as the school’s private exceptional support for all students. Most schools are highly rated globally, offering traditional education principles. This includes creativity, innovation, and fresh thinking to produce an extensive, quality teaching team.
Click on the link below to help you find a good quality education provider for your children (ChristchurchNZ, 2023).
Find an education provider in Christchurch
Weather in Canterbury
Canterbury is known for its temperate oceanic weather, which keeps winters cool and summers humid. The Pacific Ocean generally influences climate change as Canterbury has coastlines along the Pacific Ocean. The year’s hottest months, January and February, have a maximum temperature of 22.5 degrees Celsius and a minimum temperature of 17.5 degrees Celsius. The year’s coldest month, July, has an average temperature of 6.6 degrees Celsius. However, temperatures in the city area are always much warmer than the coastlines of Canterbury. There is always expected rainfall throughout the year, where the average rainfall is 648mm. If you prefer to stay dry and want to move to New Zealand, Christchurch will be the most suitable for you.
Working industry in Canterbury
The critical working industry in Christchurch is manufacturing, making it the second most significant contributor to New Zealand’s economy behind agriculture. It is also the hub for farming and growing stock in the wider Canterbury region, where many agricultural businesses operate within the city’s rural area. The third biggest industry sector is IT, with tourism leading as Christchurch is one of New Zealand’s south island’s biggest tourism operators. This is mainly because Christchurch has a vast history as Antarctica’s main departure point for group expeditions. Construction, trades, and engineering jobs are also in high demand as the magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck in 2011 damaged countless of property and buildings across the city.
If you are an Engineering or Construction professional and would like to be part of the infrastructure boom in New Zealand, register your CV here or search for our jobs.
Nicest suburbs in Canterbury
‘Merivale’ is one of the nicest suburbs in Christchurch. It offers a local mall where boutique shops, fashion outlets, and cafes can be found. Though expensive, it is based in a central location and offers beautiful tree-lined streets. Nestled in a beautiful valley is one of the oldest suburbs called ‘Sumner’. A lot of locals tend to walk along the beaches near their homes during the summer season. ‘Riccarton’ is a perfect place for young New Zealanders who love to spend time at restaurants and bars with their family and friends. It is also fit for New Zealand families to reside in, as there are playgrounds, parks, and well-known schools.
Most affordable suburbs in Canterbury
There are a lot of suburbs that are incredibly affordable in Christchurch. ‘Aranui’, ‘Bromley’ and ‘Bexley’ are the most affordable, costing only an average of NZ $347 for an unfurnished two-bedroom rental property. These areas all provide shops and service facilities around the area that is convenient for you and your families. If you are planning to purchase property, Aranui is also affordable as it only costs approximately NZ $314.
Canterbury safety
Cathedral Square in Christchurch City is where New Zealanders get attacked the most. The most common crime act is theft, so ensure that safety in your home is the top priority if you live in the city area.
