Kiwi-Nutz
The Alternative South Island Diary
Christchurch Here We Come
Quite a few things planned for Christchurch. The journey this time was not to be quite so strenuous, only a 40 minute drive North from Parau.
The centre of Christchurch is very much like Covent Garden, with some of the best architecture that we have seen in NZ. The centre is very vibrant with professional street entertainers and wide open squares.
Things to Do
There are some very well organised tours to pick up in Christchurch. One of the best ways of going about this, when you're not familiar with the streets is to make your way to the city centre and book yourself some tickets and transport at the city's information centre. The transport we opted for was a coach service that runs between all of the major attractions. It is possible to get around three or four attractions in a day if you start early enough. Here are just a few.
Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
The Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is a must for kids and Adults alike. It doesn't take the whole day to go around but there are loads of native NZ animals, birds (inlc. Kiwi's), fish and fauna to get close to. This place was excellent value for money It was $45.00 NZD for the whole family (2+4).
The Gondala
We then caught the coach to the Gondala ride the experience and views from 900m up were truly amazing.
Accommodation
We opted this time for a bit of comfort. We're not really used to the camp lifestyle, not that it was a problem but after 5 days on the road we were feeling it a bit. There are some really good motels all over NZ, affordable too, and Christchurch is no exception. Motels don't just offer one-room accommodation, they also cater for families. We found a motel with all creature comforts, including a kitchen, bathroom, two bedrooms, a lounge and seperate dining-room all for an amazing $115 NZD a night (the second night was $85) just outside the city-centre.
Accommodation Snapshot
Excuse the mess
Hanmer Springs
