‘The Garden City of the world’
If you ever hear someone talking about the Garden City of the world, it’s Christchurch that they’re referring to. South Island’s main city has been holding onto the title since 1997, when it was judged ‘Overall Winner of Major Cities’ in the Nations in Bloom International Competition. A visit to the city will help you understand the reasons behind the victory.
The centrally located 161 hectare Hagley Park, the Botanic Gardens, the four leafy inner-city avenues, Victoria Square, and gardens such as Mona Vale on the banks of the River Avon are fine examples of why the city earned the title. Additionally, the Floral Festival held every year in February is certainly one of the most popular festivals on the annual calendar and a time when the people of Christchurch take even more pride in their public and private gardens.
The city lies on the East Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, in the Canterbury region, and is home to nearly 350,000 people.
A blooming city
Local economy is in constant growth and relies on the primary produce of its surrounds: vegetables, specialist horticultural produce, grains, grapes, meat, dairy, timber, wool and aquaculture. Tourism, software development, manufacturing, electronics and education are also emerging industries in the area.
The city’s international airport makes it the international hub to the south island and an important business stop. A deep harbour port, radial road and rail links help make it the main distribution centre in the South Island of New Zealand.
The Canterbury Development Corporation is responsible for promoting economic development and sustainable employment in the Christchurch and Canterbury.
Internationally recognised education
Christchurch has two universities and sixteen research institutions, being internationally recognised by its high education standards. The educational hub also includes over 120 primary and intermediate schools and 30 secondary schools.
High score for sport venues
Christchurch welcomes a variety of sporting activities, with rugby on top of all preferences. The city is home to two big sport venues: the Queen Elizabeth II Park and the Westpac Arena.
The Christchurch City Council produces the Christchurch Sports Guide, which provides contact and other information on non-profit organisations within the city whose primary focus is the provision of sport. It is an easy reference guide that is of use to players, supporters, parents and administrators throughout the year.
Arts for all
In the heart of the city, the Cultural Precinct of Christchurch brings together the finest of Christchurch’s arts and cultural activities. Amongst its attractions are the Christchurch Art Gallery, with 12 incredible attractions including the Christchurch Art Gallery, the Canterbury Museum and the beautiful Christchurch Cathedral.
The Christchurch Convention Centre and its adjacent performing arts complex are also two of the most prominent cultural venues of the city.
Christchurch’s climate
Christchurch is, like many say, a city of contrasts. Its inhabitants have a choice between hitting the mountain slopes during the ski season or sunbathing on one of the region’s beaches during the summer months.
The region has a mild climate, with minimum temperatures ranging from 1.7°C in July and 12.2 °C in January, and maximum temperatures going from 11.3 °C in July and 22.5 °C in January.
Housing
The dominant trend in New Zealand is towards home ownership. Unsurprisingly, two thirds of the population of Christchurch own their home. At the end of 2006, the median house sale price for homes in Christchurch was $290,000.
Other Christchurch facts
- Maori oral history suggests that people first inhabited the Canterbury area about a thousand years ago.
- The first Europeans landed in Canterbury in 1815, 45 years after Captain James Cook sighted what he named "Banks Island", later found to be a peninsula.
- Christchurch became a city by Royal Charter on July 31, 1856, making it officially the oldest established city in New Zealand.
- Christchurch has a history of involvement in Antarctic exploration – both Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton used the port of Lyttelton as a departure point for expeditions, and there is a statue of Scott, sculpted by his widow, Kathleen Scott, in the central city.
- Christchurch is one of the few cities in the world that has a near-exact antipodal city – A Coruña in northwestern Spain.
- The usual Māori name for Christchurch is Ōtautahi ("the place of Tautahi").