Christchurch Travel Forum

I have a possibility to visit Christchurch, but it would only be for ~2.5 days. I won't go if that is only scratching the surface of what the area offers. How much time would you recommend?

Christchurch is not a big city but it's very interesting. We only had a day there and liked it. What kinds of things are you interested in?

There's the Christchurch Gondola www.gondola.co.nz
The french influenced town of Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula

You can do a fair bit in 2&1/2 days
http://www.christchurch.org.nz/Visiting/

Cheers
Col & Sue

Two and a half days is fine for Christchurch - it's a wee little city. A day and a half in the city itself and a day trip to Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula would be a good way to spend your time.

Personally, 2/12 hours was enough for me! It is not very big and I did not find it very interesting. Even the round city tour bus only takes 20 mins to do a complete circuit! I would aim to spend the day there and maybe take a day trip to whale watch at Kaikora or go down to Akaroa

Do not get irritated by the last post. This free "round-the-city-bus" is no sightseeing bus at all (the yellow bus) but to get people living in the city to grocery shopping places in this area (South City, Mid City, Pak'n'Save), and encourage people from the outer suburbs to leave their car at home. This is why it passes even some very shabby and uninteresting streets. Just the other day I was on this bus and wondering why some tourists sat in the bus with their cameras ready to shoot... But sure, they did not know, and a free service always sounds promising.

If somebody has seen all of Christchurch in 2.5 hours he/she has not made any effort to get information about the place.

I think your 2.5 days are very good for a start. Reserve a full day for a tour of Banks Peninsula, not just to Akaroa. You can also go to some more remote places like Okains Bay (Maori and Settlers Museum, great white sandy beach), Le Bons Bay, etc. on a roundtrip.

As already mentioned by others, the city centre is rather compact. However, most tourists miss to visit the spectacular Provincial Chambers, St. Michael's of All Angels and the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament (the Yellow Bus even gets close LOL) - great views of the city and the Port Hills from the spire. Try to be on Cathedral Square around lunchtime, so you can see the Town Crier. The famous Wizard only shows up in good weather in summer.

If you have not seen a kiwi on your tour before, you have 3 possibilities: Southern Encounter (right on the Square), Willowbank (for all kinds of NZ wildlife, including walk-in aviary of keas and kiwi without glass barrier; my favourite place) and Orana Park (a mixture of zoo and NZ wildlife).

The Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park (huge) are great places to relax, the Arts Centre is always nice but especially during the weekend with foodstalls and market. Many tourists take a punting tour on the Avon. Canterbury Museum (at the entrance of the Botanic Gardens) has a great bird section and great info about Antartica (as all the trips to Antarctica start in Chch/Lyttelton Harbour). The tramway round-trip is overpriced and you can walk the loop.

A bit outside the city centre is the International Antarctic Centre (next to the airport, and the Willowbank and Orana Park would not be far away).

One of the best things you can do is a drive on the Summit Road from where you have fantastic views of Lyttelton Harbour, Banks Peninsula, the Canterbury Plains and the Southern Alps. You can take the Gondola to the summit, or walk up historic Bridle Path. Also from the Summit Road you can walk up to the summit station of the Gondola in 10 mins.

Good swimming beaches are in New Brighton and Sumner, and there are several small beaches along Lyttelton Harbour.

My visitors always enjoy Mona Vale (a homestead with a nice park, rose garden, ducks etc. and Riccarton House and Park including a fenced area with original native bush (Dean's Bush).

If you have a car you can do most of this within 2.5 days, with public transportation (not available to Orana Park) you have to make some adjustments LOL

Thanks for all your valuable input! My job site had to delay a few days, hence my window of opportunity. I'm trying to sort out a few things here and hope to capitalize on this.

2.5 days is just fine - enjoy! :-)