As some point in a New Zealand roadie, a visit to Christchurch is a must.

For us, this was the end point of our trip. We planned to have a few days here before we flew out of NZ and continued on our travels. When I visited NZ in 2020, Christchurch was also where our roadie ended but I didn’t get a chance to explore it. This was a long awaited visit and I am so glad we factored in a few days here to really see the city. 

*just a note, if you do hire a campervan, it’s likely that you’ll pick it up in Auckland and return it in Christchurch. It can be worth having a look at whether it’s cheaper to do the opposite direction, but for us this didn’t change the price and it was cheaper to fly into Auckland and then out of Christchurch. Just something to bear in mind when planning your trip! 

A *very* brief history of Christchurch

The second largest city in New Zealand, Christchurch is a buzzing city of culture and history. First inhabited from before 1250 AD, by different Mãori groups before later being declared an official city. As it became a city in 1856, it’s actually the oldest city in NZ! Christchurch is quite well known, partly for all the earthquakes it has experienced. Between 2010-2012 a number of earthquakes occurred, causing a lot of destruction to the city. The February 2011 earthquake is possibly the most well-known one as it brought down the famous Cathedral & destroyed it’s spire. Since 2013, 1500 buildings have been demolished after being damaged from theses series of quakes. 

However, the NZ people are well equipped with knowledge about earthquakes and lots of funding has gone into eduction people to further reduce the impact of these quakes. Houses and buildings are built with earthquakes in mind and scientists carefully monitor seismic activity to give people as much warning as possible. 

Things to do in Christchurch 

• Ride the original tram on the City Tour 
• Punting on the River Avon
• Visit Willowbank to see a real Kiwi (omg!)
• Explore Riverside Market 
• Visit the Air Force of New Zealand Museum
• Take a trip on the Christchurch Gondola 

Where to Stay

Both times I’ve been to Christchurch I’ve been in a campervan or staying in a hostel so unfortunately I can’t suggest any hotels, but most of the big chains have a spot in the city. 

Campsite wise, the first time we stayed on a paid site in the city centre. It was actually really cute, nice amenities and a perfect spot for exploring. It was called Amber Kiwi Holiday Park, but it seems to be unfortunately permanently closed. There are a few alternative city centre campsites available if you’re starting your roadie from here and want to explore first, or just wanted to stop off for a few days and not have to travel to far to explore. 

In 2023, we stayed in a freedom sight a little bit out of the city called North Beach Car Park, New Brighton. It was a basic freedom camp, but right next to the beach and popular spot for campervans. There was a lot of space so is a good spot to keep in mind if you’re wanting to fit in an extra freedom site. 

Hostel wise, we had a bit of mare. Everywhere was full or really expensive. I wouldn’t say its a great city for budget backpacking. We had a very limited choice and ended up in the Jucy hostel (looks like it’s been rebranded as Lylo!) right near the airport. Whilst it was a little way out of the city, it was within walking distance of the airport making it easy the morning that we left and we were able to just use the local bus to zoom in and out of the city. The pickup was from just behind the hostel and it dropped us at the bus station which was really central. 

We weren’t sure what to expect, but it was a really nice hostel. Super clean with pod-like beds and a really great facilities area. Super clean bathrooms with plenty of showers so you never needed to queue. A well stocked kitchen and big enough to accommodate a lot of people. The kitchen and common space was one big open plan room which was really nice too. The only minor issue was that there could have been more chairs in the common area but it did have hammocks, comfy chairs, sofas, benches as well as loads of plugs to charge your things. We were able to wait here on our last day until our early morning flight. 

Where to Eat 

Riverside Market is a must go to for foodies. Can find all types of cuisines, from Korean fried chicken to Cornish Pasties. Alternatively, there are loads of local eateries around the city. We particularly liked Ramen Ria near Riverside Market, but there are also some nice restaurants down New Regents Street. 

We didn’t eat out too much in Christchurch as we were making the most of our hostel’s kitchen to use up the rest of our food and keep our spending down. 

Where to see 

• Visit the Christchurch Cathedral 
• Explore the Botanical Gardens
• Walk down the historical New Regent’s Street

Hope this has been helpful if you’re planning on visiting Christchurch! As always, if you have any questions, pop me a message below or contact me on my instagrams – @hannahshildrake // @hans_travels_ 

lots of love,

Han x