Christchurch / Ōtautahi is the largest city in the South Island and the second largest in NZ, with a population of 400,000. It is in Canterbury on the Pacific coast of the South Island, about halfway up the island. It sits at the southern end of 75 km wide Pegasus Bay and northwest of the ancient volcanoes of Banks Peninsula. The bay has excellent surf beaches, separated by river outlets. The largest outlet is the Estuary of the Heathcote and Avon Rivers / Ihuai (the actual official name!) between New Brighton and Sumner. The city is flat except for the Port Hills, the northwest Lyttelton Harbour volcano rim.
For many, Christchurch is synonymous with the traumatic events of the 2010s, including earthquakes and the resulting disruption and rebuilding. The terrorist attack of 2019 added to the sense of tragedy. The most devastating earthquake was in February 2011, resulting in 185 deaths. Entire suburbs became red zones and were abandoned along the Avon River / Ōtākaro route to the east and northeast of the central city due to the liquefaction of the ground. Some Central Christchurch buildings collapsed, and others were demolished. But with disaster came renewal, and the city is now an extraordinary destination.
Christchurch has always been known as the “Garden City." The city was modelled on similar cities in England, with a curious focus on Gothic revival architecture in the 1800s. Although many buildings were destroyed by the earthquakes, modern reconstruction and repairs to the survivors have strengthened the perception of one big garden experience.
The best feature is the Avon River / Ōtākoro. The river winds through the city centre, and the walkable urban park along its banks has been substantially upgraded. The west side of the central city consists of substantial green spaces, also centred around the river, with the Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park. In addition, the badly affected red zone river suburbs have been converted to parkland. You can walk and cycle through these areas, mainly alongside the river, from the central city to New Brighton on the coast. Overall, Christchurch is now probably the most bikeable city in NZ.
The name "Christchurch" has several explanations. The most likely is that it was named after Christ Church in Oxford. The college was the alma mater of many members of the colonial Canterbury Association. The association was an offshoot of the NZ Company, and its members had an explicitly elite Anglican agenda. The Association purchased much of Canterbury from Ngāi Tahu in 1848 in the Canterbury Purchase, and the first Christchurch settlers arrived on four ships in 1850.
Māori have inhabited the area since 1250. They were probably moa-hunters who occupied coastal caves around Sumner and were known as the Waitaha iwi. Around 1500, Kāti Māmoe iwi migrated south from the east coast of the North Island and gained control of much of Canterbury. A hundred years later, Ngāi Tahu followed and became the dominant South Island iwi. The swamplands became a foraging area with numerous seasonal settlements. One selected by Ngāi Tahu chief Te Pōtiki Tautahi was known as Ōtautahi, meaning “'the place of Tautahi”. This is on the river near the Kilmore Street Fire Station. Over time, Ōtautahi was used to describe the broader region.
When Europeans arrived, the area had long been a coastal wetland with limited forests. Fires had long ago destroyed older forests across the Canterbury Plain, likely caused by lightning strikes and Māori moa hunters. All but one of the remaining pockets were destroyed by European settlers. Only one wetland forest, Riccarton Bush, with its stunning tall ancient kahikatea trees, exists today.
The brothers, William and John Deans, were the first Europeans to establish a successful settlement in 1843. They named Pūtarikamotu “Riccarton” and the Ōtākoro river “Avon” after places in their Scottish homeland. Captain Joseph Thomas and his assistant, Edward Jollie, surveyed the area in 1849 and 1850 for the Canterbury Association. In 1850, the first four ships brought the Canterbury Pilgrims to Lyttelton Harbour, with the ship Charlotte Jane being the first to arrive.
The settlers' Anglican sensibilities were reflected in the design of the city and the architecture of significant buildings. The provincial architect Benjamin Mountfort built the city's stone Gothic revival buildings, which included Canterbury University College, ChristChurch Cathedral, Christ’s College, Canterbury Museum, and the Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings. Most survived the earthquakes, albeit some are still being repaired. Combined with the gardens, the river and some of the best modern architecture in NZ, the city is a joy to visit.
