We stop here and stroll around the city centre, enjoying the Avon River (more English than England it is said), newly designed architectural precincts and historic buildings.....time for lunch at the Riverside Market or The Boatshed Cafe on The Avon River perhaps and shopping ( stalls, souvenir shops, pharmacies etc.)...the Cathedral is currently being rebuilt with a completion date around 2027.

A stroll in the gardens and nearby Arts Centre (old University of Canterbury) is an option. Canterbury Museum and Christs College are some of the historic Gothic buildings nearby.

This is part of our Central City/Earthquake and History story.....this interesting building was designed by Shigeru Ban, a Japanese disaster architect as a temporary cathedral while the old historic Cathedral is being rebuilt....look for the nearly 100 cardboard construction tubes that hold the roof up and the shipping containers cleverly disguised in the walls. Great acoustics and design work.

An ancient volcanic crater....The Summit Road follows the ridge or the volcanic rim at about 1500 ft/500 m. above sea level with views to the Southern Alps 50 miles away across the Canterbury Plains and Lyttelton Harbour with its beautifully coloured water on the other side (weather dependent).

Lyttelton was the first settlement in the area after settlers first arrived in 1850...we talk about its long colonial and Maori history and some of its colourful inhabitants....the artists, prisoners, sailors and subpolar explorers to name a few. Points of interest include the Timeball Station, Lyttelton Tunnel and the fabulous views from this village built on the slopes of an ancient 10 million year old volcano.

Look down from the Port Hills on the garden city of Christchurch some 500 m below sitting on the flat Canterbury Plains stretching North, South and East....some of the best arable land on earth boasting world record yields of wheat and barley as well as seed production, dairy and sheep farming, vinyards etc.(weather dependent). The Southern Alps will be visible on most days with some snow most months of the year stretching far to the horizons.

Visit this lovely relaxed Pacific Ocean beach suburb for a nice contrast to the city and hills....Cave Rock is large and of volcanic origin with a hole through it....an option is a stroll down the beach promenade to a cafe/icecream shop under a Victorian clock tower (try NZ's unique hokey pokey icecream perhaps). Driving up Evans Pass behind Sumner rewards us with stunning views of Lyttelton Harbour.

OPTION : A 1.5-2 hour visit (own cost) is a popular stop and usually includes a 4D movie, Haglund ride (not for those with back issues), a storm room, Little Blue Penguins, Husky Dogs and lots of interesting movies and media about Antractica and Christchurch's role as the gateway to Antarctica for icebreakers and aircraft heading for the scientific bases there. Cafe available.