Life
Christchurch city life
Christchurch has a thriving urban culture combined with many natural resorts and green spaces to see and discover, so there is an abundance of leisure and outdoor activities you can enjoy in your spare time.
Notable attractions in Christchurch include:
- The Christchurch Town Hall
- The Canterbury Museum
- The International Antarctic Centre – a base facility and a museum and visitor centre focused upon current Antarctic activities
- Air Force Museum
- Christchurch Botanic Gardens
- Christchurch Cathedral
You can see a play at the Court Theatre or The Isaac Theatre Royal or enjoy classical music at the Southern Opera. Attend a concert, as Christchurch is home of the experimental music scene of New Zealand.
If you are into sports or outdoor activities, you have a wide range of sport activities and events you can engage in. Watch matches of the local rugby, football, cricket, hockey or basketball teams, or go skiing at a world class alpine resort, play golf, go rafting, mountain biking, hot-air ballooning, wind surfing or whale watching.
You will find plenty of nightlife opportunities in Christchurch that will keep you entertained. The range of nightclubs is not as vast as the bars, but there are plenty to choose from.
Take a ride with the gondola above the city and make an excursion to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve to simply stroll and watch the animals in their natural habitat.
International atmosphere in Christchurch
Apart from the large international student population, Christchurch is home to several ethnic communities. Over 60% of the minorities’ population belongs to the South Island's Pacific Islander community, followed by Asian people (from countries like China, India, Philippines), Maori, and many European (from UK, Ireland).
In terms of business, the multicultural environment is continually evolving and many multinationals decide to open offices here. In addition Christchurch city is supporting and encouraging foreign investment projects and the city council offers advice and guidance to international entrepreneurs who plan a local start-up business.
Weather Christchurch
Christchurch records moderate rainfall throughout the year, has cold winters and generally mild and sunny summers, with low humidity. The daily maximum temperature is 22 °C (73 °F) in January and 11.3 °C (52 °F) in July. Due to the urban heat island phenomenon, sometimes the temperatures may feel warmer than they actually are. Snowfalls occur on average three times per year, although for many years no snowfall was recorded.
