There’s a lot to love about Christchurch aka The Garden City. We drove in through Rangiora and Amberley from the Lewis Pass and Hanmer.
Reminders of the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes can still be found scattered throughout Christchurch and on entering this time, our first since 2015, we noticed large green spaces now covering huge tracts of land.
Coming from Franklin, a largely farming community, we assumed the open space on the outskirts to be farmland or land awaiting subdivision.
Talking to the people though, we’ve discovered that many can be explained as red zoned areas. Spaces that were deemed unsafe for habitation post the quakes and since cleared.
These empty land blocks, where once houses had stood in unison, now appear either as paddocks, huge parks under construction or grassed areas still cordoned off as though forgotten.
In the city there has been so much reconstruction, although, dotted around, unoccupied, graffitied buildings still remind you of the damage, fear, and abandonment wreaked here by the quakes.
Some buildings stand as quake reminders including the Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial, Quake City, The Cardboard Cathedral, and certain part-ruins like The Basilica and old Christ Church Cathedral.
However, several new edifices have since filled some gaps, like The Terraces, and brand new recreational facilities, like the Margaret Mahy family playground, have sprung into life.
This park was a huge hit with our boys in the winter so I can only imagine its popularity in the summer when all the water fountains are in action too.
Despite construction being obvious almost everywhere you go in the city, it feels like a vibrant place with edgy new buildings that are giving it a cleaner, modern look.
One place we visited was Turanga, the new central city library. We even found free parking within walking distance, though we were pretty lucky with our timing there.
At $92 million’s worth, it’s an amazing community centre replete with five floors featuring 180 000 borrowable items, a studio for media, music and video film-making, 3D printing, laser, and vinyl cutting, sewing machine, and robotics hubs, around which the library offers education and community programmes.
We spent most of our time on Level 2 which included a kids’ zone with a slide, a dress ups nook, couches, PlayStations, TVs and Lego play areas.
On other levels puzzles can be worked on, board games played and there’s even a TV ‘fireside’ where you can curl up with one of their 180 000 resources.
Around 3000 people visit daily and with free wifi, ample spaces for work and relaxation, you could truly spend a day there easily. I think it’s been just what the city needed – an innovative, welcoming place to gather, learn, create, and connect.
There are plenty of Wilson’s Parking lots in the surrounding roads and at $3 an hour or $10 a day, they won’t break the bank but with hindsight, I’d take the day ticket as there’s so much to do here and nearby, you could stay awhile.
Just outside you can visit the old cathedral ruin, play giant chess in the square, check out some wall art or catch a tram. The Botanic Garden a few blocks over is beautiful and allows up to 3 hours of free parking so that’s another option if you’re happy to walk.
As we’re homeschooling our boys, we’ve enjoyed doing the bulk of our learning in local libraries wherever we are. They are often new and innovative hubs in Christchurch.
The New Brighton library, for example, has been built backing on to the long concrete pier right on the beach and the views from work stations inside the library are hard to beat.
It too boasts free wifi, pc use, printing facilities as well as exercise classes on-site.
Another good library we’ve been to is Beckenham. It too has a state of the art library, complete with a TV lounge and cafe.
The nearby stream and roads have pullover spots suitable for self-contained freedom camping, with up to 2 nights allowed.
Another pleasant nearby recreational spot was the Ernsle Clark Reserve complete with a rope swing to be found on the main walkway that runs parallel to the road near Beckenham Library.
Several areas of Christchurch city and surrounds are banned for freedom camping but plenty of others offer 2 nights stay.
It’s best to check your apps, like NZMCA or Rankers, and the local freedom camping bylaw maps when choosing where to stay in a camper in order to avoid any $200 fines.
Do you have any thoughts or additions to this?
We’d love you to comment.
Please pin one of the images below.
Thanks!
Meagan
