The
second largest city in New Zealand, Christchurch lies at the southern end of Pegasus Bay, in the middle of the east coast of the
South Island, between Banks Peninsula and the Canterbury Plains.
The main city in the
Canterbury region, Christchurch boasts over 740
parks and an extensive system of
rivers,
streams and
wetlands, hence its name - it is known as the ‘
Garden City’.
Christchurch has a
distinctive quaint English character. Its
iconic city square and
cathedral, its
historic tram, its wide tree-lined
avenues, beautifully maintained
gardens, ambling inner-city
rivers and restored
heritage buildings do make Christchurch a picture-perfect city, and a very pleasant one to visit or live in.
The Christchurch area was first
settled by
moa-hunting tribes. Maori oral history tells that humans began living in the area around 1000 AD. These first inhabitants were followed by the
Waitaha who are thought to have migrated from the east coast of the North Island in the 16th century. This
migration was joined by the
Ngati Mamoe and
Ngai Tahu and continued until about 1830.
Although there were
European settlers from the 1830s, the first
English settlers to Lyttelton Harbour arrived in December 1850. Christchurch became a city by Royal Charter on July 31, 1856, making it the
oldest city in New Zealand. The country’s first public railway line was opened from Ferrymead to Christchurch a few years later in 1863.
Today Christchurch is a
vibrant city, with a
lively café scene and plenty of
museums and
culture venues to keep locals and tourist entertained. Canterbury has warm
summers and cool to
cold winters.
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
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Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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