To keep it 100, Christchurch was an afterthought, mostly thanks to the ticket prices arbitrage. That said, we did have a good time there, and it worked as a good landing for the holiday.
Where to stay in Christchurch
Hotel Give, formerly YMCA (we think) was a very well located place at a reasonable rate. Our little research showed a paucity of such placess in Christchurch.
What to See/Do in Christchurch
Roam around the place, it is very walkable despite giving a kind of city vibe we hadn’t seen even in Auckland, the biggest city. Queenstown was anyway laid back.
This is the War memorial. (for WW1). In the background is what should have been the Christchurch Cathedral. But it’s cardboard. Renovation follows us, or the other way!
The Chalice, in the same compound, that celebrates the new millennium.
This was the tram we would be taking on the last day. We found a spot we both liked and spent some time listening to birds and watching people. Space, silence, nature, clean air – rare things in India!
Christchurch entertains you with street art…
…and street signs. I have to admit the place was desolate enough (culture shock for us thanks to India’s crowds!) for me to believe this.
This parody of the City Council is approved by them. 🙂
It may not seem like a big deal, but you should go boating. Sorry, punting on the Avon.
That’s your boat, comes equipped with blankets, and a ‘pilot’ who entertains you with information and (practiced) lines for 30 minutes. 🙂
There is a strange sense of calmness when you’re being piloted around in water that’s waist deep, and there is nature in abundance around you.
The guard of honour helps.
From there, you can just walk across to the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, just about 52 acres! Inside the city. While you pick up your jaw from the floor, do note that this sits inside Hagley Park, which is spread just over 400 acres!
A very seemingly cute installation in the Gardens is Flora and Otto. That’s until you notice that it’s made from mosaic – specifically from china broken in the Christchurch earthquakes. If you look closely, you can see words and images, each of them stories in itself. Very poignant.
I sat on a bench and just sighed as D went around to see the rose garden and flowers of all sorts.
The Canterbury Museum was being rebuilt but they had a pop up nearby.
This was the woollen balaclava head gear used during the original Antarctic expeditions. Fascinating stories.
Like I said, just walk around, and you’ll see postcards like this. That’s the Bridge of Remembrance in the background, and across the river from those seat/steps, there are giant screens. A community open air entertainment space to watch sports/concerts etc. Sigh again.
The Christchurch Hop-On Hop-Off Tram is a splendid way of getting a broad idea of the city. The full trip is just about 50 minutes.
Victoria Square is another little place to hang out and watch the world go by.
The only tour we took was again with Cheeky Kiwi. This was the only tour in which we didn’t particularly like the tour guide. An ex-schoolteacher who still liked to dole out punishments, even to adults.
Thankfully, the vista is second only to Queenstown. This is Geraldine Fairlie Lookout.
Clouds, mountains, grazing sheep. Bliss.
All you need to do is sit and stare at those bed and blankets.
Lake Tekapo looked sublime.
The water colour is mesmerising.
The Church of Good Shepherd, highly sought for weddings because Tekapo is the background!
And this is Lake Pukaki.
Stand and sigh.
This view is at the Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, when you’re walking the trail to see the Tasman Glacier. The Blue Lake looks green thanks to the algae!
The Tasman Lake. The clouds meant that Mt. Cook remained hidden. We could just about see the Tasman Glacier.
Where to Eat in Christchurch
Look on the bright side. From what we saw, it seemed like the place where all the cool people hung out. Reserve in advance, take a seat outside and you’ll get a nice skyline view of the city.
Looks cute, but I had to give my credit card for this. This happened in another place too – they physcially take the card in advance. Not sure if it’s a for-Indians thing or there are generally people who walk out without paying!
Probably in a hat tip to Japan and the Botanic Gardens, D had a Roku Sakura Bloom & Fever Tree Raspberry Tonic
They made me a very good standard Old Fashioned even though it wasn’t on the menu.
We liked the Panko fried Chicken – buttermilk chili lime marinated.
The Tostada was meh though.
Casa Publica is definitely a place to try if you want to explore South American fare or rum. I would have literally taken a ‘flight’ if I were still in my rum days! What a collection.
For now, I wanted to try the alcohol-free beer!
MONKFISH MOQUECATacos are always a good idea.
The monkfish Moqueca is Brazilian but in terms of looks and taste reminded me of Kerala. 🙂
The Lomo Saltado was a burst of flavours –
Peruvian stir fry with steak strips, potatoes, smoked soy, sesame & chimichurri with and vegs.
If you want options all around you, go to the Riverside Market. Japanese, Korean, Indian, steaks, burgers and crepes, craft beer, vegan and so on!
and murals
We went Malay- Indonesian with a Beef Rendang curry
and Nasi Goreng
Since it was a little cold, She Chocolaterie.
For a fantastic chilli Hot Chocolate!
Kaiser Brew Garden was our last dinner in New Zealand. I had used my manuscrypts mail id to book the table and the Gen Z staff said they loved the name and asked me if it was actually my real name! 😀
Not the best idea in a brewery, but they also made me a standard Old Fashioned. The plan was to have a beer after, which didn’t happen!
When D takes sides, it usually is with a cider.
Pizza, because it is a comeback to the routine life!
A lovely trip to possibly the most beautiful part of the world with stunning natural vista, a lot of silence and parks. It doesn’t come cheap, but is abslutely worth it. It does make you feel, as the Art Gallery would say…
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