Festival

Carter Group Heritage Week

Appreciating a country’s heritage is integral to have a feeling of belonging and responsibility to one’s country. The Heritage week in Christchurch aims to do just that by arranging cultural events and tours to historical buildings so that people can appreciate the historic value of the city and understand the cultural significance of many monuments. With separate themes distinguishing various aspects of culture, the event tries to educate the masses of the historical stories and landmark moments that went into the making of the entire city. Highlights of the event include historical quizzes and cemetery tours.

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Overview & visitor information

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Kids Fest

Activity

A country wide festival full of entertainment and fun lines the month of July in Christchurch. Various venues are selected for storytelling, walks with famous cartoon characters, circuses and many more fun filled activities for children in particular. This year the kids Fest will be celebrating its 20th anniversary and hopes to surprise New Zealanders with amazing treats!

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Ellerslie International Flower Show

Activity

Taking inspiration from London’s Chelsea Flower Show, this one in Christchurch is no less than a piece of wild imagination. Acres of land are dedicated to hundreds of different kinds of flowers that are mused upon by some 57,000 on lookers. Held in the Hagley Park of the city, Ellerslie Flower show is also an opportunity for garden decorators to showcase their talents at flower sculpting and awe the gazing audience.

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ANZAC Remembered

Activity

In the memory of the war days, Christchurch commemorates with a concert full of nostalgic songs of the past. The event is greatly treasured by the 60 + New Zealanders who go down memory lane with songs sung by various bands on that day. The ANZAC day also being a national holiday attracts hundreds of families to the allotted venue for a fun filled day.

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World Buskers Festival

Activity

One of the most fun filled, free of cost entertainments in the city is the Buskers festival that takes place at various venues including Cathedral square, Buskers Park, Botanical Gardens and Peacock Foundation. The festival comprises of street dancers, jugglers, one wheel cyclists, jokers and clowns who together put up exciting performances in juggling, stand up comedy, acrobatics and contortionism.

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The Press Kite Day

Activity

Very popular among teenagers and adults alike, the event gains most of its popularity with the presence of world renowned kite flyers at the venue. Kites of various sizes and shapes are displayed together with flying demonstrations that keep people captivated. The Kite Day is celebrated at the Brighton Beach and is free for all to drop by.

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Teddy Bears Picnic

Activity

It is party time in Christchurch in mid-February. A day long Picnic held in the north of Hagley Park, this event is particularly famous for children who watch bears perform tricks, listen to stories, go on rides, attend stages comedies together with magic and puppetry shows. Perhaps the biggest event for kids, Teddy Bears Picnic is enjoyed by all as an outdoor festival and a part of Christchurch’s Summer Times activities.

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ASB bank Starry Nights

Activity

A musical gala under the night sky is all that New Zealanders wish for in mid February. Held at the serene Hagley Park, Starry Nights features famous musicians of New Zealand who perform some all time favorite and classic numbers along with professional dancers for the eager audience. This event is credited as the country’s largest live stage performance.

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Rick Armstrong Motors Classical Spark

Activity

New Zealand celebrates the summer festivities with a lot of outdoor music at the Rick Armstrong concert. Part of the Summer Time celebrations of the city, the concert is just one of the ways that New Zealanders spend time outside in the sun and get together with friends and family. The concert itself features many artists from within the country as well as internationally. The highlight of the day is the firework show in the evening that lights up the night sky with rainbow colors. It is held at the North Hagley Park.

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Waipara Wine and Food Celebration

Activity

Priding itself for being the best wine field in the world, the Waipara valley in Christchurch holds this annual event to exhibit its exotic tastes and varieties in wine collections. The festival is held amidst lush green landscapes and mountains where the smell of flavored and expertly brewed wine is too intoxicating to resist! The Waipara Wine and Food celebration had started off in 1992 as a charity and fund raising event. With the huge success in the first year the event has been gaining scope and popularity simultaneously in the last couple of years.

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New Zealand International Jazz & Blues Festival

Activity

The Cathedral and Arts Center is the venue for this musical festival in Christchurch. Local and international musicians and artists join hands to perform various melodies and genres at the event that adds multifold to the already adventurous tourist life in the city. This is arguably the largest musical festival in the country. Phone: +64 (0) 3 377 2365

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Yaldhurst Museum

Museum

Alfred Thornhill Cooper and Marion Cooper are to be credited for this amazing collection of vintage cars in the Yaldhurst Museum. Opened on 26th December 1968, the museum has a collection 400 cars ranging from passenger to school buses to the rare models that had not more than 5 units manufactured! If you are an automobile fanatic, the Yaldhurst Museum will be your favorite attraction in all of Christchurch. Currently it is run by Grant Cooper, great grandson of the founder and is established in an 1876 colonial homestead.

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Arts gallery

Gallery

Opened in 2003, the Arts Gallery is a dominant NZ$ 47 building that has set standards for all others in the South Island. Eluding an aesthetic charm, the exterior complements the various high quality art displays inside that range from early European work to the contemporary video work done by New Zealanders. The gallery holds some of the best and larger than life paintings of New Zealand’s renowned artists and has a lot to hold the viewers attention with colors, textures and bold strokes.

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Arts Center

Building

A gothic stone building, Arts gallery is a show ground for a number of subjects operational in Christchurch such as the crafts market, the produce market and daily exhibitions from over 40 artists in various outlets. The center is famous for quality handicrafts, leather and wood goods and a visit to Ernest Rutherford's den is rated high on the interesting things to do in the Arts Center. Admission is free for all.

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Botanic Gardens

Garden

With the planting of an English oak tree in 1863, this Botanic Garden was given shape in New Zealand. Today it holds one of the most exotic and rare collection of plant species from within the country as well as abroad. Just the thought of 30 hectare of greenery circled by the Avon River is pleasing and one wants spend a good amount of time exploring this place full of the country’s botanic history. The highlights of the garden are the 120 years old trees that represent one of the sacred horticultural sites of the world. Together with the Hagley Park, New Zealand holds the key to the world second largest inner city park that is one of the most visited as well.

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Canterbury Museum

Museum

A thorough exploration of the Canterbury Museum is a must. With elaborate sections dedicated to the displays of Maori, Antarctic, Colonial and Natural history sections, the museum is an attraction to kids as well as adults and offers very interesting material to look at from vintage cars to historic personalities to the entire iced world of the Antarctic. Timing: Winter times: 9am to 5pm & Summer times: 9am to 5 30pm. Location: Rolleston Avenue Phone: 03/366-5000

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Southern Encounter Aquarium & Kiwi House

House

Formerly known as the Aquarium of Discovery, the Southern Encounter Aquarium is a walk through of tanks of aquarium with rare fishes and sea creatures. Documentaries and films are aired for viewers to educate them about sea and bird life. The attraction offers various things to do including watching feeding time at the aquarium, see fly-tying demonstrations, getting your hands wet in touch tank and observation of nocturnal brown kiwis.

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International Antarctic Centre

Town

Experience the Antarctic way of life in Christchurch at the International Antarctic center. Fulfill your dream of getting on a snow mobile and racing across snow land here at the center which is fully acclimatized to the polar weather conditions. Inside you will find penguins, leopard seals, snow caves and a depiction of how life is at the Antarctic. The 4D cinema will take you on a thrilling icy adventure of one of its kind. The Antarctic Hagglund Ride is a new addition which gives a 15minutes tour of the place and is very famous with children.

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Willowbank Wildlife Reserve

Park

The most extensive collection of kiwi birds is found at the Willowbank reserve in Christchurch. On a much smaller scale than the Onara, the Williowbank breeds most of the local animal population of the country especially kiwis. Extended tours for kiwi life and breeding are arranged for tourists who are allowed to play, feed and pet the birds as well. Multiple school programs and skits are also arranged to depict the cultural practices of the Maori tribe.

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What to do with Children in tow

Activity

Canterbury Museum

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Christchurch Cathedral

Churches

This most prominent landmark of Christchurch was completed in 1904 into a dominating grey stone building with a magnificent clock tower. The cathedral holds great historic significance for the city which is visible in its intricate architecture and the creative art work done inside its wall. Tourists find the cathedral a site of major attraction and most of them attend the daily services arranged here. Because of this importance the area around the building is called the Cathedral Square and serves as a starting point for many tours. Location: Cathedral Square Phone: +64 3 366 0046

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Canterbury Tales

Canterbury Tales is known to serve its diners with the best of everything. From pleasant atmospheres to great food and award winning edible pieces of art, the restaurant is a model of perfection from every angle. With a meal for over NZ$ 50, diners get an opportunity to try various blends of spices on the ever changing menu and to taste the best of New Zealand from the best providers.

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Pedro’s

Tastefully decorated on traditional Spanish crockery are New Zealand’s most divine Spanish dishes prepared under the watchful eye of Pedro Carazo. For 30 years, Pedro has maintained his restaurant as a comfortable retreat for diners who enjoy the chatter in the air and the delicious food together with the owner’s hospitality. Sea food is the specialty here topped with lots of seasonings and garlic.

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Pescatore

An attentive service, an ambient place and a superb menu are what Pescatore prides itself on to attract valuable customers who are regulars at the restaurant. Pescatore offers a 10 course menu with the most elaborate food settings and tastes unmatchable in all of Christchurch along with an expensive wine lists.

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Rotherams

Let yourself be spoiled by the most hospitable service, tasteful food and a very impressive wine list, all from the gifted chef and owner of Rotherams. Visited by most locals on very special occasions, this gem of a restaurant offers nothing second best from its well selected ingredients to the artful presentation of its meals and the memorably romantic time diners spend here.

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Bodhi Tree

The only Burmese restaurant in all of New Zealand, Bodhi Tree creates quite a stir in the locals and tourists for its spicy and unique dishes that are seasoned with exotic herbs bound to tingle your taste buds. Meals are served in small servings that ooze specialty and dare you to order more and more. Because of its demand, there is always a crowd waiting to be seated at the Bodhi Tree so remember to make reservations to enjoy these traditions from Burma.

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Flying Burrito Brothers

The spiciest food in all of Christchurch with the biggest selection of tequila in all of New Zealand is housed inside this small den. Mexican herbs and spices are generously used in the meals that will quite certainly make one ooze out smoke! Though the interior is too extravagant, Flying Burrito Brothers has a very loyal clientele that stops by every now and then for a drink and a hot spicy meal on an adventurous day. Main course meals may go up to NZ$40.

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JDV

Taste a fine blend of New Zealand’s specialties at the JDV where the chef is notoriously known for his favorite spice and herb blends. Be ready to be surprised by the unexpected flavor mixes that taste all too good to be true. The aura here is as eccentric as the chef’s combinations but the place will welcome you warmly and ensure that you have a good time.

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Portofino

A savvy mix of excellent service, reasonable good quality food and presentable staff, Portofino has a huge client base that is ever hungry for its tasty Italian servings. With an established restaurant in Auckland, Portofino has been much awaited in Christchurch by locals because from an extravagant wine display to good interior, the restaurant oozes class and warrants a perfect dinner on a table of two.

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Simo's

Simo’s Moroccan born chef, Mohammad Abbari, has his own way of making diners enjoy their food, ‘savored slowly and with immense pleasure’ he puts in. The rich dishes served at Simo’s are worth the time to be savored slowly so that one feels the melting of all herbs and spices for the chef’s creativity to unravel. Pick a free day to visit Simo’s and make an event out of your dinner time

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Tutto Benne

A new eatery by an established chain, the Tutto Benne has an elaborate menu of pizzas, pastas, risottos and traditional favorites of Italian lovers. Located in the heart of Merivale, the restaurant is small but extends great service and value meals for NZ$ 20. Try one of the 15 types of pizzas or the mouth watering veal and end your meal with some delicious tiramisu to top off the evening.