City Information

The beauty of the Garden City is that every time of the year is the best time to visit! All seasons in Christchurch are pleasant and have attractions of their own that lure tourists from around the world. Therefore, be it the summer season during December, January and February or the blossoming spring aura (September, October and November), temperatures in the city are bearable compared to harsh European climates. Tourists can find many ways to entertain themselves and keep busy all day.

Location:: Christchurch is the largest city in the Southern Island of New Zealand. Located one third of the way down the east coast, it is the second largest urban city of the country that enjoys a view of the sunny beaches as well as the snowy ski resorts. To the south of the city is the Bank Peninsula.; Dialing codes:: International dialing code: +64 ; area code: 3; Emergency numbers:: Police, ambulance and firefighters: 111

New Zealand observes national public holidays and regional anniversary days. These include Waitangi Day, ANZAC Day, King’s Birthday, Matariki, Labour Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, as well as New Year and Easter holidays.

Min Temp °Ϲ Max Temp °Ϲ January 12 23 February 12 22 March 10 20 April 7 17 May 4 14 June 6 11 July 1 11 August 2 12 September 4 14 October 6 17 November 9 19 December 11 21

Christchurch has been on a steady growth for cultural diversity, change and a cosmopolitan outlook towards its society and the International arena. With beautiful sceneries around its snowy and beach areas, the city has capitalized well on these natural aspects to build the foundation of a multi billion dollar tourism industry. Being the second largest city of the country, Christchurch houses a major chuck New Zealanders together with enough room for traveling personnel! Being host to a multitude of festivals and events, the city has developed greatly in infrastructure, easy access to facilities and a friendly environment that provides a comfortable stay for foreigners. Christchurch has risen above others as a hub for education and academic transfers in the Asian Market. Students from all over the continent chose this city over others for undergraduates and masters degrees and for the escalating job opportunities that the economy offers particularly in electronics and software development.

Christchurch’s name was coined on 27th March 1848 by John Robert Godley who named it after one of the constituent colleges of Oxford University in the first meeting of the Canterbury Province. It was elevated to the status of the oldest established city of New Zealand on 31st July 1856 after the early inhabitants of the Ngai Tahu were driven out by the European settlers.

People in New Zealand can be categorized into various ethnicities because of the friendly diversity that the country is exposed to. A major chunk of the population is called New Zealand European which comprises about 74.5% of the total following which are the Maori with 9.7% share. Other European, Pacific Islander Asian and others make up 4.6%, 3.8% and 7.4% respectively. New Zealanders are nature loving people who indulge greatly in peaceful outings and picnics. According to one writer, the “Kiwis are open people who like to impress visitors and make them have a good time”. People in Christchurch are very helpful and extend assistance to strangers without even being asked for it. They are polite and caring even though one might think of them as reserved initially. With nil discrimination by class or wealth, Kiwis are part of a very egalitarian culture that makes Christchurch a very easy pick for a long vacation.

Wrapping up the whole of Christchurch in a day’s trip is quite impossible because much of the beauty and history of the city yearns to be explored. However, if a day is all you have here’s Irhal.com’s list of the most important sites you must visit in order to say you’ve truly done the city of Christchurch:

Christchurch offers family activities across wildlife, science, transport and outdoor recreation. The International Antarctic Centre has immersive Antarctic experiences, penguins and Hägglund rides, while the Christchurch Gondola travels by cable car to the Port Hills summit rather than along the Avon River.