About Christchurch

Christchurch is a prosperous city of around 300,000 people and has many facilities usually associated with much larger cities, including an international airport offering direct flights to Australia, Singapore and the United States.


Although characterised as the most English of New Zealand's cities, Christchurch does not look like a typical English city. Christchurch is very low-rise and, outside the central business district, very few building rise higher than two storeys.

Suburban streets in Christchurch are much wider than in English cities and most Christchurch houses are detached, single-storey bungalows. The city boasts a huge number of children's parks and grass play areas.

Funnily enough, the first European settlers in Christchurch were Scottish - the Deans family from Ayrshire. Christchurch's famous River Avon, thought by many to be named after the river in England, was actually named after the River Avon in Ayrshire.

Although it can get busy at peak times, getting around Christchurch by car is much easier than any English city and, owing to its location on a plain, most of the city is flat enough for easy cycling. Many roads are provided with cycle lanes. Pubic transport, in the form of busses, is inexpensive and efficient.

The best parts of Christchurch for high quality state and private schools are the western and north western suburbs. State schools are zoned, so to enrol your child at a good quality state school you need to live within the school's zone.

It's also straightforward to buy a rural lifestyle block of around 10 acres within easy commuting distance of the city. Many migrants, escaping from overcrowded cities in the UK, are keen to pursue this option. Some quickly move back into Christchurch's suburbs when they realise how much work can be involved in looking after an acreage.

Christchurch enjoys a dry, sunny climate. Frosts are reasonably common in mid-winter although daytime highs are usually higher than 10 degrees C (50 degrees F.) Summer days are typically around 22 deg. C (72 deg. F).

Occasionally very warm, dry air from the Southern Alps raises summer temperatures to 32 deg. C (90 deg. F) or higher. New Zealand's highest ever temperature of 42 deg. C (108 deg. F) was measured just north of Christchurch. When they blow, these Foehn type winds can occasionally raise winter temperatures in Christchurch to around 20 deg. C (68 deg. F).

The spectacular Southern Alps, with their many ski-fields, are little more than an hour from western Christchurch and many people from the city spend their winter and spring weekends on the slopes.

Christchurch has sports clubs catering for every ability and every taste and you are sure to find fellow enthusiasts for whatever sport you want to take part in. There are plenty of swimming pools, including the Olympic sized pool at the centre of the Queen Elizabeth II complex where there are also excellent water slides.

Library facilities are excellent and, in addition to borrowing books, DVDs and CDs, you can surf the web and do word-processing.

Although not really a dazzling or iconic city, Christchurch is a supremely liveable place and people who live there are generally highly content with their quality of life.