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About Christchurch New Zealand

Cathedral Square in Christchurch City, New Zealand. Copyright: Hayes Photography
Cathedral Square in Christchurch City, New Zealand. Copyright: Hayes Photography

With a population of approximately 369,006 as of the 2018 census1, Christchurch City is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand. Christchurch City is known as the "Garden City" because of its many beautiful parks, gardens and tree-lined streets.

Christchurch City was named after Christ Church, a college at the University of Oxford and was originally known as Christ Church. The name was abbreviated through common usage by the 1880s.

The city is located near the southern end of Pegasus Bay, and rests beside the banks of the Avon River and the Heathcote River. The city is bounded by the Waimakariri River to the north.

Founded in 1863, Hagley Park and the 75-acre Christchurch Botanic Gardens are located in the central city. Hagley Park is often used for sports such as cricket, netball, and rugby.

Christchurch City is a growing city, with brand new suburbs being built all around. Now is a great time to contact a real estate agent and consider buying or selling in Christchurch.

Christchurch Things to Do

Visit Orana Wildlife Park

Giraffe at Orana Wildlife Park. Copyright: Hayes Photography
Giraffe at Orana Wildlife Park. Copyright: Hayes Photography

An 80-hectare of park-like zoo, Orana Wildlife Park is a great family attraction. Take a picnic lunch and wander around the sprawling grounds and view 400 animals from 70 different species, including giraffes, rhinos, monkeys and reptiles.

Take a Ride on the Christchurch Gondola

Christchurch Port Hills. Copyright: Hayes Photography
Christchurch Port Hills. Copyright: Hayes Photography

After being closed for a time after the Christchurch earthquakes, the Christchurch Gondola offers a beautiful Christchurch sightseeing experience above Christchurch on the Port Hills. Ride above the valleys in a cable car and enjoy breathtaking views of the Christchurch cityscape, the Canterbury Plains, the Southern Alps and the dramatic hills of Banks Peninsula.

Ride the Christchurch Tram

Christchurch Tram and Museum. Copyright: Christchurch Tourism
Christchurch Tram and Museum, New Zealand. Copyright: Christchurch Tourism

A gentle tram ride around Christchurch City and see the changing face of Christchurch. Your ticket lasts for the day, so you can get on and off the tram at your leisure and check out the shops and attractions along the way.

Punting on the Avon

Punting on the Avon River in Christchurch. Copyright: Hayes Photography
Punting on the Avon River in Christchurch. Copyright: Hiroshi Nameda Tourism NZ

One of the iconic attractions of Christchurch, punting on the Avon is a gentle 30-minute boat ride along the beautiful, tree-lined Avon River.

Read more about Things to do in Christchurch

Christchurch Earthquakes

Damage from the Earthquakes in Christchurch City, New Zealand. Copyright: Hayes Photography
Christchurch after the Earthquakes. Copyright: Hayes Photography

In September 2010, Christchurch City and the surrounding Canterbury region, were hit by a large 7.1 earthquake. This earthquake has been followed by many thousands of aftershocks, including several large destructive earthquakes. The earthquakes have leveled much of the Christchurch City CBD, and caused large amounts of destruction in the Eastern Suburbs.

Christchurch City is still attempting to recover from these blows, slowly pulling down the destroyed buildings and rebuilding. Some areas of the Eastern Suburbs have been "Red Zoned", which means that residents need to sell their houses to the council and move out, as the land is too unstable to rebuild there.

Some property owners in Christchurch are still struggling to find resolution to their EQC claims, which is causing a lot of stress and financial hardship for some people. Insurance and property purchases have also been affected as a roll on effect of the earthquakes.

Find out more about the Christchurch earthquakes

Christchurch Hearing Aid Company

Hearing Aids from Hearing True. Copyright: Hearing True
Hearing Aids from Hearing True. Copyright: Hearing True

If you are looking for high quality, affordable hearing aids in Christchurch, then look no further. Christchurch based hearing aid company Hearing True offer a range of top quality US and European manufactured hearing aids at very reasonable and affordable prices. You can view and purchase their products online, or visit them in their Christchurch clinic for a free consultation and hearing check.

Specialising in only the best Invisible Hearing Aids (IIC) and Behind the Ear Hearing Aids (BTE), Hearing True run with the honest philosophy that hearing aids should not cost ridiculous amounts of money, be outdated in design, nor hard to obtain. Their friendly, knowledgable hearing specialists are happy to talk through what hearing aid products will best suit you and your needs, and help you through the purchase and programming of your hearing aid.

With hearing aids to suit those with mild to moderately severe hearing loss, Hearing True has you covered. Visit www.hearingtrue.co.nz for more information.

1 https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/2018-census-population-and-dwelling-counts