Christchurch. Otautahi.
A sweet little hub in one of the most enjoyable parts of the world.
I went to New Zealand excited to spend time in its gorgeous outdoor landscapes. Between Hunt For The Wilderpeople and Lord of the Rings, I expected nature to be a big draw.
One thing I heard over and over was that South Island was probably the more ideal setting for outdoor adventures. (Now that I’ve been to both, I’d have to say that the North deserves some credit too!)
Like most visitors, Christchurch was our entry point to the island. The city wears a lot of English influence, but when the massive 2011 earthquake brought about the need to rebuild, Maori leaders also incorporated a lot of their cultural concepts of space into the urban design.
One of my favorite aspects of the city was how easy it was to get around, keeping adventure in easy access. From our hotel right at the edge of the Botanical Garden, we were able to walk to the center of town in under ten minutes.
PREPARE
Some stories to dive into before your arrive in Christchurch
Marlon Williams, Te Whare Tīwekaweka
Marlon WIlliams is an accomplished singer-songwriter in his own right, but what makes this 2025 release extra special is the way he pulled from traditional country and folk whilst singing in Maori. Also important to note: we get a Lorde feature.
The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey
Here’s an interesting little novel set in Central Otago on a rural sheep farm. Most notably, the story is told from the perspective of a magpie. The book feels lighthearted for most of its pages, which is a bit of an accomplishment considering that it actually deals with some heavy stuff. Namely, domestic violence. Still, a well written book and worth reading.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
This isn’t just one of my favorite films from New Zealand… it’s one of my favorite films hands down. It’s an earlier Taika Waititi film from before he was a total household name, and stars a young Julian Dennison alongside Sam Neill. The setting of the South Island bush is absolutely gorgeous and whet my appetite to do some exploring
We Were Dangerous (2024)
We Were Dangerous is a comedy that will make you laugh while simultaneously making you mad that its story was based on the real world treatment of many Maori young people for a large part of history. The story is set in 1954 on a religious island institution for delinquent girls. The authoritarian matron comes up against the bond formed by three of the rebellious young girls.
ADVENTURES
We went to Christchurch in the winter, so much of our outdoor activity were shaped by the weather.
TraNZAlpine Railway
A scenic train journey can take you from the Christchurch train station and all the way to Arthur’s Pass National Park. As a scenic railway, efficiency isn’t the point. Instead you’ll get a good look at the remote farmlands of Otautahi, while passing some great waterfalls and bridges along the way. There’s an onboard café as well, and an open front car for some especially good views that really let you feel that breeze, you know?
Arthur’s Pass National Park
Loved exploring this National Park even though it was a wet winter day while I was there. We did the short hike to Devil’s Punchbowl Falls which was a short hike with a decent climb and some spectacular views. This area is also home to the kea bird, the only alpine parrot known locally for its cheeky behavior, tendency to bully sheep, and taste for the rubber sealant on cars.
Castle Hill Rocks
This is the spot that visitors will frequently refer to as “that spot where they filmed that part of Narnia…” because that’s what it is. The battle scene from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was shot around some hills that feel vast and rolling, whilst being punctuated with massive, smooth, black boulders. I immediately noted that this had to be one of the most gorgeous places I’ve been able to walk through in my life.
EXPERIENCES
Here are a few ways to get to know what makes Christchurch unique.
The Cardboard Cathedral
This was the site of an old Anglican Cathedral that was completely wrecked during the 2011 earthquake. Shortly afterwards, they decided to rebuild… out of cardboard tubes and similar materials. It apparently went so well that the cathedral’s cardboard structure still remains. We were welcomed by an older deacon who promised not to chat about politics. Good, because this opened him up to share all kinds of stories from his memory of the earthquake and the years afterwards.
Gather at the Avon
In Māori tradition, river confluences are typical gathering spots and meal sites and it’s interesting to see how much of that was incorporated into the planning of Christchurch.
This is most evident at the Bridge of Remembrance which is where the Avon River arrives at the city center and you see an international food hall. Food. Gathering spots. A river. I see what you did there.
One can rent a small boat for some punting on the Avon. I didn’t do this personally, but it’s a thing.
Central Christchurch
Christchurch’s city center deserves its own little call out because it’s fairly easy to explore and you get a strong sense for how new everything still feels post-rebuild.
For the most part it’s a shopping area with some good bars and restaurants thrown in. I spent a good bit of time browsing the two locations of Scorpio’s Books and some of the outdoor suppliers. Then we managed to spend an easy Sunday working our way out of an escape room.
Christchurch Botanical Garden
Christchurch’s Botanic Gardens offers a lot of great walking paths, some covered gardens, and plenty of green space. We happened to be there at the same time as some kind of Pokemon Go event, so good for those trainers getting to be out and about. The garden boasts over 50,000 species of plants which in turn attract a good variety of birds. We spent some of our visit using the Alice in Wonderland scavenger hunt to help us find our way around the park. It may have been meant for kids, but it offered a good way to find our way about
STAY
We only stayed in one place while in Christchurch, but this one’s such a winner that it counts for a lot more.
The Observatory
We stayed at The Observatory which was right across the street from the Botanical Garden and City Park and only ten minutes from downtown. This was located on the site of an old college that was modeled after Oxford University… thus the engraving PHYSICAL EDUCATION right above our doorway entrance.
The interior had so much charm, though. In particular, I loved the drawing room outfitted with books, travel guides, coffee machines, and bright furniture. We made it a point to spend some time in that space just cause it was so cozy. And the rest of the former-school was also being put to good use.
The site also housed a cinema, which was in the middle of a French film festival. Along with that were a paint-and-sip studio, a wine bar, a dance studio, and an art gallery.
EAT
Christchurch is full of good eats. Conveniently, most of them happen to be housed together under one roof. (Or maybe I should say… dangerously…)
twentyseven steps
We were so sold on this place we booked a reservation for the night of our ten year anniversary. Their menu is solid. They handled a classic lamb rack flawlessly, but also pulled off being pretty creative with other items… Deanna ordered an apple-based soup that turned out to be the sleeper pick of the dinner.
Rollickin’ Gelato
We were highly recommended Rollickin’ Gelato prior to coming to New Zealand and since we found a location right in the heart of Christchurch we couldn’t say no. Kiwis tend to really enjoy their fruity ice cream, which isn’t typically my first pick. But they did have a handmade version of hokey pokey, New Zealand’s classic ice cream invention, that this place did really well.
Riverside Food Hall
Is it too much to declare a food hall as perhaps my favorite part of the city? Really though, it might’ve been. We went here about twice a day, and that felt necessary because this food hall had so many good options it was always hard to settle on just one. Over the course of our numerous visits, we enjoyed an Argentine asado spot, some Nepalese dumplings, Cambodian food, lassi, and a woodfired pizza spot that had a lamb and mint inspired offering. What a delight.
Little High Eatery
The perfect companion to Riverside Food Hall. Little High is much smaller by comparison, but its food options can hold their own. I really enjoyed my massaman curry lamb shank from the Thai spot, but I was most amused by the American inspired eatery that looked pretty good in all honesty.
DRINK
New Zealand’s wines are the thing of legend, but there are lots of other fine beverages too.
The Church
This place was always so lively every time we walked by. It was an actual church up until the 2011 earthquake, and since then it has been repurposed into a bar. Bar is a bit of an understatement though, because between the trivia nights, the open mics, and other events, they have a good community feel going.
Unknown Chapter Coffee Roasters
Australia’s mark on the coffee world came from popularizing the flat white, but New Zealand should be remembered right alongside them. Unknown Chapter Coffee Roasters was a solid café and breakfast spot, whether you were there for straight up coffee or something like an eggs benedict or chai. Their physical space was especially inviting and lively.
Waipara Springs
This was a proper winery in a cottage-like structure out in the Waipara country. In terms of their wines, they kept things pretty classic with their merlot probably being their strongest offering. We had our lunch here and particularly enjoyed the very wide variety on their lunch platter.
Georges Road Winery
This was a really lovely mom-and-pop winery way out in a remote part of Waipara. They had some wild stories of times that storms and road closures left people stranded in the winery for longer than they planned. Thankfully we made it out without any big storms, and we did get to enjoy tasting a bit of all their wines. The views from the tasting room are immaculate, and they’re made even better thanks to the presence of Pepper, the dog who kind of runs the place.
gin gin
One thing that gets often overlooked about New Zealand… it’s a fantastic hub of some gin distilleries. I don’t know if that’s something that got passed along with all of the English influences or if there are some other historical or environmental factors making gin a big deal around here, but gin gin (and several others) are fantastic and I’m not one to complain about that.
Two Thumb Brewing Co.
Speaking of things that New Zealand does pretty well that easily go overlooked… craft beer! Two Thumb is one of the more established craft brewers on the scene. I had their signature lager and really enjoyed it.
•••
Christchurch is a special place. Booking it as our 10th anniversary destination kind of signaled the high expectations we had for the place. And it managed to live up to all of it. On a future visit, I’d love to do a bit more of Queenstown, which is even more of an outdoor adventure hub.