Large outdoor shopping center and my destination today was the supermarket but there are also…read morerestaurants and shops and beauty salons and more. It's interesting with the outdoor design, laneways under tall buildings and escalators to higher floors. I did see security which is always important and it does appear to be lighted in the evening hours. [Review 391 of 2024 - 44 in New Zealand - 21424 overall]

Located within the suburb of Riccarton near Christchurch, the Westfield Riccarton indoor shopping…read morecenter is one of the largest malls in New Zealand at 54,000 square meters. It is anchored by Hoyts (cinema chain), Kmart (discount department store), Pak'n'Save (warehouse grocery store), and Farmers (department store), and has many periphery stores. Even on a Thursday morning, the indoor mall was busy: a good place to people watch along with picking up any essentials or gifts for back home. We were in the port town of Lytteltown, visiting on the Celebrity Edge on a Thursday. The ten dollar shuttle dropped us off near the bridge of remembrance on cashel street, and it was about a 3 km walk to this mall (we ended up taking a public bus back). Because there is a large East Asian population in Riccarton, most of the retail stores and restaurants surrounding the mall are Asian-themed, with Filipino, Cambodian, and Korean being prevalent. We ended up eating nearby before heading back to the ship. There is free wi-fi available in the mall, and is quite fast. But we had difficulties getting on: sometimes it was easy, but the next time it was more difficult. Thinking the upper limit of users were being reached and they were limiting it somehow. Now some background: The mall was originally established in 1965 as the Riccarton Mall. Three extensions opened in 1970, 74, and 79, bringing store count to 50 stores and 205,300 square feet. Remodeling occurred in 1992 and 2005, and an expansion in 2009, bringing the size up to present size. It is owned by the Westfield Group, a different (but with same origins) company than the Westfield malls in the States. As mentioned, Riccarton is a suburb (aka neighborhood) of Christchurch and is 39.1% Asian. It is located in the region of Canterbury (population of 694,000) and the council seat being in Christchurch. Riccarton Road is the main street that goes to downtown Christchurch, and is lined with predominantly Asian businesses.

This is one of the larger malls in Christchurch and thus can draw quite the crowd depending on the…read moretime of day (luckily they have a lot of parking). With stores for the pre-teens and close to schools and Uni in the afternoons the mall can get quite noisy and crowded (despite its early closing hours at 6pm). The traffic going in and out around that time is also a nightmare. There are several different phone companies located in this mall, so if you're new to the area and deciding on plans, here is a one-stop-shop. They also have an awesome Pak N Sav which is open later than the rest of the mall and they have escalators that are shopping cart friendly. Westfield Riccarton also has stores such as Briscoes, Bed Bath & Beyond and a movie theater as well as several restaurants (Fox n Ferret has quiz night) which are located on the street level. Some other plusses for the mall are the Starbucks, ANZ and second floor food court. I typically stick to the street level shops, but as long as I get there early this mall is manageable.

This store is everything that a bookstore should be. Although it was sad to see the place move up…read moreand out of the Re:Start Mall, its new location is amazing. Be sure to stop by and spend hours browsing the shelves!

I love the warehouse, it's wear I buy all my clothing and I love to get "kicks" (my daughters slang…read morefor footwear) form the good old warehouse. The food is good and cheap and the service is always great. It's brill to see that they have improved the homewares section because I could browse furniture and ornaments all day! Eastgate is also very convenient to my house however it's not the best warehouse in Christchurch, I recently noticed that the clearance orange chocolates were $1.50 at the warehouse northlands but 2 for $8 at Eastgate! That's so silly. However there's not much more to fault with the good old red shed!

My favorite mall in the city. There is something for everyone here and not just clothes stores,…read moreincluding a two story Countdown, a Hoyts movie theater, a Lone Star bar and a Flying Burrito Brothers restaurant. My personal favorite store here is The Warehouse where you can get great deals on homeware, sports, clothes and seasonal items. Northlands also has plenty of hair and nail salons as well as a multitude of food options (including a small foodcourt). There is also a Vodafone and ANZ Bank. The mall is clean, not crowded and there are plenty of parking spaces available at any time of day.

The only thing missing here is a K-Mart. If that comes in, I won't be going anywhere else for my…read moreshopping

Located right across from the Christchurch Botanic Gardens is another free place to visit, the Arts…read moreCentre of Christchurch. The Arts Centre takes up the entire block, and it's nice place to wander around and take in the architecture of the buildings, the numerous exhibits, and the beautiful scenery. There are also food trucks, cafes, small shops, and even a hotel! The exhibits are a mix of art and science with Rutherford's Den with sensory displays and the Physics Room, which is self-explanatory. While art isn't really my thing, everywhere was very well maintained and clean. I suppose the most interesting part was the "Floating House" above the courtyard. Overall, the Arts Centre is a nice place to walk around and enjoy the exhibits as well as find food trucks and other international eateries. It's right across the street from the Christchurch Botanic Gardens and nearby other attractions.

A mix of history and the present…read more Located in the heart of Christchurch, The Arts Centre is an Aotearoa New Zealand landmark - home to galleries, museums, cinemas, boutique retailers, artisan eateries and bars, engaging events, stunning venues and much more. Full of history and architectural beauty. Once these buildings were the home to Canterbury College (now the University of Canterbury). The 23 buildings are a fantastic place to spend some time. Take in the architecture, the quaint shops, a gallery, a bite, or stay the night. One of the buildings is a gorgeous hotel. As I wandered the grounds and buildings, I stumbled into more of the history. In the Clock Tower, the den is home to the actual rooms where Rutherford, the father of nuclear physics, studied while a student at Canterbury College. Including the restored Victorian lecture theatre. It felt a little bit out of Harry Potter. Imagine standing where Rutherford made so many scientific discoveries. Later giving us tv, radio, sonar and telephones. So many great shops and galleries I wandered through for almost three hours. I'm glad I found the center. Wished I had known more about it sooner.

This art gallery is FREE, but donations are encouraged to continue this. A great indoor activity to…read morekill at least 1-2 hours depending on your interest and level of appreciation for art. The museum floor plan is expansive, spanning from the ground level to the upper floors, so it's a must do while in Central ChCh. Plenty of portraits, abstracts, and modern art to learn about. I especially loved how many a piece paid tribute to the Maori culture. I was able to learn about their plight, stolen lands, and continued struggles in the present to reclaim their land. Lands which have seemingly transformed and ultimately have been destroyed to the point of unrecognition. It's crazy how history repeats itself in different parts of the world. An amazing gallery with beautiful pieces! A perfect way to learn about New Zealand and its culture!

Art, art, art. This is the fun stuff I want to see what I travel and this morning's visit to the…read moreChristchurch Art Gallery was a fabulous way to see exactly what I wanted. Especially so on a drizzly day. Perfect museum day! Expect two hours of great portraits, landscapes and abstracts. A few names I recognized like Hepworth and Rodin. And definitely look around and up at some of the pieces hanging from the ceiling and along the stairs. Easily miss able and that would be a shame. [Review 384 of 2024 - 37 in New Zealand - 21417 overall]

Came across this place quite by chance, it was great to wander around seeing what bargains we could…read moreget. A modest selection of second hand DVD's, CD etc. There were a couple of tempting boxsets behind the counter. We did come away with one or two bargains too !!