I’m picking up my travelogue of my December cruise to New Zealand today with our first port on the country’s South Island, Christchurch. It is the largest city on the island and New Zealand’s second-largest city by urban population, after Auckland. It also boasts of being the oldest city in New Zealand, being officially incorporated in 1856. As with our previous stop, Wellington, we decided to forego any formal shore excursion and instead planned to explore on our own. We took the free shuttle bus from the cruise port in nearby Lyttelton and were dropped off near the central business district. Crossing over the Avon River on the Bridge of Remembrance, a memorial to those fallen in the wars of the 20th century, we entered into the central core, which is very pedestrian-friendly, with most vehicular traffic restricted and trams offering convenient transportation.

As you might guess from the names of the city (named for Christ Church College in Oxford, England, the alma mater of one of the city’s founding fathers) and river, Christchurch has a very English feel about it, although it lost some of that flavor after a series of powerful and destructive earthquakes in 2010–2011. The most destructive of these occurred on Feb. 22, 2011, when a shallow 6.3 quake with an epicenter close to the CBD resulted in the deaths of 185 people, with thousands more injured. Liquefaction of the soils throughout the area and weakening of structures caused by an earlier quake brought down many buildings, especially heritage brick-and-mortar ones. Eventually, two-thirds of the buildings in the CBD were demolished, including a 21-story office tower, as well as several thousand homes. Today that translates to a very appealing central shopping core with modern glass-and-steel buildings, parks and lots of public art, especially street murals.

“Rising from the Rubble” by Brandon Warrell

We strolled our way to the heart of the city, Cathedral Square, where one of the most obvious reminders of the earthquakes stands. The Anglican ChristChurch Cathedral dominated the square from its completion in 1904, but the quakes brought down the bell tower and the rose window façade. For a time the plan was to demolish the remains, but a preservation group prevailed, and efforts to stabilize and eventually rebuild were begun in 2020. A steel framework around the building  supports it, and parts of it are draped with images of what was formerly there and, hopefully, will be there again in perhaps 10 years’ time. The square itself is a lively space, with artisans’ booths and a farmers market set up the day we were there. More large art installations

“Chalice” by Neil Dawson

and another war memorial  adorn the space, and on one side it is bounded by the new Te Pae Convention Centre, an interesting modern building that replaced the quake-damaged one. From there we boarded a city bus to take us to our next destination, the International Antarctic Centre. Known as the Gateway to Antarctica, Christchurch has long been the jumping-off point for expeditions to the southern polar region, and the Centre is located right next to Christchurch’s airport, amidst several countries’ research facilities.    The modern building houses several fascinating exhibits as well as a café and gift shop, and the Centre offers free parking, EV charging stations and free luggage storage. We managed to hit virtually every aspect, only skipping the opportunity to take a “field trip” on a Hägglund all-terrain vehicle used by scientists in Antarctica.

We first stopped for a keeper talk and penguin feeding at the little blue penguin (Kororā) exhibit, where these adorable little guys are rehabilitated after being injured in the wild. Viewed from both above and below the water, these petite penguins proved very entertaining as they darted after the fish thrown to them. One resident will never leave, as he suffered the loss of one of his feet. He can’t scramble out onto the rocks without human assistance, but he holds his own in the water and got his fair share of the meal.

We moved on to the 4-D theater, where we went along on an expedition to Antarctica via film, sailing on an ice-strengthened ship to the Antarctic Peninsula and learning about the denizens of the area. Our seats had us bumping over the waves as we felt ocean spray and wind hit our faces, and the film concluded with a magical snowfall drifting over us. After that we visited the Husky Zone, where we saw another film about how these loyal, strong creatures provided invaluable support to early expeditions and the trials they endured being transported from the Far North to Antarctica. That was followed by a talk by a Māori guide who spoke with fierce love and appreciation for these dogs, allowing us to pet his Husky companions as well.

After visiting more displays explaining the geology, wildlife, climate and scientific research on Antarctica, we plunged in to a final immersive experience. Before entering the Storm Experience, we donned provided parkas and foot coverings before being ushered in small groups into the storm chamber. Snow covered the floor, and images of Antarctica’s barren frozen spaces covered the walls. To one side sat a small igloo, which some of the younger participants enjoyed investigating.   Once the doors were closed, the “wind” started increasing and the temperature began dropping. I’m sure it got nowhere nearly as windy or as cold as it regularly gets on a fairly “mild” day in Antarctica, but it gave a pretty good idea of how uncomfortable it can get there very quickly.

Once we returned to downtown Christchurch, my companions and I each pursued our own paths, checking out the galleries, shops and boutiques along the way. I turned down a promising-looking alley with an interesting mix of eateries and stores that culminated in the Riverside Market, a two-level space that reminded me strongly of the mercados in Madrid. I wandered about for quite a while, sampling from a bakery here and chocolate shop there, checking out the cheese shop and seafood stall, a brewery and cocktail bar. I enjoyed seeing Hikari Sushi Train, where a conveyor belt carries a variety of sushi bites past the diners along a looping counter   . . . what a fun concept!

By the time the breeze turned stronger and chilly and the clouds overhead thickened and turned dark, we were ready to return to our ship via the shuttle. I came away with some treasures from my shopping and an appreciation for this vibrant, charming city.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor