canterbury Restaurants, hotels and attractions are reopening in Christchurch after recent earthquakes. Once you’re done exploring, the city is an ideal gateway for excusrions around the greater Canterbury region. By Kerry van der Jagt If a New Zealander tells you a hike is going to be easy, don’t trails believe him. He’s lying. Not a fib, but a whopper as big as the Southern Alps themselves. The mountain path we’ve been climbing for the last few hours has gradually morphed into a steep scree slope with a dizzying drop to one side. With legs and lungs on fire and the slate slipping under my boots, I’m grateful for my guide James’ reassuring hand. “Not much further,” he says, his nose growing by the minute. Finally, breathlessly, we make it to the summit of 1,522-metre Surveyors Peak, deep in the privately owned Puhi Peaks Nature Reserve on New Zealand’s South Island. The clouds part like a stage curtain and a great splash of light reveals the craggy peaks of the Seaward Kaikoura Range sparkling with their tiaras of snow. I can see as far south as Christchurch and across the ocean to the Kaikoura Peninsula while, in the distance, the legendary 2,590-metre-high Te Ao Whekere, or “World of the Gods,” stands like a signpost to the heavens. I add a small pebble to a rocky cairn and say a silent prayer for those who have walked before me, for those who will follow and for those who will never make it. On ANIMAL ATTRACTION February 22, Christchurch was hit by Swimming with fur seals at Kaikoura a magnitude-6.3 earthquake, then Inset: Daly’s Wharf stretches into Akaroa Harbour hundreds of aftershocks, and New 56 vacationsandtravelmag.com vacationsandtravelmag.com 57 LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT Clockwise from left: Patriotic Christchurch locals; overlooking the beautiful Akaroa Harbour on the Banks Peninsula; kayaking Kaikoura, where the mountains meet the sea Zealanders are still in mourning. And 10 of them are within two with the addition of 16 snow guns has been dubbed “New Zealand’s Seven blocks of Christchurch’s hours’ drive of Christchurch. on the International Trail. Riviera”, and it’s easy to see why. central business district were Porters, just 89 kilometres from The region also does luxury In 1838, French whaling captain destroyed or damaged by the Christchurch airport, is a small field lodges better than anywhere else Jean Langlois negotiated with earthquake but rebuilding is with a big heart and includes the in the country. At Terrace Downs the local Maoris to buy the Banks underway, and the greater region legendary Big Mama, one of the High Country Resort, winner of the Peninsula with the aim of setting remains unaffected and is well and longest and steepest single runs in 2010 World Travel Awards as New up a French colony. By the time the truly open for business. the country. The Licence to Chill Zealand’s Leading Golf Resort, it’s French got their act together and Canterbury is the largest ski pass, which gives skiers and possible to heli-ski straight from the sailed into Akaroa in 1840, they designated region in New Zealand; snowboarders access to 11 club car park in the morning, jet-boat on were met by the British, who had anchored by Christchurch, it spreads mountains, is great value. the Rakaia River in the afternoon hoisted the Union Jack just 10 days from the Pacific Ocean across the Mount Hutt, on the other hand, and finish the day with an Asian- earlier. After a brief tête-à-tête, the braided rivers of the Canterbury is a vast commercial ski resort that style massage in the resort’s newly French were allowed to stay and Plains as far as the Southern Alps, enjoys one of the longest and most opened spa. today, the town has a distinctive the backbone of the South Island. consistent seasons in New Zealand. On this visit, just one month after Gallic flavour. I pass streets with I first visited Canterbury in With its wide, well groomed runs, the earthquake, I swap ski boots for names such as rue Benoit and the mid-’80s – lured, as many double black-diamond chutes and hiking boots as I head southeast rue Lavaud and bistros serving up Australians are, by the promise of back country, it has something for from Christchurch past copper- cassoulet and pommes frites. powdery snow. I’ve been a regular everyone: Skiwiland Early Learning tinged trees and sun-burnished Akaroa is a Maori word meaning visitor since. There are 18 ski Centre for children, the UP & GO fields for the easy 90-minute drive “long harbour” and, for me, this areas in the region, from small, Terrain Park for the cool crowd and to Akaroa, a historic French and is where the city truly dazzles. friendly club fields such as Porters plenty of challenging chutes on the British settlement nestled in the Black Cat Cruises offers Akaroa Ski Area, Mount Cheeseman and south face for the certifiably insane. heart of an ancient volcano. Set Harbour nature tours on which Broken River to the internationally In 2011, the ski-field has created on a sheltered harbour and flanked visitors can swim with Hector’s renowned Mount Hutt Ski Area. its first automated snowmaking line, by steep hills, this resort village dolphins – the world’s rarest and 58 vacationsandtravelmag.com vacationsandtravelmag.com 59 “On Akaroa Harbour, visitors can swim with Hector’s dolphins or go in search of fur seals, blue penguins and sea birds including oystercatchers and albatrosses.” smallest dolphins – or cruise the watch the countryside thunder harbour in search of New Zealand by: aquamarine gorges, towering fur seals, little blue penguins and waterfalls and moody, mist-laden sea birds including oystercatchers, mountains. When I am old and grey terns and albatrosses. and have forgotten just about every Akaroa is an easy daytrip from train ride I’ve taken, I’ll remember Christchurch, but is even better this one. Passengers can make the as an overnight stay. A couple of return journey the same day or do as hotels have teamed up with Black I did and head south for a few days Cat Cruises to offer value-added on the west coast, exploring the “snooze and cruise” deals. Franz Josef Glacier and Westland/Tai Back in Christchurch, I board the Poutini National Park. TranzAlpine train offering a scenic On the final leg of my journey, rail journey from the east to the I return by TranzAlpine train to west coast of the island. Departing Christchurch for the two-and-a- Christchurch daily at 8.15 a.m. half-hour drive to Kaikoura to join and arriving at Greymouth four- a three-day guided walk through and-a-half hours later, the train Puhi Peaks Nature Reserve. passes through 19 tunnels and four From Christchurch I travel north viaducts, the highest being the along Highway 1, the azure waters POWDER PERFECT “Staircase,” standing at 73 metres. of Pegasus Bay clinging to my Clockwise from above: Mt. Hutt enjoys one of the longest and most Passengers can recline in comfort right shoulder. I’m in the heart consistent ski seasons in New inside or ride the rails in the open- of Hurunui now, a nature-lovers Zealand; jetboating on the Rakaia air viewing carriage. I alternate paradise with vast, deserted beaches River; punting on the Avon River is back on the tourist roster in between the two and, with my hair and lush wilderness parks. I take Christchurch spinning wildly around my head, the Gore Bay Tourist Drive past 60 vacationsandtravelmag.com vacationsandtravelmag.com 61 CHOPPER AND CHANGE but then again, I’d been distracted Below: Heli-transfers from Terrace Downs by the luxurious eco-lodges, CHRISTCHURCH REDUX gourmet meals and fine South Island travelfacts wines that greeted me each evening The iconic punts are back on the Avon River; the recent months, and several small suburban restaurants after a day of hard trekking. gettingthere Botanical Gardens is awash with autumn colours; both are being “rediscovered”; there’s Edesia in Addington, Back in Kaikoura, the first Air New Zealand, Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin the art gallery and the museum will be open by winter; tucked away in a quiet cul de sac; Tutto Bene, an community in New Zealand to be Australia fly from select Australian cities and the International Antarctic Centre is showcasing Italian pizzeria in Merivale, and Terra Viva in Harewood, Green Globe benchmarked and only to Christchurch. its new movie experience, Ice Voyage. Though some dishing up gourmet deli-style food. In addition to • Air New Zealand. 132-476; the second in the world to receive airnewzealand.com.au parts of Christchurch are still cordoned off, for safety the regular farmers’ markets, pop-up markets are also this accolade, I spend a few days • Jetstar. 131-538; jetstar.com* reasons, the welcome mat is well and truly out. appearing all around Christchurch. enjoying everything this seaside • Virgin Australia. 131-645; virginaustralia.com The Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism website Another exciting development is the Fan Zone in village has to offer: swimming with • Qantas. 131-313; qantas.com has an update page, growing daily, that lists more Wellington’s north Hadley Park. In preparation for dusky dolphins, snorkelling with fur • Qantas Holidays. 131-415; qantas.com/holidays than 50 attractions currently open to visitors. “It’s the Rugby World Cup in September (the Christchurch seals, whale-watching, kayaking and been important to us that we get back up on our matches of which will now be played in Wellington), the surfing beach of Gore Bay, feasting on fresh crayfish, for which whentogo feet as quickly as possible and, while there is still the zone has been turned into a precinct of bars and the eroded siltstone pillars of the the region is justifiably famous.