Located on the middle of the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island, between the Southern Alps and the Pacific Ocean, Christchurch is the gateway to the beautiful South Island of New Zealand.

Queenstown, Te Anau, Blenheim and Kaikoura are all within an easy one-day drive, and the Christchurch International Airport services all domestic routes and many international destinations.

HISTORY

The first people to live in the place now known as Christchurch were Maori, who are thought to have arrived as early as AD 1000.

In 1770 Captain James Cook of the Endeavour first sighted the Canterbury peninsula, but it was not until 1815 when sailors from the sealing ship Governor Bligh landed that Europeans first set on Canterbury soil.

Christchurch was officially settled by the British in 1850 and named by the founder of the settlement, John Robert Godley after his old university college of Christ Church in Oxford, England

Today, with a population close to 350, 000, Christchurch is New Zealand’s second largest city and is a thriving cultural and commercial centre.

Thanks to the foresight of its English founders, it’s no accident that Christchurch is often referred to as ‘the most English of English cities outside England’.

HERITAGE

The English heritage is unmistakeable. Gothic style churches, weeping willows and majestic Oak trees stand guard over orderly boulevards - just a few of the many attractive features of this city.

Christchurch is also known as ‘The Garden City’, as the early settlers were people of vision, and early on an area of 161 hectares (500 acres) was set aside for a vast central park known as Hagley Park.

The nearby Botanic Gardens are without doubt one of the finest collections of exotic and indigenous plants to be found in New Zealand. There are numerous large majestic trees, many of which are in excess of 120 years, and countless plant collections and sweeping lawns.

Canterbury University was established in 1873 and became the fist university in the British Empire to grant an Honours degree to a woman, and Ernest Rutherford studied at the University in the 1890s. It is today regarded as one of New Zealand’s most prestigious universities.

Christchurch also has a strong sporting heritage, particularly in cricket and rugby, undoubtedly New Zealand’s national game.

It is not unusual for the national rugby team, the All Blacks, to comprise many Canterbury players and the region has long been the backbone of cricket in New Zealand.

ACTIVITIES AND ATTRACTIONS

Entertainment and attractions abound for residents and visitors alike.

Christchurch regularly hosts international-class festivals, such as the World Buskers Festival, Garden City Flowers and Romance Festival and the Christchurch Arts Festival.

The recently completed Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu boasts nine exhibition areas, a reference and study library, and a multi-purpose auditorium. A stimulating range of lectures, floortalks, artists' talks, tours, art appreciation, films, dance and theatrical performances which reflect the full spectrum of the arts are on offer.

The great New Zealand outdoors are within easy reach from Christchurch. Almost any imaginable outdoor activity can be achieved in the surrounding regions, from skiing, paragliding and mountain-climbing to surfing, mountain-biking and yachting.

Thanks to an abundant supply of fresh produce from the sea and surrounding hinterland, Christchurch restaurants are renowned for their original and sumptuous dishes that epitomise New Zealand cuisine.

An exciting nightlife is on also on offer for the young, and young at heart, with a wide selection of bars, cafes and nightclubs located in the central city.