Review Hostel's Christchurch Experience

Andrew and Andrea have stayed in hostels around Australia, New Zealand and now have embarked on backpacking through South America to complete their world loop. Since travelling, they decided to setup their own website, www.Review-Hostel.com, reviewing hostel accommodation and providing travel advice to fellow travellers. They provide honest, non sponsored reviews with videos and photos to help plan and book your trip.

From the start of our adventure, Christchurch had always seemed a long way off. Landing in Auckland, we had 6 weeks of camper van travel and many miles ahead of us before we arrived in the historic city. Christchurch was our final destination in New Zealand and drop off point for our trusty camper van. Arriving at the depot in a small suburb in Christchurch, we said goodbye to our camper van and we were back on our own relying on the local bus network.

Our bus from the depot arrived on time and whisked us to the city centre. We loaded up our weighty packs and marched to Cathedral Square as we had a night's hostel accommodation booked at the Base Hostel, located right next to the Cathedral. We checked in, dumped our bags and headed out to enjoy the traditional, vibrant town.

Christchurch is extremely easy to navigate and we found all the necessary facilities are within easy reach. There is also a large information centre if you get lost, although it always seemed jam packed with Japanese tourists.

As it got close to lunchtime, we strolled down to the riverside for a bite to eat and a few light refreshments. Another good thing we found in Christchurch was the wealth of possible eateries, of various quality and budgets.

Sitting by the river, on a cool summer afternoon with good food and drink is why I'm glad we saved Christchurch for the end of our trip. It reminded us both of our nearby hometown of Cambridge, England. The atmosphere is relaxed, and for being in a city we found it very calm and peaceful. Time for another glass of wine...

The next morning we rise early to get on the first shuttle to Akaroa. We are heading to Little River, which is on the way and right in the middle of the Banks Peninsula. We had spoken over the phone to Sue Latham, of the Wairewa Farmstay to arrange a few weeks volunteer work at the farm. These 'few weeks' quickly turned into a month as we helped out with the familie's chores, gardening and farm work. We loved our time here, it got us really involved with the local community and we were sad to leave.

Our time in Christchurch had come to an end quickly, but had us refreshed and rested as we headed to the airport to embark on the next phase of our world trip, Buenos Aires, Argentina.