The main attractions

Before arrival, the prospect of a visit to Christchurch – the city devastated by two earthquakes in 2011 – was coloured with expectations of visible destruction and tragedy. There’s no camouflaging the damage, but the transitional nature of the city’s new geography has given it new life. Bring your cameras and walking shoes; a weekend in the re-emerging capital of Canterbury is a treat for all lovers of the visual.

The largest city of New Zealand’s South Island, and the nation’s third biggest, sleepy Christchurch once prided itself on its Englishness. Nestled around the gentle River Avon, and with a similarly temperate climate to the south of England, the city was famous for a gothic cathedral, green parks and gardens, cricketing whites and an old-money establishment that entertained itself in private clubs.

That changed in 2011 when two earthquakes struck at the very heart of Christchurch city, flattening the CBD’s high-rises and most of its inner-urban infrastructure. Two-and-a-half-years later, most of the unrecoverable structures have been pulled down, leaving entire blocks of gravel where buildings used to be. What has sprung up in the ruins, however, are creative solutions to improvised infrastructure, as well as an enthusiastic campaign to transform what remains into an extraordinary public art gallery.

On foot

Christchurch always was a compact city, and its lack of hills makes it ideal for cycling. The best way to tour the city’s attractions is by bike and on foot – making a visit an appealing destination for budget travellers.

To find out what’s happening in Christchurch, make a morning visit to the tourist information cart currently set up in Cathedral Square. As a city determined to not lose sense of itself despite missing most of its landmarks, there’s an impressive number of festivals and activities going on.

Then take a walk through Cathedral Square to Canterbury Museum. The cathedral itself was once the pride of the Garden City – building commenced in 1864 and attracted early visitors like Anthony Trollope. Of its pretty towers and stained glass, now only a crumbling shell remains – and a campaign fought by the locals to retain its ruins was lost a few weeks ago. Around it, wire fences decorated with the tribal patterns of street art and a “green chapel” constructed of living plants are an immediate symbol of how post-earthquake Christchurch is reinventing itself with art.

Street art city

If you can make it to Christchurch before 23 March, you’ll enjoy the fantastic privilege of seeing Canterbury Museum’s innovative Rise/Oi You! exhibition of street art. The most visited exhibition in the museum’s history, the centrepiece is the world’s largest collection of artwork by Banksy. There’s also a comprehensive collection of work by local and international artists including Ian Strange/Kid Zoom, Milton Springsteen and Thom Buchanan. Brilliantly, the museum has commissioned works by street artists on the walls and gables of the smashed-up city beyond; inner Chirstchurch has been transformed into a gallery with monumental works by the likes of Belgium’s Roa, and Australia’s Rone and Anthony Lister. Maps locating the 25 commissioned artworks are available from the museum, or via a dedicated Rise/Oi You! app.

Afterwards, relax in the museum’s attic cafe with views overlooking picturesque Hagley park, decent coffee and the ubiquitous local speciality, the addictively inedible Lolly Cake – a diabetic coma in cake form.

As you explore the Oi You! artworks street by street, you’ll also notice the number of public art spaces and projects supplied by Gap-Filler – community-led creations to reinvigorate the city’s empty spaces. On my visit, these included a sprung public dancefloor with stereo system you could program with your iPod, an obstacle-course gallery, some guerrilla gardens and, most spectacularly, a free nine-hole mini-golf course set up across the city.

End your day by visiting the impressive Pallet Pavilion, a monumental bar structure created from donated shipping pallets. There’s usually live entertainment at the Pavilion and there’s also the unmissable taco truck, Mamacita’s – the best Tex-Mex you will live to have at a price so cheap, it’s shameful. For post-taco drinks, get to Smash Palace – a friendly, popular shipping container pub up the road, punnily named after not only the local disaster, but a cult Kiwi movie.

Parks, picnics and cocktails

If you take in the Canterbury Museum in the morning, explore Hagley park in the afternoon – it’s on the same side of town. Containing the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, a golf course and other leisure facilities, Hagley’s glorious greenery survived the earthquake. The perfect place for an easy ramble or gentle cycle, this cool, green serenity-generator is truly one of the world’s most beautiful public parks. It’s a fantastic place to imagine a lazy picnic.

For dinner, grab a wood-fired pizza from Base in the Re:Start Cashel Mall. Constructed to replace collapsed shopping facilities, the project is a maze of colourful shipping containers housing pop-up boutiques, some excellent coffee houses and quirky eateries. The shops carry everything from designer clothes to truly unusual homeware and souvenirs, while the double-decker containers offer you a rooftop view of the city

Those who wish to grab a post-meal posh drink in less-improvised circumstances are advised to visit Christchurch’s casino, where enthusiastic refurbishment has led to the creation of the Diamond Bar – a cocktail lounge decorated with more than 3,500 hanging crystals. You’ll certainly be seeing stars after a cosmopolitan or two, but while you might want to get messy, don’t arrive messy: like many of the city’s top-end bars, there is a dress code.

Remembering the lost

When travelling to a devastated city, it’s only proper to visit places created to mourn its loss. Two monuments in close proximity provide this necessary civic service. The unutterably moving 185 Chairs is an open-air installation containing white chairs commemorating each individual victim of the quake.

It’s close to the Cardboard Cathedral, which, for all its visual simplicity, is worth a lengthy, quiet visit. Built quickly to replace its ruined stone predecessor, the cathedral is a spectacular creation of industrial cardboard and corrugated plastic, with design and construction donations from the Japanese community, who lost many citizens when the quake hit a Christchurch language school.

To round off your visit, take in some more contemporary art with improvised spaces the Art Box and the Physics Room around Tuam and St Asaph streets.

Eat and drink

Good eats can be found everywhere, from fresh produce picked up at the local grocers to the many restaurants that dot Christchurch. Recommended from this visit are Dose Diner in Tuam Street and the Hummingbird Cafe and Crafted Coffee Company in the Re:Start Cashel Mall; coffee and decent snack will not set you back more than $12.

For an afternoon snack, cross town to the Canterbury Cheesemonger. Hidden behind hedges in the corner of the old Arts Centre, it offers breads, chutneys and cheeses of memorable tastiness.

The numerous food trucks around the Pallet Pavilion are fantastic options for budget eaters and foodies alike. High-end Saggio’s Di Vino offers locally sourced gourmet produce in a European menu and King of Snake is the locals’ pick for high-end Asian – three courses, with the great local wines, will set you back $100 per person.

Getting there and around

Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Qantas all offer flights from Australia to Christchurch, with the majority, though not all, air traffic from Australia via Sydney. Once you’re in Christchurch, everything is accessible by foot and bike. Day trips to outlying towns like Lyttelton are easy on public transport. City tram services are increasing but limited since the earthquake and a tourist tram is a good option for less mobile travellers.

When to visit

Although winters in Christchurch can be as English as its reputation, the rest of the year the city is comfortably temperate – though, as rain is frequent, a variety of outerwear is always sensible. For more information about festivals and events to coincide with your visit, check out bethere.co.nz.

Sleep

As Christchurch rebuilds, the city’s hotel room rates are incredibly reasonable, with online bargains starting at $130 and the average stay around $180. The Heritage Hotel’s luxury facilities – including well-appointed rooms and a classy indoor pool – are good value.

Cheaper stay options include several romantic inner-city B&Bs that have undergone refurbishments since the earthquake. Of these, Eliza’s Manor Boutique Hotel is particularly well located. There are also plenty of hostels and Airbnb options for super-budgeteers.