The Quake City exhibition has displays that show the story of the earthquakes that shook Christchurch in 2010 and 2011 including exhibits on the city’s efforts to rebuild. The exhibition is run by Canterbury Museum.
Quake City
Canterbury Museum
The excellent Canterbury Museum is noted for its exhibitions about Antarctic exploration, Māori culture and natural history.
Christchurch Arts Centre
The Christchurch Arts Centre is a complex of Gothic Revival buildings that was originally part of the University of Canterbury. The Arts Centre is now a vibrant arts venue with cinemas, theatres and galleries plus shops, bars, cafes and a bustling weekend market.
Ernest Rutherford studied here when it was a university and his den has been made into a multimedia exhibit showcasing the scientist’s life and achievements.
The Arts Centre is also home to the Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities, which has one of the most important collections of artefacts from ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt.
International Antarctic Centre
The International Antarctic Centre is home to the New Zealand, Italian and United States Antarctic programmes, but its museum and visitor centre is the main reason to visit the centre.
The Antarctic Centre is a fascinating attraction if you are interested in Antarctica. It includes exhibits relating to Antarctica including a simulated Antarctic environment, penguins and you can even ride on a Hägglunds Antarctic vehicle.
Air Force Museum of New Zealand
Plane spotters will love the Air Force Museum of New Zealand. This aviation museum features 28 classic aircraft plus hands-on exhibits and displays of New Zealand Air Force history.
Christchurch train station
Christchurch train station is in Addington, just west of Hagley Park, around 3km from Cathedral Square. It’s adjacent to a big retail park on a side street between Blenheim Road and Whiteleigh Avenue.
Although a fairly basic station, it is a modern station with an enclosed waiting room, toilets and an information desk.
There is only one train per day from the station (two per day in summer after the Coastal Pacific starts running again. The Coastal Pacific train goes from Christchurch north to Picton and the scenic TranzAlpine train goes via Arthur’s Pass to Greymouth on the West Coast.
The 120 and Orbiter bus routes stop near here, but these routes don’t go into the city centre so you’ll have to get a bus to the Westfield Riccarton shopping centre first (the purple or yellow line will take you there) before changing to the Orbiter or 120.
Christchurch i-SITE Visitor Information Centre
Hiking in Arthur's Pass National Park
Arthur’s Pass National Park has a good selection of hiking trails.
Short walks include the Devil’s Punchbowl Waterfall Walk (1 hour return), which follows the Bealey River and then climbs to the base of this impressive 131m waterfall. The easy Bridal Veil Track (1½ hours return) rewards you with nice views of Arthur’s Pass village. There is also a good selection of full day walks.
DOC Arthur’s Pass National Park Visitor Centre
Walks in the Tasman Valley
There are several hiking trails in the Tasman Valley, about an 8km drive from Mount Cook Village.
These include the short Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier View Walk (40 minutes), which offers views of the Blue Lakes and lower Tasman Glacier. An alternate route goes to Tasman Glacier Lake (50–60 minutes), which freezes over in winter and has icebergs floating in it during summer.
The longer Ball Shelter Hut Route (3–4 hours each way) follows the old Ball Hut Road alongside the massive Tasman Glacier. People used to stay in the hut overnight and walk back the following day, but this is no longer possible and you now need to complete the return trip on the same day.