Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » christchurch, new zealand

one of the things i love so much about blogging, and the internet in general, is the way you can connect with people with similar interests in completely different parts of the world. today’s first city guide (stay tuned for another at 12!) is a great example of this across-the-globe connection. i was thrilled to hear from simone quentin de manson in new zealand a few weeks back, excited that she was going to be sharing a guide to her hometown of christchurch. having never been to new zealand, but always hoping to find a way to visit, i’ve been collecting guides to new zealand for a few years. one area i know little about is christchurch, so i was happy to hear from simone that it’s home to a great arts scene and many wonderful local shops. so i hope you’ll enjoy simone’s guide to christchurch, new zealand as much as i have. thanks so much to simone for sharing her favorites! [images above via simone]

CLICK HERE for the full city guide after the jump!

Christchurch is a small city in the South Island in far away New Zealand surrounded by stunning scenery, whimsical old mining towns and plenty of tourist attractions, if you make it all the way down here to NZ I have no doubt its not just to see my little home town!

If I was traveling around a remote country looking at towering mountains and eating in little tearooms and restaurants on the road, what would I miss most about city life? Mmm… that’s easy: coffee, shops, well-designed pretty things, yummy food and the buzz of the city. So let me fill you in on the coolest places to go in Christchurch to feel in touch with civilization again.

Christchurch City Centre

Lets begin at the very beginning. The part of Christchurch that has been around since pretty early on in its history. The park and Arts Centre.

BOTANICAL GARDENS
To help with your transition into civilization I recommend a stroll through the gardens, it’s completely free with many themed gardens, lush green lawns plus a fishy looking fountain. Don't neglect the greenhouses, warm and interesting. Can be accessed from many angles, however the main entrance if off a car park that comes off Rolleston Ave.

ARTS CENTRE
Weave your way from the Gardens to the Arts Centre and if it is a weekend it will be full of Market stalls! The Markets run from 10am until 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.

The old buildings surrounding the markets used to house our university, they are now full of permanent shops that stock mostly locally made goods. In some of the shops you even get to peer into their messy workshops. Try some fudge in fudge cottage if you need a sugary treat.
The shops and galleries are open 10am to 5pm, Monday to Sunday.

COOKING WITH GAS
A restaurant with YUMMMY food situated across the road from the Arts Center. Open Mon – Saturday for evening meals. 23 Worcester Blvd.

THE DUX DE LUX(the dux)
Popular with the locals for its delicious beers brewed on site, but also for the extensive outdoor seating in a great location. If you like ginger beer, try theirs. Very refreshing. They also have the occasional band playing on Friday and Saturday nights. 10.30am to late Monday through Sunday, Cnr Hereford & Montreal Streets

CURATORS HOUSE RESTAURANT
Reputation means you may of heard of this place already. Lovely surrounds and delicious food. Open 7 days from 11am til late, Lunch, Dinner and Refreshments, 7 Rolleston Avenue, Botanic Gardens.

CHRISTCHURCH PUBLIC ART GALLERY
Over the road and around the corner from the Arts Centre is the city’s new Gallery. If you like Art and what-not head in that direction. Great big glass building with sculptures outside. Can't miss it. Open 10am to 5pm daily. Late night Wednesday until 9pm. Worcester Boulevard, Christchurch.

COCA
The Centre of Contemporary Art often has some "less famous" but just as cool artists on show.
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 10am – 5pm. Saturday – Sunday, 12pm – 4pm, 66 Gloucester St

******

Ok now lets head into town, walk/drive/skip towards the cathedral, you can walk a block south to take either Hereford street or the next block for Cashel street. Heading east into town you will see these little places:

SCORPIOS BOOKSHOP
One for the bibliophiles. I usually feel like I am entering into book heaven when I walk in here. "Oh that looks interesting, and that and that…" Interior Design books are at the back, should you make it that far in…. 79 Hereford Street, Mon – Thu 8:30am – 5:30pm, Fri 8:30am – 7:00pm, Sat 9:30am – 4:00pm, Sun 10:00am – 3:00pm

VIVACE
Across the road from Scorpios is Vivace cafe and coffee roaster. Small but delightfully simple, good coffee, snacks and a passionate barista. 86 Hereford Street.

TETE A TETE
Antiques and vintage clothes, these guys were around since before 'vintage' was fashionable. 88 Hereford St Christchurch Mon – Fri 10:00am – 5:30pm, Sat 10:00am – 4:00pm

******

If you walked up Cashel Street you would see these places:

THE VAULT
Up some old wooden stairs is one the shops that begun the gifty, handmade wares craze in Christchurch. A lot of the work has a NZ feel. Get something for anyone from babies to grandmas. I often covet designer jewellery in the wavy wooden cabinets. There’s often some 'manly' stuff for the guys in stock. Coffee shop right next door with a view of the river and street from the windows for the tired traveller. 82 Cashel Mall Monday to Thursday 9.30 am – 5.30 pm Friday 9.30 am – 6 pm, Saturday 10 am – 5 pm, Sunday 11 am – 4pm

TWO SQUIRRELS
Vintage Homeware, Antique Furniture and some clothing. Owned by the Tete a Tete peeps. First floor, look out for a cute sign, very close to the Vault.

REAL AOTEAROA

Clothing, glassware, gifts and art all with the New Zealand theme, classy and well presented. 101 Cashel Street.

NOOD
Stands for "New Objects Of Desire" this is a new Furniture and Homeware shop. With a Scandinavian influence, it’s our closest stab at competing with IKEA. (No Ikea in NZ… I KNOW.)
This is at the end of the pedestrian mall, next to the hotels. 141 Cashel Street, Mon-Thu 8.30-5.30pm, Friday 9-6pm, Sat 10-5pm, Sun 9-4pm.

*********

So concludes the two streets of interest closest to The Cathedral.
Further east, still in walking distance, are "the Lanes". A bit like a mini Melbourne we have a few hidden gems in amongst some lanes and alley ways with a lovely vibe.A write up on it for you here.

Around and about these lanes are some gems not to be neglected:

SOL Square
A wee courtyard filled with bars. The Jazz bar Fat Eddies is often a great night out. Access from Lichfield Street.

SMITHS BOOKSHOP

An old school three story second book store, floor to ceiling books, magazines, records and anything else one might put in the book category. Smiths has even been used for the occasional fashion photo shoot. Find on Manchester Street. 133 Manchester St, Christchurch. Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 10.15am – 5.30pm, Saturday 10.15am – 2.30pm, Sunday – Closed.

C1 CAFE
Very popular with the locals for good reason; best coffee, great breakfasts and atmosphere second to none. Been around since I can remember starting to drink coffee. Mmm yes gotta be a favorite of mine. 150 High Street, Monday to Friday 7am – 10pm, Saturday 8.30am – 10pm, Sunday 9am – 4pm.

DUSK GALLERY AND STORE
A treasure trove of handmade goodies. Photography, cards, home wares and more. Great stop for some crafty handmade inspiration. 18 Poplar Street, Monday – Friday: 10.00am – 5.30pm, Saturday: 10.00am – 4.00pm, Sunday: 11.00am – 3.00pm

TWISTED HOP
Delicious English style beer brewed onsite. 6 Poplar Street.

MITCHELLIS
A European style cafe with friendly service and good coffee. Open Tuesday – Friday 9am – 5.00pm, Sat 10am – 5pm, Closed Sunday Monday. Ash Street

FOUND
A small beautiful gallery run by design savvy collectors. Vintage, New Furniture and Homewares, 179 High street.

DECODENCE
Specializes in Vintage Ceramics and lighting. However they have a lovely selection of furniture and odds and ends also. 151 High St Christchurch, Mon – Sat 11:00am – 4:00pm

BOLT OF CLOTH

Fabrics from international, local and Australian designers. Just fun to wander in and gaze. 216 Madras Street, Open Monday to Friday 9.30am to 4.30pm and Saturday 10am to 4pm.

FRILIGREE
For beautiful designer jewellery. 167 High Street

THE BISMARCK
A German Delicatessen and beer house. Fast becoming a local 'hot spot', good sausage. Tue to Sat from 11am to late

THE BICYCLE THEIF
Pizzeria and bar. Nice atmosphere. 21 Latimer Square, Christchurch. Monday – Friday 8am to late, Saturday 5pm to late Sunday Closed

city, guides

I toured the South Island a few years ago with some friends in a red 1975 VW Kombi van. Christchurch really stood out to me as a place I’d love to come back and explore, so I’m really happy to read your city guide! We hiked out to the edge of town and camped in the caves on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific, and woke up with our sleeping-bagged-feet hanging over the edge!

Everywhere we went in NZ we found to be clean and thoughtfully cared for, and this cave was no exception…the previous campers had left us a bed of freshly-picked long grasses and some dry kindling. The only graffiti we saw was in this cave outside of Christchurch, where someone just couldn’t help themselves and had to print in neat block letters, “Good Camping!”

I’ve just returned Stateside after living in Christchurch for two years. The city I knew is very different from the one described here. Grinding poverty, sky-high crime rate, graffiti-filled streets, and stand-offish locals. For a truer picture of ChCh and life in Aotearoa, visit my blog:

http://tinyurl.com/yfzz6bp

hi guys

if you want to have a discussion about crime in christchurch with some facts and examples, that’s fine by me. but please don’t make this an general anti-christchurch statement forum- we’re here to celebrate what’s nice about this town today, rather than suggest somewhere else that’s “better”.

grace

ok, last comment- please don’t single each other out in a negative way here. i’m not going to allow non-fact-based city bashing here, or nasty/rude comments about other commenters. let’s try to keep it civil, please. if there are some facts and figures that travelers should know about local crime and what to look out for, fine, but again, general negative comments without constructive facts or tips won’t be tolerated. the same goes for comments about other commenters.

Christchurch has its ups and downs, but I LOVE living here.

It is home to a very diverse range of people, and is beautiful and friendly. There are certain areas of town to avoid, like any city in the entire world, but the positives like great weather, positioned between the ocean and the mountains, a lush green city, excellent arts and music scenes definitely outweigh the negative points, in my opinion.

Great to see a ChCh city guide!!

Yah! Exciting to see a christchurch city guide pop up! But as a local who enjoys life here, its sad to see people dissing it in such a hurry. Christchurch is a great place with alot of cultural gems just waiting to be discovered.
Check out http://www.localvanguard.com a blog from an expat New Yorker showcasing Christchurch culture at its best!

Great post, Christchurch is a cool city if you know where to look! Please also see another cool site from Christchurch: http://www.localvanguard.com well worth a look as it showcases local arts etc.

Keep up the great work

i really like Christchurch. i visited last year and fell in love with the compactness, the crisp air, the Cathedral, and the hip SOL Square (we had some great meals and drinks in the various bars there).

i understand that there is a rough side to Christchurch, but no more so than any other city in my opinion!

i too would like to see more of NZ on D*S – Wellington is my second home and has a huge place in my heart, so i’d love to see that in particular. or maybe i should write my own… hmmm.

I am a Canadian who spent last year truly enjoying the beauty and character of this city. There is so much to discover and to love about this gorgeous place. The natural scenery is also amazing.

I lived in Lyttelton, which is a gorgeous little town on the other side of the Ports Hills, situated on the city’s harbor and port. If you drive through the hills via Dyers Pass, there are a few lovely cafes with magnificent views along the way. Once you reach Lyttelton, spend some time wondering the shops and have a coffee before continuing through Evans Pass. You will see some of the most stunning scenery while driving this twisting and turning road before reaching the beach town of Sumner – a great place to enjoy dinner at one of the restaurants on the beach and watch people surfing.

Again – although there is a slightly dark side to Christchurch, it gives a grit and character unlike any other place I have lived. Give it a chance and you will fall in love – I promise!

Nice guide thanks Simone, ChCh owes you a vino.

Like any city it is often crucial to have a locals guide to ensure you find the sweet spots.

ChCh also has a fine heritage of modern architecture as well if that’s your thing.

http://www.christchurchmodern.co.nz/page/2/

O wow, i was surprised at all the attention. Agreed on the Lyttelton Charlie, love it there. I got quite carried away on the guide so it was shortened, the full one is here (http://www.simoneqdm.com/2010/01/21/christchurch-design-guide/). I bike around the banks peninsular when I can. Cafes along the way make it Sooo civilized.

Thanks for fielding the negative feedback so well Grace! I don’t think Chch is ay worse than anywhere else. It certainly doesn’t feel like it to me. This article may help educate: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/2316397/Christchurch-NZs-safest-city But don’t get me wrong, lived in wellington for four years, the central city has a great vibe (miss the library). NZrs are genrally very hard on Chch. Don’t ask me why, its so pretty!

So happy to see a guide on Christchurch! I was there a few weeks ago and this city was such a good surprise after travelling for 3 weeks in the NZ wilderness…I fell in love with the Sol district and its coffee places/bars, the city is full of yummy japanese restaurants, loved the rivers and gondolas and the Nood shop is not to miss!! Reading the previous comments about safety issues, well, I was there for NYE for instance and haven’t witnessed a single fight within the city centre (alcohol free zone for the occasion, which probably helped)…I guess successful progress have been made to make the city safer. So go for it!

I live in NZ too, in Auckland actually, but Christchurch will always have a special place in my heart as I got married over in Rapaki last year. Lyttelton and Sumner are charmingm arty spots with fabulous food and shops with unique decor. I’d love to see Monster Bar, Wunderbar and Lyttelton Coffee Co photographed and explored from a Design Sponge persective.

I’m happy to follow-up on my statements about and experience in ChCh:

1. ChCh has the same violent assault rate as Compton, CA. I’ve run the numbers.

2. A billboard of Hitler selling pizza greeted (Jewish) me within a month of my moving there:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/13658

The billboard was not taken down but moved to a different area of the city.

3. After attacks on their citizens in the past three years, Norway and China issued tourist warnings for New Zealand which are still in place.

It’s not city-bashing, just a caution.

so sad to see so much negativity about a wonderful city. my fiance (he’s a kiwi, i’m canadian) and i lived in chch for a year and have been back to visit friends and fam lots since.
we were in one of the “rougher” neighbourhoods on the outskirts of the city centre and never once felt threatened or unsafe.. even walking home from the bus stop at night. people are as nice to you as you are to them…
don’t miss beautiful sumner beach or lyttleton if you make the visit!
really could go for breaky at c1 right about now!

I am sorry your experience in chch was so negative that the number reading perhaps was not done properly. I have two separate people now go through our STATS compared to Compton and there are no similarities between the two cities whatsoever. Here are the numbers:

Per 100,000 people the two cities have had the following rates of violent crimes over the last few years. (This covers assualts, rapes, robberies and murders – anything where people were physically hurt).

Christchurch:
2006-2007: 713 reports
2007-2008: 722 reports
2008-2009: 795 reports

Crompton:
2006 1672 reports
2007 1623 reports
2008 1738 reports

Now these figures had to have some calcs done because our chch ones were not done per 100,000 people, they were done on the whole. Canty is 5x the size of Compton roughly.

Hilter poster, embarrassing and not good. However the public asked for this to be taken down. Marketing people for hells pizza to blame, not chch. http://www.adpunch.org/entry/new-zealand-pizza-chain-withdraws-hitler-billboard/

Sources for STATS: http://www.police.govt.nz/service/statistics/2005/fiscal/stats-canterbury-20050630.pdf
http://www.fbi.gov/research.htm

It actually said “We are sitting at JUST UNDER 100 offences per 10,000 population”

The above figures we provided that this is actually: 795 (205 under could be “just under”) per 100,000.
Comptoms stats are 1738 per 100,000.

Even if we go by what you are saying, and Chch is sitting at 1,000 per 100,000, how is that similar to Comptons 1,738 per 100,000 exactly?

Please don’t use Stuff as a reliable resource they are not renowned around here to quote correctly and often mis-represent data (most kiwis liken it to a magazine). Our data is still more reliable, police and FBI reports, straight up. Not a magazine type article with vague sounding data and the odd “quote”.

Yes there is crime here. We have racists, we have violent offenders and all sorts of riff raff. However, we have much more of the fun, laid back, kind, cheerful, greeny and nice types. That start up lovely little shops and organise fantastic things like arts festivals, buskers festivals, garden shows, Chinese lantern festival, movies in the park, markets and more. Sorry you never go to see that part.

I am asking you now to start respecting that people live here and love little chch. We are so sorry you had such a bad time here, but you clearly made it out safe and sound.

As you can see from the above people live here and like it here and we are quite loyal to our city. It is just not as crime ridden as you would liken it to be.

Thank you Simone for such a lovely and representative guide to my hometown.

I love the way the Designsponge city guides show me the interesting nooks and crannies of often small and out of the way places. The guides are about celebrating and respecting the places where people live + work + do creative and interesting things. These aren’t socioeconomic analyses or dissections of crime statistics, they’re guides to the good stuff.

This certainly represents the Christchurch that I grew up in and have returned to, where I live and work and participate in creative and interesting things. Though there are of course many other things that could be here : )

(and thanks for the other great Christchurch-based blogs linked to from the comments!)

Thank you Simone for reminding me about all the many wonderful things about Christchurch after a bit of a rotten week. You inspired me to get out amongst it and fully appreciate my favourite elements again.

I love these city guides as they give a visitor a far better guide than any local information centre will ever do. They are like having a cool sister living there to guide you!

Write a Comment:

Design*Sponge reserves the right to restrict comments that do not contribute constructively to the conversation at hand, contain profanity, personal attacks or seek to promote a personal or unrelated business.