So There's More to Christchurch than Just Great Restaurants...

After travelling more around New Zealand, I’m certain if I can say that Christchurch is my favourite city here – but it certainly ranks pretty highly. Not only is it a very pleasant place to go and to visit, but it’s very convenient and makes all those things you need to go into the city to take care of, a pleasant experience.

So when it does come time to go to a city since I’ve been here – either for supplies, or for sights and events, or to catch a flight – I’ve happily make Christchurch my city of choice. My last review of the city focused mainly on the thing I thought it was best for – really good restaurants. In the event that you haven’t read that review, I recommend you give it a look if you are visiting the city as Christchurch is teeming with great places to eat and drink and I will review only a few of those in this review.
This one I hope to focus more on the other things that the city has to offer – and what you can do while here, whether you have a lot of time to kill, or just a day, money to spend or are on a really tight budget. You can’t beat the atmosphere in Christchurch, for a big city it’s got a wonderful vibe, and so long as you’re not out on a Saturday night (which for some reason turns a very pleasant and breezy place into every other city on a weekend) you can wander about peacefully for hours just having a relaxed look at all the sites.
If you like a town where loads is going on, then Christchurch may not be for you –though there is a very good arts scene with loads of museums and artist orientated events and galleries. There are plenty of shops with – if not good prices, at least good selection of anything you may want to buy in New Zealand from standard souvenirs to interesting local products and standard trendy shops and malls.

TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS

If you are in Christchurch on a budget, you might find it a bit difficult. If you arrived with the same information I had when I left ("Oh, with the New Zealand dollar, everything will be really cheap" ) then you will be quickly and sorely disappointed. Despite it’s huge number of resident backpackers, this is not a cheap country to visit The New Zealand dollar is only slightly off the Australian, US, and Canadian dollar at the moment (July 2008) though the prices reflect what they were when it was $3 to the pound (now much closer to $2) with a nice added touch of growing inflation. If you come to New Zealand expecting it to be a bit pricey, you will be well prepared with a few pleasant surprises. For the most part though – expect the average cost to be more than what you would pay in the US, and at least what you would pay in Britain (more if it’s anything that’s exported – or very local) and you will be well equipt to deal with the prices. The good news is that Chrsitchurch isn’t actually more expensive than any small town in New Zealand (with some exceptions.) In some cases it may even be cheaper – and with a much better selection. Not to mention that there is a lot that you can do and enjoy in the city which costs nothing (great museums, parks and city walks and often you get great street performers and excellent weekend markets) where as outside of the city the only free thing you will be able to do is walk – and even some of those come with a price tag.

If you are a little bit thrifty you can get by with out spending a fortune here. There are some very good hostel options in the city, and even a good hotel option that isn’t too pricey (check the review on Hotel SO) the food might not be cheap (though pretty comparable to what you get in other places) but it is very good and you can find cheap options, especially if you look out for their really good lunch specials. The markets are wonderful (and wonderfully free) and the museums ask for a $5 donation. And be sure to stop into Christchurch Cathedral, it’s become one of my favourite in the world.

I hate to admit it, but I have a tendency to avoid museums when I first visit a new city. Unless there is an exhibit on that I really want to see, I tend to find them a rather tedious thing to do when there is so much to experience in the city just by walking around and seeing what it has to offer.

There are exceptions of course, like the Picasso Museum in Barcelona (which unfortunately was a huge disappointment) or the Louve in Paris – which is intrinsically a part of the city and it’s cultural heritage. But a museum, for the sake of seeing a museum never makes it very high on my list of things to do in a new city if I only plan to be there for a few days.

Which is why I didn’t make it into the Canterbury Museum on my first visit. There was so much to see, do, and taste in the city that I never found myself with an afternoon I felt was free to explore them.

On my second visit, however – with rather less money than I originally arrived with, and no longer thinking in UK pounds (which makes everything in the city seem a little bit more expensive than it did at first) I found my way past bookshops and the market area of town on a cold and cloudy day right into the museum.

And as I admit is usually the case, I was very very glad that I did.
Situated perfectly adjacent to the wonderful Botanic Gardens, its actually very nicely situated for a relaxing afternoon of wandering about the gardens and then the museum (or visa versa) And even better if you are there on the weekends, as you will make your way through the wonderful weekend markets to get to the area, perfect for a bit of refreshment along the way.

The museum itself is surprisingly large, with lots of exhibits. If you just want to spend an small amount of time there (up to an hour) and don’t want to miss anything, don’t spend too much time on the wonderful collection of Maori works on the first floor.

But it is free (though they ask for a $5 donation) you can return time and time again and slowly take your time to take in all of it.

The selection of Maori art, jewlery and carvings in the first exhibit is very good indeed, and my favourite bit of the museum. Each part was filled with historical information and lots of regional information on what and where and how each of the items were used, and was actually extremely interesting.

There are also some Moa skeletons which are very impressive (a famous but extinct New Zealand bird.)

These are the best bits of the museum, but by no means the last. There is a rather interesting bit called Christchurch Street – which though most entertaining for kids was still fun to walk around as they had reconstructed a fictious street from the pioneering days of the cosmoplotin city you have just been walking around yourself. And it’s actually very well put together.

There are some exhibits of cars, bikes and boats from different eras in New Zealand, and upstairs a kind of mish-mash of exhibits from meteors and astrological things to Egyptian artefacts.

There is a large interactive kids section, which is one of the best for kids I’ve ever seen. Great for a day out for the family if you are looking for something cheap and good to do.


And one of the most oddly impressive parts was the Chinese section of the museum which had some amazing ancient Chinese artefacts, art, and cloths – really worth going up to see.

All in all it was a really informative and nice way to spend an afternoon in Christchurch.

Markets are something that cities in New Zealand seem to do very well. There are two that really stand out amongst the others, in the south island at least, and Christchurch is one of those.

As you will quickly notice if you are visiting the city for the first time on the weekend, the thriving, buzzing café and restaurant culture of the city vanishes into void nothingness on a Sunday morning. You should keep this in mind if sampling the array of restaurants and cafes is high on your list to do in the city – don’t save it for a Sunday as it seems about 60% of them are closed.

But don’t despair if your palate is in need of further sumptuous delights from the delectable flavours of Christchurch, there is an easy remedy.

Just up the road from Cathedral Square, about a five minute walk towards the museums and the Botanic Gardens you will soon see where all the people in the city have gone, and why none of the restaurants are open.

The markets have a bit of a sprawling feel, and though they do start in Cathedral Square itself, the best and most interesting items and food stalls are near the Arts Centre on Gloucester Street.

Even if the idea of local markets don’t usually get your blood pumping, this is a really nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon in the city of Christchurch. Wandering just a few minutes down lovely tree-lined streets from the Botanic Gardens and the Canterbury Museum you will find row after row of local products selling everything from jewellery and art made from the stunning local Paua shell to bone and ivory carvings and woollen clothes.
Work your way through the Art Centre itself while you make this trip, as they have an absolutely wonderful array of local artists work – most of which can be purchased for reasonable prices and which will make excellent alternatives to the traditional souvenirs. The wood carving area is probably the most impressive of the bunch, but there are many, many to choose from including a wonderful little chocolate and candy shop where all the friendly women who work there offering samples look like they’ve come straight out of a 19th century candy shop.

There is also a great food stall section which will more than make up for the lack of open restaurants on a Sunday. With limitless options of piping hot – cooked on the spot – food from delightful Asian dishes, falafels, German sausages and French pastries you won’t miss the café culture for a minute.

But, if you are still hankering for a relaxing sit at a table with a wonderful coffee, there is a café adjoining the Art Centre which has seating outside and will be open along with the market.

There is also a great selection of street performers scattered about the market area which keep things interesting. Finish the day off lounging, ice cream in hand, in the sunny Botanic Gardens for an extremely relaxing and pleasing weekend day in the city.

Coming from the UK, and Scotland specifically, I hadn’t expected to arrive in a New World country in the south pacific and discover one of my famous grand cathedrals in the world – but that is precisely what I found in Christchurch.

The cathedral sits gallantly amidst Cathedral Square in the dead centre of town, and is an obvious reason why so many Englishmen arrive in this city and feel instantly that they are back at home. From first glance the outside could be any cathedral in England, even if it is a beautiful one.

It is perfectly located in the square so that you can sit out side and enjoy the vibe and buzz of town – including what seems like a constant attraction, a local who sits outside playing beautiful music on a varying array of pipes (including, oddly enough, a pipe fashioned of stag horn.)
On the weekends the square buzzes with stalls and people, but even on a week day people meander about at a pleasant pace, with a few stalls here and there selling wonderful smelling light meals and snacks and the tram trundling by every few minutes.

From the entrance of the cathedral you can just about make out the famous large chess set on the square to the right, where there seems to always be a couple of people having a game, and a small crowd watching. There are often even some live performers that stand in the centre of the square on the weekends or evenings.

The cathedral itself, while being beautiful outside, is magnificent inside. There is a kind of calm humility to it that many big cathedrals lack and that I found reassuring. Open for free to the public you can walk in and enjoy the sites of it and take photographs if you like, though if you come on a Sunday morning be prepared to attend the services, and not just wander around as it is a working church.

The light that comes in against the huge wooden rafters makes for amazing photographs, and a general calming and awe inspiring wander. I highly recommend that you pop your head in for a look around – even if you aren’t attending an actual service. (though they have a beautiful choir if you feel inclined to do so.)

You can also go into and up the tower if you would like, for a great little view of the city, but that does cost (I believe it was $7) but worth while if your budget allows. There is an amazing and very photogenic statue just outside, and a café adjoining which does really lovely breakfast menus.

I was about to go into the history and story of the cathedral – but as that is a great part of the experience of wandering around it and reading about how it came to be – I will leave that for you to discover on your own.

After spending the last few years living in Edinburgh with one of my favourite city gardens in the world a few minutes walk from my door step, I hadn’t expected to be so impressed with another cities attempt at a calm and accessable city garden.

But Christchurch didn’t get it’s title of the Garden City lightly, and the Botanic Gardens are yet another shining example of the peace and serenity this city does so very well.
I’ve met a good many English travellers in my time in New Zealand who assure me that Christchurch is an extremely English city. As I haven’t spent as much time as I should have in the lower part of the country, I can’t verify that. But what I can say is that it’s one of the most pleasant and the Botanics show yet again how beautiful and peaceful a city can be.

With plenty of space to walk around – the gardens make for a lovely day out when you’ve tired (IF you’ve tired) of sampling all the bars, restaurants and shops the city has to offer. It’s also extremely good for those travelling in the city on a budget, as it’s a very relaxing place – and a part of the city you should experience with out having to pay for it.

And it’s also large enough that it’s not difficult to find an area to yourself. There are a lot of families that make use of the gardens, especially in good weather, but there are plenty of areas as well that you can be a bit more secluded to sit and chat, read a book – or just soak up the southern hemisphere sun.

The autumn seemed to be a fantastic time to see the gardens, as some of the colours of the changing leaves could rival New England. We spent almost a full afternoon just wandering around, and still didn’t get a change to see all of it. There are some spectacular trees in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, and the entire place is beautifully laid out. And probably best of all, once you are a few steps inside the gardens the fact that you are in a city at all slips completely from your mind.

Like the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens, those in Christchurch have a wonderful and relaxed vibe. A great spot to take a book on a sunny day to sit and read and just enjoy the peaceful setting. But if you are on a bit of a sight seeing day, it is still well worth popping in for a wander around to see the wonderful gardens the city has put together. And be sure to make it to see the Peace Bell – and there is also a great café.

I have long been of the opinion while travelling that if you only stay in one type of accommodation on your journey, then your missing out on something important. Despite the fact that I’ve left my home country in seek of a year long round the world experience, and my funds will largely limit my trip to staying in backpackers, hostels and other means of cheap accommodation, I have the pleasure in this review of touting the exception to that rule.

We arrived in Christchurch on the way to our first work experience in New Zealand, which made our little stay in the city our last little bit of self indulgence before we headed into mountain country to get used to backpacker life, and therefore decided to stay in somewhat nicer accommodation and really enjoy the city at it’s best.

I have since heard that the backpackers and hostels in Christchurch are actually quite good, and many come highly recommended. But I am still thrilled at our little splurge, as Hotel So (found almost by accident while checking a booking site) has turned out to be the single coolest hotel I have ever stayed in to date – and quite possibly out ranking even the Vegas hotels as my favourite place to stay.

When first I stayed in Hotel So I was only a week into my New Zealand trip, and even more new to the South Island, but since then I have returned for a second visit to this wonderful hotel, and it has become even more apparent to me now what a true gem it is, given what you normally would get for a similar cost.

The list of positive aspects that make this probably the best little hotel in New Zealand are numerous in the extreme, and I hardly know where to begin – but as it will be a traveller’s starting point, I’ll begin with the location.
Centrally situated on Cashel Street right in the very city centre, it could not be easier to get to, to find, or to sight see from. There are two bars near by, and more restaraurants and cafes with in five minutes walking distance than you could visit in a week. (Not to mention a beautiful and top notch bar, café and restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel itself) If you are laden with luggage from a flight and with out a car you can easily take the airport bus to the corner of Cashel Street (where there is also a train station) and get off with in five minutes walk of the hotel. If you do have a car, there is a large indoor parking garage next door to the hotel which you can get a discounted 24 hour rate if you stay at Hotel So.

The hotel itself is not only extremely cool with it’s funky décor and brilliantly compact layout, but is also impeccably kept and very well run. On both of my stays here the staff have been extremely helpful and welcoming.

Hotel So is a rather new concept hotel, with the wonderful notion of keeping the hotel itself streamline and compact (the rooms are small, which is the only drawback some people might find) in order to keep the prices down. There is nothing unnecessary here – but everything you want. There is free internet access (a thing nearly unheard of anywhere in New Zealand) on the shiny new Mac computers in the roomy lounge, or wireless in the rooms and lounge. The rooms have no minibars, but a small fridge to keep your beverages and snacks in if you wish. There is also a large and pristine kitchen and lounge area if you wish to cook your own meals.

Each room comes with a kettle, hairdryer, and iron – but tucked away, and some of the doubles have a mini desk for using your computer on.

But the thing that really sets Hotel SO apart (other than the very, very reasonable price of $69 a night for singles and $89 for doubles) is it’s extremely cool décor. The whole place is color coded with mood lighting and backdrops. The shower units in each room are of frosted glass half circles which give the whole thing a very cool spacey feel – not to mention that you can change the mood lighting of the whole room with a button right at your finger tips. Have a shower in red – if your feeling quite hot, of keep the whole room glowing purple if your in a more mellow mood. (or any of the four other colours) The room is rather small, but your great flat screen TV mounted above the bed and all the mirrored walls make for a more spacious feel. There are more little touches than I can mention here, and it’s best that you find them all for yourself when you visit. Hotel SO is a part of the city that is almost as much a thing to see as it is a place to stay.

The city of Christchurch is filled to bursting point with spectacular restaurants and cafes, each pulling out all the stops to get the business of the city – with excellent décor and service, wonderful food and enticingly beautiful settings. Many of the restaurants have a pretty comparable dinner price, with a few exceptions in either direction.

But the place which probably gets my vote for the best food for value is the Irish Bar and restaurant ‘The Bog.’ Whether it’s my love of good wholesome portions of food or my Irish heritage, I always find myself drawn to taste the food at Irish pubs around the world. And there is no where I have been (and I frightfully have to include Dublin in this catagegory) that has served better good Irish food than at The Bog in the southern part of New Zealand.

It is, first and foremost, an Irish pub. They have quiz nights (on Thursday) and live music on Mondays. The bar has a great selection of beers (and of course Guiness) and the tables are mostly large wooden benches and serious tables that can serve a dozen people. But they take their food seriously, and even though the prices reflect the more typical ‘pub food’ price – the food, as well as the service is of a much higher quality.

After spending 6 years in the British Isles, I’ve been in many, many pubs hoping for a nice pub lunch and left unsatisfied every single time. But The Bog left me more pleased than almost any of the spectacular restaurants in Christchurch.

The prices are very good (though they don’t seem to have a lunch menu, so your best bet is to go in the evening when you get dinner for what is almost lunch prices.) The average dinner meal in Christchurch seems to range from $20 -$30 for a main. You can get many things on the menu in The Bog for under $20. Many of them are about $18.

Aside from the fact the taste of the food is astounding, really remarkably well cooked and prepared food for the price and for pub food – the portions are incredible. If you arrive in the city famished, or have spent a long day walking and need a serious refuel, you can not hope to get better portion sizes than at the Bog. It won me over so completely that I did what I never do in visiting a new city, and returned twice.

The Irish Stew is impeccable – quite a healthy portion served with bread, and filled with scrumptious big chunks of lamb and vegetables. The Steak and Guinness Pie is probably the best thing on the menu, and also possibly the largest. It’s almost so large it could be shared – and if you are really hungry it will certainly ease the hunger pains completely. I’ve sampled several things on the menu now, and have been extremely pleased with each one, so whatever you fancy it’s a pretty safe bet there.

Like everywhere in New Zealand it’s the beer that will push the tab up, so if you are looking for the value aspect, be sure to order water or coke to go with your meal. And if you still have room for desert afterwards, they have a great selection of that as well – the apple crumble is a very interesting take on the old recipe and is served with what tastes like homemade ice cream.

This place has a lot going for it, including very good and friendly staff, a wonderful atmosphere and an easy location just off the city centre and a few mintues from Cathedral Square.

Just around the corner from Hotel SO and about five minutes from Cathedral Square is a great little café called ‘The Honey Pot.’ In a city jam-packed with great restaurants and cafes it can be a little daunting choosing one, and you can’t go wrong here.

With a great wooden interior and exterior of this building, it has a unique and welcoming feel that makes for a great coffee drinking, post card writing atmosphere. The food (they offer a pretty varied and enticing sounding range) isn’t the cheapest in town, and though I can’t vouch for it myself as I only tried their coffee – smelled and looked spectacular. If you’re looking for a midday meal you could do much worse. (I think the average lunch menu price was around $13.)

But if you just want to pop in somewhere for a nice coffee and a bit of repose from all the wandering about the city, this is a great place to stop. Other than being centrally located, it’s very relaxing and with plenty of seating available around the area for it you are in a very social or secluded kind of mood.

The staff were a rather interesting bunch, and though I can’t give them credit for being the best service we received in the city – they certainly added character to the place, and the coffees were nothing to complain about. If you are interested in tattoos, have a chat with these girls, as they each seemed to have a varied array of intriguing body designs.

It’s worth mentioning here that the average coffee in New Zealand runs between $3 and $4. There doesn’t seem to be a price increase for such things being in a city – in the smallest town café I have been to the prices have been a mirror image of what they were in Christchurch. Expect to pay around $3.50 for a flat white coffee or espresso and $4 for a latte or cappuccino.

I heard before we arrived that New Zealand secretly does some of the best coffee in the world and its cafes can rival even Italy for wonderful lattes, which I found very hard to believe and went into very dubiously. But so far it’s been proven again and again and some of the very nicest coffees I’ve had in the world have surprisingly been on the south island of New Zealand. And the Honey Pot was not on the bottom of that list.

I might add, though, that if you are a cappuccino drinker and don’t like lots of chocolate on your coffee, be sure to let them know as they are generous when they sprinkle the bitter dark chocolate across the top.

Another interesting aspect of The Honey Pot which pleased me was their huge selection of local art. The walls are covered with work (all of it for sale) done by local artists. Very, very good local artists as well. There were several pieces I was very tempted to by – so if you are looking for an interesting present or souvenir to bring back you might want to pop in and have a look.