We gave ourselves just under two weeks to sell our van in Christchurch. We weighed all our options, and felt that the first thing we should do is place our ad in all the hostels around town. As each day went by I got a little more anxious, fearing that we would be stuck with our van on our last day and practically give it away at a used car lot. Thankfully after about 3 days we got some bites, and ended up selling it to a lovely young couple from France.
The city of Christchurch was beautiful, amplified by the incredible weather we had the whole time we were there. Sadly we could still see and feel the remnants of the 2011 earthquake, most notably at Christchurch Cathedral, which was situated right in the center of the city.
The city center could be divided into two parts: a lovely public area along the Avon River / Ōtākaro, and then east of there is a flat grid of bare streets, almost like the industrial area of a town. I would imagine this was where most of the damage was done, as there were no trees and a lot of construction. Our AirBnB was in neither of these areas, which became a little bit of a problem once we sold our van. But hey, we didn’t complain, we weren’t stuck with it anymore so public transportation here we come!
This War Memorial was situated right in the city centre, which was still in the midst of being rebuilt. Behind it you can see the Container Mall.
Near the Avon River / Ōtākaro was The Re:START Mall (or Container Mall), which was built with a bunch of shipping containers at various levels and angles. It was a fun little labyrinth consisting of cute stores and street food.
New Regent Street. It was a cute pedestrian street with all sorts of shops and terraces. As narrow as the street was, it was just wide enough to allow the city’s Tram to ride through.
We rode this several times during our stay. Although I don’t have any photos of it, the tracks of the tram actually passed through a mall!
Everyone loves to ride a tram! It may not be the fastest mode of transportation, but it is definitely the best for site-seeing!
Waiting for the tram, keeping the bronze canines company.
This was an interesting art exhibit where you could play an old school video game using a giant joystick. You can see the monitor up against the wall of the building across the street.
One of our favourite tapas: patatas bravas!
This is what’s left of Christchurch cathedral. Reconstruction was mothballed for over a decade, but apparently work has restarted and it’s planned to be restored by 2030.
This is the interior of the transitional cathedral, which is made of cardboard.
We visited The Christchurch Arts Centre, which used to be Canterbury College. In the great hall there was a beautiful stained glass window.
There are apparently famous people depicted in the window. Can you find any? I can’t.
Oh wait, is that William Shakespeare?
I love these types of signposts. You can tell we’re still at The Arts Centre based on the destinations the sign post is pointing to.
Across from The Arts Centre was the Christchurch Botanical Gardens, which had several beautiful parks and gardens. This was The Regret Fountain.
The Hunter Sundial. The inscribed plaques across all four sides read: “The Desert Shall Rejoice and Blossom as the Rose”
With the sunny weather, some of the colours of the trees, plants and flowers were eye-popping.
I think Dominique is trying to smell the flowers of the cactus. No injuries were reported to either Dominique or the plant.
Yes, it had a rose garden, with all the coloured roses, all in full bloom.
She’s not trying to steal a rose, I swear!
The World Peace Bell at the Christchurch Botanical Gardens
The meandering Avon River, which passed through the Botanical Gardens, was more like a creek or canal, complete with punters!
The old Canterbury College grounds not only housed The Arts Centre, but Canterbury Museum as well. The architecture was beautiful: one could pretend they were at Hogwarts.
Hey, it’s The Great British Baking Show tent! Well, not really, but during our 11 day stay we watched a lot of that show.
An interesting mural alongside one of the buildings of the Canterbury Museum.
On one of our last days in Christchurch we went to New Brighton, a seaside town that left me feeling like it was showing its age. I wouldn’t call it run-down, just a little sad. Like a Morrissey song.
The New Brighton Clock Tower, which needs work. My guess is that the earthquake pretty much diverted all the restoration projects towards reconstructing the city.
New Brighton Pier. The place really had something liminal to it.
A sad day, as it was the day we parted with our reliable travelling companion, Fernadette. We shall miss you, Fernie!
