Planning a Trip

Visitor Information

The Christchurch & Canterbury i-SITE Visitor Centre is in the Old Chief Post Office Building, Cathedral Square West (tel. 03/379-9629; fax 03/377-2424; www.christchurchnz.com). It's open 7 days from 8:30am to 5pm (closed Dec 25 only). Useful websites are www.bethere.org.nz or www.whatsonchristchurch.co.nz.

An Easy Introduction -- If you're in town for a few days and want to get a feel for the inner city, head for the Square and look for the red-and-black Personal Guiding Service kiosk. Trained guides -- they're in red and black, too -- offer daily 2-hour walking tours at 10am and 1pm from October through April, and at 1pm from May through September. Tours also depart 15 minutes earlier from outside the nearby visitor center. For more information, call tel. 03/379-9629.

A Note on Safety

Like any large city, Christchurch has its criminal element, but if you use common sense, there's no reason why you should see any evidence of it. It's generally considered not a good idea to wander about in Cathedral Square alone after midnight, and most inner city streets east of Manchester Street need a little more caution. It also pays to give Latimer Square a wide berth if you're alone after dark. The inner city, especially around City Mall and Oxford Terrace, is generally safe, as there are always plenty of people about at all hours, and security cameras now operate in some areas.