Greater Christchurch is a subregion of Canterbury in the South Island of New Zealand. It includes the area around Christchurch, the Waimakariri and Selwyn districts immediately north and south-west of Christchurch respectively, and the scenic Banks Peninsula.

Cities

Christchurch and Banks Peninsula from space

• 1 Akaroa – swimming with dolphins in this town with a French heritage on Banks Peninsula
• 2 Christchurch – the largest city in the South Island
• 3 Kaiapoi – small town just north of Christchurch
• 4 Lyttelton – seaport town just over the Port Hills south of Christchurch
• 5 Rangiora – small town just north of Kaiapoi
• 6 Springfield – small inland town on the way to the Craigieburn ski fields and Arthur's Pass

Other destinations

• 1 Arthur's Pass National Park

Understand

On Banks Peninsula Track, which starts and ends in Akaroa

There are many satellite towns surrounding Christchurch that are undergoing rapid expansion, especially since the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Rolleston was only a small village on the side of State Highway 1 back in the early 1990s; today, the town has a population of over 13,000.

Banks Peninsula is named after Joseph Banks, a naturalist who visited New Zealand with Captain James Cook.

Get in

By plane

Many people arrive at Christchurch International Airport.

Do

Some of the bays near Lyttelton can be popular watering holes for Cantabrians. Corsair Bay has one of the nicest beaches in the area, and is a great place to relax on a sunny day.

Go next

Other regions of Canterbury:

• Mackenzie Country
• Mid and South Canterbury
• North Canterbury