Where is it?

In the middle of the South Island

Find it in Print

Lonely Planet, p. 526

What's There?

• It's near Aoraki or Mount Cook.
• There's Hot Air Balooning out of nearby Methven.
• Beautiful Cathedral
• A tramway that goes all around town
• Great city walks, starting at the Sign of the Takahae, or take the walking tour on Lonely Planet p.537
• Aquarium, with "disturbingly large eels"
• Riverside Botanic Gardens
• Mona Vale, an Elizabethan homestead
• The Antigua Boatsheds, which are themselves scenic and also where you can rent a boat to go down the Avon river
• The New Zealand-focused Canterbuy Museum
• Christchurch Art Gallery
• A Gondola that takes us up to the top of Mt. Cavendish, where there is a restaurant and paths around the crater.
• Orana Wildlife Park has a good display on Kiwis but is otherwise Africa-focused
• The Willowbank Wildlife Preserve, which we can take a wildlife tour of, see Maori dancing, and have a buffet dinner

How to get there

Fly into the region's major airport, or take the TranzAlpine? train.