We had a GREAT experience working with Dianne and her firm GoWalkAbout Travel. (…) She has deep knowledge of the accommodations, sights and adventures, earned over many years of experience, but happily finds the new and innovative.
Christchurch, New Zealand
The South Island’s largest city, Christchurch feels like a slice of England by the ocean, amongst agricultural plains. Despite major earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 that destroyed many historic buildings in the city, Christchurch still has a historic feel with brick, cobblestone, tramcars, and Victorian architecture. Boats carrying starry-eyed couples glide along the Avon River. Christchurch Botanic Gardens present a civilized way to enjoy outdoor public space. In all, visitors are often drawn to cosmopolitan Christchurch as a bustling outpost of culture, dining, entertainment, and sports in a place that’s otherwise quite wild and rural.
Naturally, due to its size, Christchurch is a transportation hub for the South Island of New Zealand. Home to an international airport, it has daily flights from Australia as well as most domestic New Zealand airports. The world-famous TranzAlpine train begins in Christchurch and crosses the Southern Alps through Arthur’s Pass all the way to Greymouth on the West Coast. Another train travels north up the coast from Christchurch to Picton, connecting to North Island ferries. Other visitors prefer to self-drive to Christchurch, either from the West Coast via Arthur’s Pass, from Mt. Cook, from Dunedin, or from Blenheim to Kaikoura.
Where Should I Stay in Christchurch
While some travelers simply overnight in Christchurch en route to another destination, we think it’s definitely worth spending a couple of nights here. Stay at least two nights if you want to get out and about to some of the gorgeous wilderness outside the city.
With over 350,000 inhabitants, Christchurch is big enough to offer plenty of places to stay. There are independent inns, chain hotels, charming historic B&Bs, full-service resorts, and more than one luxury lodge right nearby. Stay downtown if you want to enjoy nightlife, dining, and shopping. Downtown Christchurch is compact and easily walkable, with most major sights accessible by foot or tramcar.
If you prefer your accommodations to be a little less urban, then stay a short drive outside town at a luxurious five-star historic homestead nestled in gardens or an isolated, exclusive rental home with full amenities out on the Banks Peninsula. The dining and service at these top accommodations cannot be beaten — see our blog post on luxury lodges of New Zealand for more on what these places are about.
When to Visit Christchurch, New Zealand
Like elsewhere in New Zealand, Christchurch is suitable for tourists at any time of year. Its climate is temperate with relatively mild changes between the four seasons. It also receives less rainfall than other parts of New Zealand.
There are a number of major events on Christchurch’s annual calendar that are tons of fun for international visitors. The World Buskers Festival is in January each year, and thousands of street musicians descend on Christchurch to give their finest public performances in a lively summer festival atmosphere. Another popular event is the Garden City Festival of Flowers, which occurs annually in February when the city comes alive with color. New Zealand’s largest farm (A&P) show draws 100,000 visitors in November each year — kind of like a county fair on steroids.
In April 2018, Christchurch is the home to the Golden Oldies Sports Celebration, a fun, friendly, and prestigious event for international players of rugby, basketball, cricket, football (soccer), golf, hockey (field hockey), lawn bowls, netball, softball, and squash.
Best Places to Visit As A Day Tour From Christchurch
If you have a full day or more in Christchurch, then we recommend leaving the city to enjoy the gorgeous, unique and diverse wilderness right nearby. The easiest and most informative way is to hire an expert guide, though self-driving is always an option.
Akaroa And The Banks Peninsula
The Banks Peninsula juts out into the Pacific Ocean southeast of Christchurch. Formed by extinct volcanic peaks, there are two harbors and a pock-marked coastline that create plenty of opportunities to enjoy the water, as well as scenic views from on high. On the Banks Peninsula, you can swim with rare Hector’s dolphins, see fur seals as well as white-slippered and yellow-eyed penguins, and enjoy the natural beauty that nature has created. The old French town of Akaroa is the largest and most charming town on the peninsula, located a 90-minute drive from downtown Christchurch.
Arthur’s Pass
Most travelers only take a brief glance at Arthur’s Pass while passing through the Southern Alps, either by car or by train. However, we think it’s definitely worth staying overnight or at least taking a full-day trip from Christchurch to enjoy the area. Arthur’s Pass is a high mountain pass over the Southern Alps, home to the world’s only alpine parrot as well as numerous hiking, fishing, and wilderness opportunities. Our favorite day tour starts with adventurous four-wheel-driving out of Christchurch, through the Canterbury Plains, and into the Alps. Next, there’s a jet boat ride on a remote mountain river and walking in nature. The day ends with a ride on the TranzAlpine train from Arthur’s Pass back to Christchurch, so you get the best of both road and rail.
Kaikoura
Located about a three-hour drive north of Christchurch, Kaikoura is a destination in and of itself. We typically recommend you stay here at least two nights, but for those short on time, a day trip from Christchurch is not only possible but could be the highlight of your trip. Kaikoura is a quiet, small town with a vibrant fishing and crayfish community.
Its biggest claim to fame lies just a few hundred meters (or yards) offshore. A continental shelf has created a canyon almost two kilometers deep (over one mile) running in a U-shape near Kaikoura. This means that massive pods of dolphins and whales, as well as other marine life, migrate in deep ocean currents just offshore. From Kaikoura, you can easily swim with wild dolphins or go whale watching.
You’ll find some whales and dolphins year-round, but for Humpbacks, visit between June and August. For Orca, travel in summer between October and March. Our other favorite activities in Kaikoura are a fun half-day hike and excellent Maori cultural experiences.
More Activities In And Around Christchurch, New Zealand
In addition to the other great sights and activities we’ve already mentioned in Christchurch, here are some more to round out your stay:
Vineyards and wine tasting in the Waipara Valley
Canterbury Museum in downtown Christchurch, including Quake City which tells the story of the region’s earthquakes and resilient locals who recover and rebuild
International Antarctic Centre near the airport
Adventure sports, such as skydiving, canyoning, jet boat riding, heli-hiking, skiing, and snowboarding in winter
Lord of the Rings day tour to the filming location of Edoras
Earthquake stuff
Kiwi birds and other wildlife at Orana Wildlife Park and Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
What Our Past Travelers Have to Say
G’day Dianne. Thank you! You listened well and organized our trip extremely well. Pick up and delivery times were spot on. The hotels were all good to great. (…) I just wanted to let you know that we appreciated everything you did to arrange a wonderful trip.
42 Days, 2 Countries, 6 States, 1 Territory, 15 Cities/Locations, 14 Flights and not a single mishap. On top of that, we had a GREAT TIME! A TRIP OF A LIFE-TIME! Our six week adventure to Australia and Singapore was our most memorable vacation to date. (…) Dianne is a wonderful find and without hesitation we recommend her to family and friends. Dianne will certainly be organizing our next adventure.
(…) Dianne put together an incredible New Zealand trip for us – we travelled from one tip to the other, East and West included. I would have thought Dianne knew me from childhood as every spot we visited or stayed at – was exactly what I would have chosen myself (had I known the country). (…)
Dianne planned a fantastic honeymoon for us. (…) We gave her an idea of the things and activities that we like to do and she just rolled with it! We didn’t really know much about either place, so didn’t have too much of a preference of where we wanted to go, but with her knowledge she was able to send us to some amazing places. (…) Thanks for planning us a wonderful honeymoon!
(…) Everything went very smoothly, thanks to you and your organizational skills! We really appreciate everything you did for us! (…) I want to thank you (Dianne) for all the work you & your colleagues did to ensure that we had an enjoyable holiday.
(…) Dianne, there are so many things you did for us that I cannot list them all in a letter. However, I can say that I have never worked with a travel agent before who took as much time to deal with all the details – big and small. It was like we were part of your extended family and you took full responsibility for our wellbeing. I would recommend you to anyone looking for a great travel agent, and I wish you the best of success in the future.
(…) From the beginning, Dianne really stood out. She spent a significant amount of time on the front end learning what we were interested in and what we did not like about previous tours. (…) I would definitely recommend GoWalkabout Travel to any of my friends and family. Thanks again for our trip! We had a fantastic time!
It was a trip of a lifetime!! (…) Every thing was working like clockwork. (…) Thanks Dianne and it was a pleasure meeting you and you taking the time to meet us in Sydney.
We really enjoyed working with Dianne in planning our trip to Australia. She was very efficient and gave us great recommendations. Prior to our departure, she ensured we had everything we needed including packing tips, in order to have a great trip. We would highly recommend using her services.
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