Exploring a city can be hard when you don’t have much moola. Well, lucky for you, Christchurch has heaps of different places to go that won’t cost you a single cent. Here are some of my favourites:
1. Christchurch Street Art
While walking around Christchurch city, feast your eyes on the vibrant artwork plastered on buildings and walls. This artwork lives everywhere - but you have to know where. While some artwork is obvious, some gems are tucked away in side streets and uncommon places. This creative street art ranges from melting ice cream to strange and complex characters.
Christchurch is known as the Garden City for a reason - and a good reason at that. The Botanic Gardens are a beautiful part of the city, with the Avon river running right through them. Take a wee stroll through them at any time of the year and you’re guaranteed to feel zen and refreshed.
3. Hagley Park
Surrounding the Botanic Gardens, you’ll find Hagley Park! Hagley has been a key part of Christchurch since 1850 and has multiple walks that you can venture around. Hagley is perfect at any season - in autumn the leaves turn crisp and gold, and in spring the beautiful daffodils among many other flowers will make you feel as wholesome as ever. Photo:// ccc.govt.nz
4. New Brighton
After the quakes, New Brighton isn’t quite the same, however it is still an incredibly beautiful place. With a huge pier over the water, it makes for a beautiful spot on a sunny day. There are cute shops dotted all over New Brighton as well, my favourite being a groovy little hippie shop! My favourite thing about New Brighton though has got to be the street art reminding us how much of a resilient city Christchurch is!
5. Gap Filler Activations
You’re probably thinking, what the heck are gap filler activations? They are the grooviest things ever! Dotted around the central city, you’ll find quirky and interactive pieces of art that are for the most part free! Hang out on some hammocks in the hammock forest, swing through the city on the #chchswings, or stomp on a giant arcade game on the side of the Vodafone building!
By Raynor