Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
autumn morning or on a warm spring day, when the cherry trees lining Harper Ave are in
flower. Joggers make the most of the tree-lined avenues, year-round.
Canterbury Museum
MAP
MUSEUM
GOOGLE MAP
( 03-366 5000;
www.canterburymuseum.com
;
Rolleston Ave; 9am-5pm)
Yes, there's a
mummy and dinosaur bones, but the highlights of this museum are more local and more
recent. The Maori galleries contain some beautiful
pounamu
(greenstone) pieces, while
Christchurch Street is an atmospheric walk through the colonial past. The reproduction of
Fred & Myrtle's gloriously kitsch Paua Shell House embraces Kiwiana at its best, and
kids will enjoy the interactive displays in the Discovery Centre (admission $2). Hour-long
guided tours commence at 3.30pm on Tuesday and Thursday.
Arts Centre
MAP
HISTORIC BUILDINGS
GOOGLE MAP
(
www.artscentre.org.nz
;
2 Worcester Blvd)
Dating from 1877, this enclave of Gothic Revival build-
ings was originally Canterbury College, the forerunner of Canterbury University. The col-
lege's most famous alumnus was the father of nuclear physics Lord Ernest Rutherford, the
NZ physicist who first split the atom in 1917 (that's him on the $100 bill).
You'll have to be content to admire the architecture from the street, as the complex was
badly damaged in the earthquakes. Some parts are scheduled to reopen at the end of 2015,
but the whole restoration is expected to take 10 years.
Quake City
(
www.quakecity.co.nz
;
99 Cashel St; adult/child $10/free; 10am-6pm)
One of the new must-sees of
Christchurch, this little museum tells the story of the earthquakes through photography,
video footage and various artefacts, including bits fallen off the Cathedral and the statue
of the 'founder of Canterbury' John Robert Godley that toppled from its perch in the
square. Most affecting of all is the film featuring locals telling their own stories from that
fateful day.
MUSEUM
