A photo of the sterile but serviceable apartment block Steven and I stayed in while visiting Christchurch:
Having spent our first day exploring Christchurch's Central Business District, or CBD, we drove a little further afield to walk around the New Regent Precinct, a pedestrianized street built in the early 1930s. Home to more than 40 shops and restaurants built in the Spanish Mission architectural style, it's been frequently named as "New Zealand's prettiest street," although Arrowtown's Buckingham Street should also be in the running for that special designation in my opinion!
We parked near the precinct's Isaac Theatre Royal, a heritage building constructed between 1906 and 1908 and the only operational Edwardian-style theater remaining in New Zealand
Land realtor A. F. Stacey was the driving force behind the development of the area where city residents could escape the congestion of nearby busy streets. Though architect Francis Willis' Spanish Mission Revival style originated in the US, it gained popularity in New Zealand as part of the Art Deco style. After the street suffered extensive damage in the 2011 earthquake, the New Regent Precinct reopened two years later.
The vintage tram we'd seen the previous day makes forays down the street, lined with charming pastel-colored buildings.
The Portuguese-looking tiling was exquisite.
The area around the New Regent Precinct was chock-a-block full of murals, as had also been the case in the CBD. There were so many that caught our eye that I'll dedicate the next post to Christchurch's vibrant street art.
Close by, in Victoria Square, stood the Queen Victoria Statue, a bronze memorial unveiled in 1903, featuring reliefs dedicated to the Canterbury Jubilee and to those who died in the South African War. Since the park was laid out in 1850, it has become a prominent feature of the city's central heritage area.
As we strolled near the statue, we immediately noticed the Mana Motuhake sculpture by master carver Fayne Robinson, which consisted of two large, upright waka, or canoes. The intent of the sculptures and the statue was to signify the enduring relationship between Māori and the Crown and to pay tribute to the signatories of the Treaty of Waitangi. Though it was described as "flanking" the statue, the waka were in fact well set off, which seemed to diminish their importance in my mind. Now it made sense why the image of the Māori leaders had been nearby.
Also in the park was the Captain James Cook statue, sculpted from Carrara marble and unveiled in 1932 to commemorate Cook's three voyages to New Zealand. Cook, a captain in the Royal Navy, was the first to hoist the British flag in New Zealand and explored her seas and coasts.
We crossed the attractive Hamish Hay Bridge ...
... and the nearby Victoria Bridge. It and the adjacent Victoria Street were named in 1877 to affirm the settlers' desire to maintain links with Great Britain. I was a big fan of the bridges' intricate iron fretwork.
After the 2011 earthquake, downtown Christchurch had far too many vacant spaces, something I remembered distinctly when I visited in 2019. A group of local businesses and funders came together in 2013 to create a highly visible example of transitional architecture. The result was this public walkway through to Victoria St., the gateway to the city, called the Arcades Pathway. It showcased tall, wooden, vaulted arches which echoed the city's Gothic Revival architectural heritage.
As the large indoor Riverside Market was also in the downtown area, we naturally made a point of stopping there, as we've always been drawn to public markets the world over. The indoor part of the market didn't live up to the hype we'd read about, as it didn't appear to feature local fare or the unique arts and crafts billed. We felt we could have been anywhere in the world, as nothing about it suggested it represented Christchurch.
Though we didn't care much for the market, the murals surrounding it were gobsmacking. More on them in the next post, as I mentioned above.
Naomi: You'd have liked the vintage blue Morris Minor Van that was displayed outside the market. For those of us who are not car aficionados, the British light commercial vehicle was produced from 1953 to 1971.
What a difference a day makes! Walking across the Bridge of Remembrance under the bright blue sky gave us a deeper appreciation of the war memorial and its tiled walkway.
We then drove past radiant Flowering Dogwood trees on the edge of the mammoth Hagley Park, which had trails and sports fields galore, en route to the Brockworth Street Art Gallery. Again, you'll read all about it in the next post!
Although Christchurch's city center had been pleasant, the real draw, in my opinion, was heading a dozen kms out of the city and into the hills via a stunning drive along Colombo St. to the panoramic viewpoints on Summit Road. At the road's 'summit' was the Bowenvale Viewpoint, where we had amazing views of the entire city and surroundings.
I think the view from the other side of the road was even more magical! The island on the left was known as Moepuku; the small dot in the center was Aua, aka King Billy Island; and Ōtamahua, or Quail Island, was the largest on the right. The islands were all in Lyttelton Harbour.
Heading very carefully back down the steep and winding Summit Road took us to the Sign of the Kiwi Monument and its namesake cafe, a historic rest house and cafe built in the early 20th century. Located in the Port Hills, the landmark separated Christchurch from Lyttelton Harbour.
There were several trails that began from the cafe, so we were extremely lucky to snag the last spot in the parking lot AND a table on the sunny patio. Munching on the cheese roll and date scone and basking in the sun was a blissful way to pass the time.
Later, after many more hairpin turns, we reached the Sign of the Bellbird Lookout. In the distance, the town of Lyttelton was visible on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour. It would be our destination soon.
Ōrongomai, a distinctive peak in the hills, had a rich Māori history. After one iwi, or tribe, took control of it, they entered the nearby bush and heard the enemy's voices, thereby earning it the name Ōrongomai, meaning "the place where voices are heard." Now, the sound of birdsong is heard in the regenerating native bush. Ōrongomai was easily identified by the radar and communications dome perched atop it, which was used to track aircraft.
A trail from the lookout led to the remains of an historic tearoom built by Harry Ell in 1914. Sadly, it fell into disrepair over the years and was still run-down when we stopped by. Another couple was enjoying the views and made it very clear that we were not welcome to tarry!
We heard birds chirping all along the picturesque drive as we snaked toward Lyttelton.
In Lyttelton Harbour's Te Ana Marina, numerous recreational vessels were docked in the inner harbor, a significant hub for local boating. The view of the harbor was striking, as it was surrounded by the hilly landscape of Banks Peninsula.
If we had had more time, we would have liked to wander around what seemed like an appealing town, Lyttelton, but we headed directly to Sumner Beach.
Since there were hardly any handrails on the nonstop hairpin turns, I could understand why Steven said he was looking forward to flatter terrain once we hit Western Australia the next day!
Views of serene Moncks Bay before reaching Sumner Beach:
Once again, we had no trouble finding a parking spot near the 13.9-m-high Cave Rock, a volcanic rock formation located on Sumner Beach. Atop the landmark, a signaling mast and small tower commemorated the captain of the Sumner Lifeboat.
The 400-m-long white sand beach was just 20 minutes from the Christchurch CBD, although we'd obviously taken the very long way around! The beach was heaven for shell collectors like me. I just hoped that some of them would make it home safe and sound two months hence. They did, fortunately!
We headed next to the New Brighton Pier, the longest in Australasia at 300 m long. The original wooden pier was built in 1894, but after it was demolished in 1965, a new concrete pier was opened to the public in 1997.
Before we reached the pier, however, we paused to admire the dramatic New Brighton Library, which had won many awards.
We were disappointed that we couldn't walk the entire length of the pier because maintenance work was underway. If any of you have a chance to visit the pier, try to stop at night when hundreds of LED lights installed along the underside turn the concrete pillars into a series of colors ranging from green to red to blue. I read that all those colors are then reflected on the water below, making for a fantastic photo op at sunset or after dark!
Since Steven and I'd set out that morning, I'd been hankering to stop at the Travis Wetland Nature Heritage Park, but Steven had earlier said it was too late, he was too tired, etc. All of that made sense, so when he said, "Ok, let's go," he caught me off guard. I think he changed his mind when I mentioned it was only five minutes away.
The 56.5 hectare park, the last remaining freshwater wetland in Christchurch, was an important part of the city's history because the city was built on a swamp. Historic Māori tribes used the area as a mahinga kai or food-gathering area. The term also meant that it included all the natural resources that sustained the people: for building, medicine, clothing, and weapons. Though the heritage park was surrounded by a fairly built-up area, it wasn't immediately apparent as we followed the Wetlands Trail.
Large sword-like leaves of the New Zealand flax plant grow to 2.5 m in wetlands across the country. Its red, nectar-filled flowers attract honey-eating birds. Māori use the tough fiber to weave and for textiles.
We didn't remember seeing a palm tree with three separate palm growths on it before.
There was a flurry of ducks hoping to feast on the tuna-freshwater eels by the water's edge.
Our last view of the wetlands, and, it turned out, of New Zealand too, was absolutely picture perfect!
Posted on July 19th, 2026, from another scorcher in Littleton, after half-watching the riveting FIFA World Cup final game between Spain and Argentina. I'd so hoped that Messi and his teammates could have pulled off a miracle, even though the Argentine team had just two shot attempts over the full 120 minutes. Please take care of yourself and your loved ones.
