New Zealand's Garden City

A lot of people who come to New Zealand do so on a long holiday or working holiday or some other option that enables a long stay. If that's the case, then there is a thriving second had car market in all the major cities throughout the country. In the South Island, Christchurch is the main one and at any given time of year you'll find a lot of adverts up in every hostel and in various shop windows and internet cafes offering second hand vehicles. The public transport system on the South Island is a little sketchy and becoming increasingly expensive, so if you want to have a degree of freedom in where you go and when you go there then picking up your own ride is a very good idea.

During our trip, we bought privately and it worked out pretty well. We got a good car pretty cheap that served us well through the nine months we were there. To be on the safe side, if you do decide to go down the private route it's a very good idea to get an AA checkup (they cost about $100) to ensure that you know exactly what you're buying. You don't want to get 20 yards down the road and have the axles drop off, so if you don't know how to check a car out yourself then it's advisable to take this option.

An alternative is to go to one of the second hand car markets that the city has to offer. There are two major options in the Garden City and I strongly advise that you go to this one. When we were selling our car we went to both. The Backpackers Car Market, which is a little further from the city centre on Battersea Street, were shockingly bad. I brought in a good car at the last minute for a service they expressly advertise and they basically tried to pull a fast one on me. I had called the previous day to sort this all out and they said it was no problem, just to bring it on in and all would be well. When I got there two of them came out with me and spent the next ten minutes trying to fast talk me around to letting them call around and try to find me a buyer. To cut a long story short, they were trying to scam me. I later discovered that the people who own The Backpacker Car Market also own Lichfield motors (ironically a company which had previously scammed me when I needed some work done on the car), and they mess sellers around for a week or so then come in with a stupidly low price, supposedly off the street, and then run it through this second company.

This may all sound confusing, but suffice to say, they're con artists. They charge a little less than their competition, but I strongly advise you to avoid them.

By contrast, Christchurch Car Market (on St Asaph Street) were outstanding. I arrived at the last minute, the morning of my flight, they handled my query within five minutes, took the car off my hands and sold it for $1100 two days later on my behalf. The money was transferred through to me immediately. Also, looking briefly around the lot, the vehicles they had on offer were far more reasonably priced than the ones over at the Backpacker place. They charge a little extra to sell your car for you ($350 commission rather than $250), but they're easy to deal with, professional and honest. I can't recommend them strongly enough.

When the sun is out in Christchurch it's a very different place to when the weather is dreary, as is often the case with cities. It seems to be amplified in Christchurch though. Perhaps it's the adundance of parks and green bits, but whatever the case, if the sun comes out on a Saturday then make sure you take advantage of all the stuff that goes on in the city centre at that time.

Leaving out of Cathedral Square, you head west and cross the river, heading for the Museum and Botanic Gardens. After a short walk you find the market opening up on your left hand side. There's a really interesting mix of products to choose from. Much of it is hand made, and you can often see whatever is for sale being made right there in front of you. Browsing around the market stalls will invariably take you over to the food carts, as a host of deeply tantalizing smells drift through the air. It's a very cramped little area, with an array of different nationalities offering their national dishes, and it's hard to choose from so many wonderful smells - everything from Indian, through Turkish, French, Chinese ... there's a little bit of everything.

Right next to the market is the art building. This is well worth a look. If you enjoy the artistry on display outside then you'll love some of the stuff available inside. There's some really beautiful woodcarving in particular.

Canterbury Museum is a great place. Donation only, if you're strapped for cash then you can drop in a few pennies or even browse around the place for free. It's a short ten minute walk from Cathedral Square, sitting right beside the Botanic Gardens, usually with a banner outside to let you know what the current exhibition is.

Inside there are all the usual museum staples - prehistory through to present day - but most notably there is a wealth of New Zealand history on display in here. From full sized canoes and weaponry and diaramas depicting Maori life from thousands of years ago to modern history, right through to detailed accounts of the first European settlers and how that society has grown through the generations to become what it is today.

There are many faces to the museum. There's a mock 19th century street that you can walk through and interact with. You walk into a store and the shopkeeper mannequin behind the counter speaks to you about the kind of stuff they would have talked about back in the day. It's really quite well done and serves as a useful break from the traditional exhibits.

When you head upstairs, there's a wealth of Oriental exhibits to occupy you. These are absolutely fascinating - it's amazing looking through things dating back from 200AD and further and seeing that ancient China was founding advanced university studies when many western societies were still in the dark ages. Well worth a look.

There's even a future exhibit and a children's museum, so they truly do cover all the bases for you. If you have a few hours, this is a worthy investment of your time.

You hear about many cities' famous botanic gardens but you don't often hear about Christchurch's. I suspect that's because it's not set out like many Botanic Gardens are - they're not as scrupulously constructed as many are, there's not as many latin names attached to the trees and plants as you wander around the place. But that shouldn't stop you from having a look around. Whilst they may not be one of the best from a botanical standpoint, what they are is an extremely pleasant environment to stroll around within comfortable walking distance of the city centre.

They're free, so there's no financial impediment. You can find them easily, right next to Christchurch Museum and over the road from the Christchurch Art Gallery. There are some really beautiful trees scattered around the gardens, and in a very natural way. It doesn't feel sculpted, which makes it a very relaxing place to be. The walkways lead you along tree-lined pathways, around rock gardens and flower gardens and through a host of sculptures and fountains and bridges.

One of the most interesting features of the place is the Peace Bell. It hangs on the north side of the river, constructed of bronze donated from a host of countries around the world. It has no clapper, but rings melodiously with the tap of a finger, despite its size.

With a selection of other attractions within easy grasp, it's a good place to come and unwind on a summery Christchurch day. The museum, the art gallery, the old bandstand, the Peace Bell, kayaking on the river - it all adds up to an oft-forgotten garden city landmark that's well worth an hour or two's exploration.

Hotel So Christchurch is the flagship of a new chain of hotels that will one day soon be spread throughout New Zealand - starting with the South Island, with Dunedin being the next location planned. The inspiration for the hotel's founder was to create affordable luxury. They've gone to impressive lengths to take due diligence in finding out exactly what their customers really want. They've researched which parts are essential, which are extraneous and which put the proverbial icing on the equally proverbial cake. What they've ended up with is probably the coolest hotel experience I've ever encountered.

The staff are outstanding. They don't have 'receptionists' and 'bartenders' and so on, they have customer attendants who are all trained in all aspects of how the hotel is run. The result of this is that when you ask someone a question they can supply you with a whole host of answers. This was a refreshing change to the bored shoulder shrug that I've often received in similarly priced establishments. Very friendly, very professional, extremely helpful.

The moment you walk into the hotel you're struck by the stylish decor and layout. It's all extremely clean, very modern, very hip and technologically advanced. Touch screen monitors invite you 'Touch me...' and a whole load of local information is at your fingertips. The common room offers massage chairs, vending machines, plasma screen Sky TV, a well equipped kitchen and free internet access on shiny new Macs.

The rooms are sometimes criticised for being too small, but I think that's unfair. The King Size rooms are plenty big enough and the standard options (very cheap at $89 for a double, $69 for a single) are more than cool enough to make up for the tight conditions. There's ample space under the bed to stow your gear, you get your own fridge with free tea (both green and ceylon), coffee, sugar and milk, a little goody box with toiletries, cups and vouchers for the cafe and flat screen TV with plenty of Sky channels - including movie channels and 'mood channels'. These are screens with rolling mountainsides, sandy beaches and crackling fires - complete with soothing sound effects - to have in the background while you relax.

These are the little touches that make Hotel So stand out above its competitors. They've gone to a lot of trouble to ensure that you're exceptionally comfortable in your stylish little room. The shower and toilet area - ensconced in one corner of your room behind curved frosted glass - has eco-friendly shower technology that uses less water but provides plenty of power; the room is equipped with a solar lamp that simulates sunlight and can be set to dim over time to lull you to sleep or (as instructions in their guidebook show you step by step) to help you overcome jetlag! The mood lighting in the room can be set to a variety of colours, each of which enhances a particular mood (again, all covered by the in room guide). Maid service is optional, there's a free gym and sauna in the basement and the alarm system has to be seen to be believed.

All in all, I can't recommend Hotel So Christchurch highly enough. I've stayed there twice and felt happy to give them my money as I felt I was more than getting my money's worth. Don't expect lots of space, but you can expect lots of style, and right in the heart of the City too, so within comfortable walking distance of all Christchurch's major eateries and attractions. Check it out before they realise they can charge a lot more for the level of quality they're offering.

Right at the heart of Christchurch you'll find Cathedral Square. It's easy to find just by following the Cathedral spire or by asking any passer by. Christchurch city centre has a lot to offer simply in terms of parks and walkways. Victoria Park, the Botanic Gardens, the meandering river, and at the centre of it all is Cathedral Square.

You'll know you're in the right place when you see the big flowery looking cup sculpture ... and the Cathedral of course. But if you come along at the weekend there's always something else to occupy your time. There's usually a performer's stage up around lunchtime where a local singer or performer will get up and serenade the passers by. I never got the name of the girl who was singing when I passed through but she had a beautiful voice, so it's good quality entertainment that's provided for you at no cost to you or any of the other wandering pedestrians.

There's a market on Saturday mornings too. It's a small market, but there's a lot of really good stuff on display and the vendors are the usual friendly, chatty market stallholders, who are always very happy to discuss their wares with you.

On any day of the week though you have three very interesting options to occupy your time. There's a giant chessboard marked out on the paving stones, complete with giant chess pieces, that's free for anybody to play. Don't do this if you don't like being watched though, as it always draws a little crowd.

The scenic tram system operates from here too. Though not cheap, it is a very interesting way of seeing the city without having to use up any shoe leather. Route maps are available right there and the vendors will again be happy to discuss the tram with you so you know what you're getting into. It was a little bit pricey for me, as I like to walk, but I did speak to others who had taken this option and they had nothing but praise for it.

The other obvious attraction is Christchurch Cathedral. This is beautiful. Again, it is free - with a donation box if you'd like to make a contribution - and it's well worth a half hour to have a look round. There's some beautiful stained glass in there, with the kind of impressive architecture you would expect from a major city cathedral. It does not have the majesty or size of a Westminster or a Yorkminster, but it is very beautiful and there's no restriction on taking photos and no entrance fee unless you want to go upstairs.