After an intense 4-week road trip of both islands in December, stars have aligned and I found myself house sitting in Christchurch for three weeks. I stayed in a beautiful home, looking after a dog, three cats and chickens, with plenty of spare time to explore beneath the surface of the city.
Every google search will tell you about Punting on the Avon, the Gondola or Riverside market (do go there, it really is great!). I always like to find the spots that aren’t all that well known and touristic. Here’s my take on my favourite things to do in and around Christchurch.
- Bridle Path Walk
- Barnett Park Caves
- Travis Wetland
- Sunrise in New Brighton
- Alice cinema
The hills of Castle Rock reserve are just behind “my house”, and while it seemed like a nice walk, I did have to push myself a little to stop enjoying all that free time by doing literally nothing at all, and took Nellie, “my dog”, for a proper walk.
Bridle Path starts at the Gondola car park, and yes – you can take the gondola up if you are that way inclined. It is a fairly steep walk for about 30min, and while Nellie was having a blast, I just tried to keep up with her, not expecting much from getting to the peak. I couldn’t be more wrong.
The views of the other side of the hills are some of the most amazing I’ve ever seen. Hills, mountains, sea, bays. There are also several routes you can take, from getting up close to Castle Rock to all the way to Lyttleton. That’s also a great place to grab some lunch or dinner, and maybe catch the bus back to Christchurch.
My favourite view is from a peak opposite Castle Rock, overlooking Quail Island and boats moored in Cass Bay.
I only came across this hidden gem near the end of my stay by browsing google maps. When I saw the photo of Barnett Park Caves, and realised how close it is to me, I had to see it for myself.
This is a relatively short and easy loop walk from Barnett Park taking about 1.5h, or slightly longer from Summit Road Car park, which I have done and offers additional views of Christchurch’s seaside.
And the view from the cave itself truly is stunning. I decided to go during sunset, and enjoyed some lovely colours as a bonus.
I still cannot believe, that I – the person who always looks for any place where I could find birds and wildlife, have visited Travis Wetland on my very. Last. Day.
If like me you enjoy nature and wildlife, Travis Wetland is a fantastic place to visit in Christchurch. Boasting large numbers of birds, you’ll find ducks, geese, spoonbills, pukekos, and with more time and some patience a lot more I’m sure!
Since I pretty much came from Brighton, UK, I had to go and visit New Brighton Pier. While not all that special during daytime, if you can get yourself out of bed in time, the sunrise won’t disappoint. Check out events in Christchurch, there might even be a free sunrise yoga class!
If you find yourself in Christchurch on a rainy day and fancy catching a movie, give the multiplex a miss. Alice Cinema is one of the quirkiest picture houses I’ve been to. There screen rooms are beautifully designed and intimate, and the boast one of the largest DVD collections I’ve seen.