Summer

Summertime is a great time of the year to stay at Dorset Apartments. The days are long, meaning you can spend a great deal of time exploring Christchurch and its surrounds. Summer is a great time to come and find out why Christchurch is called the ‘Garden City’. There are numerous parks and gardens to explore! Find yourself enchanted by the beauty of the Botanic Gardens; enjoy a bike ride through Hagley Park or a picnic at Victoria Park. The Gondola offers you a unique view of the Canterbury Plains and Christchurch as you ride to the top of Christchurch’s famous, now extinct volcano.

Catch a cruise with Black Cat Wildlife Cruises and go searching for Hector's Dolphins (found only in New Zealand). Or take a ferry for the five minute trip to Quail Island, an uninhabited island in the middle of the harbour, once a former leper colony and also home of Scott's training kennels and stables for the early Antarctic missions.

If you enjoy sand, sea and sun, you can’t go wrong with the beaches, which are along to the east of Christchurch. Taylors Mistake and Sumner Beach offer great swimming and surfing. Go for a walk and enjoy a coffee at the New Brighton Pier. If you enjoy a relaxing and peaceful time, why not try punting down the Avon River, winding serenely alongside the Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park.

If you feel the need to exercise your adrenalin glands while in Christchurch, then there is always the option of skydiving or paragliding, or a full-day jetboat trip down the Rangitata River, followed by a BBQ on the shoreline.

Don’t forget to have a look in at Christchurch’s arts centre for your cultural, artistic fix - the busy weekend markets sell a huge range of souvenirs, local produce, arts and crafts and great food, and they move to Cathedral Square during the week. The Court Theatre regularly attracts top New Zealand actors for a spell of 'treading the boards'.  Afterwards, Annie's Wine Bar is a great place for a glass of merlot and perhaps something to eat. 

Autumn

Autumn offers all sorts of activities in the Christchurch area. The Jazz Festival happens at various locations throughout Central Christchurch, Akaroa and Lyttleton during mid-April. Plenty of great music and great food. The festival runs for nine days and features a fantastic line up of international performers as well as some of New Zealand's best musicians.

If you enjoy your wine, the Waipara region in North Canterbury offers many different vineyards for you to go and visit. Harvest happens at this time of the year, with many of the vineyards, such as Pegasus Bay winery and Waipara Hills offering tours, great meals and great selections of wines for you to taste.

Hagley Park is particularly gorgeous in autumn, with all the leaves turning all shades of red, yellow and orange, bring a jumper and enjoy the spectacle.

Winter

Christchurch is a great spot if you enjoy your winter sports. Mount Hutt, is just over one hours drive from Christchurch, and receives some of the driest and lightest powder in Australasia. Mount Hutt is up there with any commercial ski field, with plenty of runs, half pipe and a snowpark. Porter Heights is the closest field to Christchurch, situated in the Arthur’s Pass. It offers a skiing at every level.

If the temperatures are low or the weather drives you inside, try visiting the museum, the Antarctic centre or the Southern Encounter Aquarium and Kiwi House, situated in Cathedral Square.

A trip up the gondola is well worth it for the view - the Southern Alps are at their best when dusted with fresh icing-sugar snow.

Spring

Springtime in Christchurch is wonderful, colorful and vibrant.  Come and see for yourself the glory of springtime in the Garden City.  With all the blossoms out, the Botanic Gardens resemble a fairytale backdrop in hues of pastels.  Hagley Park is lit up with yellow daffodils growing along the banks of the Avon.  Christchurch has over 800 parks and gardens, which makes coming to Christchurch in springtime a must, to see all the blossoming beauty. 

If nature is not your thing there is so much more to do. Christchurch awaits November each year - visit the huge Agricultural Show (where the country comes to town), and enjoy the competitions, livestock shows and displays, huge markets, fairground mayhem, and more.  New Zealand Cup week is at the heart of things, a full card of galloping, trotting and greyhound cups, Ladies Day, Guineas Day and Show Day race meetings. Some 300 trade displays, carnival rides, wine competitions, food and cookery demonstrations are among the side shows.

On Cup Day, the city gets up early for a champagne breakfast, then turns out in its finery (and hats!) to cheer on the New Zealand Cup's racehorses - the atmosphere is festive and energised, and most party on late into the night celebrating their winning (or losing!) horses.