A city rebuilt, not just repaired
On 22 February 2011, a magnitude-6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch, causing widespread destruction and loss of life after an already-damaging quake the previous September. Much of the historic central city, including Christchurch Cathedral, was severely damaged or demolished in the years that followed. Rather than simply rebuild what was lost, the city used the disaster as an opportunity to rethink its centre — wide new public spaces, contemporary architecture, and a deliberate mix of the old and new define the rebuilt CBD today.
The Cardboard Cathedral
Designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban as a temporary replacement for the damaged Christchurch Cathedral, the Cardboard Cathedral is built substantially from cardboard tubes alongside timber and steel — an unusual, striking building that's become one of the rebuilt city's most-visited landmarks in its own right, well beyond its original "temporary" brief.
The Garden City
Christchurch has long been known as the Garden City, a reputation built on its extensive parks and the Botanic Gardens along the Avon River, which still runs through the heart of the city centre. Punting on the Avon remains a low-key, popular activity for visitors.
The gateway to the South Island's headline landscapes
For most South Island itineraries, Christchurch is where the trip begins — the main international and domestic gateway, and the starting point for the drive or flight to Queenstown, and for the TranzAlpine train journey across the Southern Alps to the West Coast.