Christchurch (NZL)

02.12.2019 - 05.12.2019

Christchurch is the largest city on the South Island of New Zealand and the last stop on my journey through New Zealand.

On my first day, after a walk through the park and the botanical garden, I went to the iSite to get a city map.

After standing in front of the tourist information with the city map and thinking about where to start my city tour, someone approached me and asked if I would like to join a free walking tour. I spontaneously decided to participate. A good decision, as I learned a lot about the city.

The city is strongly shaped by the severe earthquake of 2011 and the effects are still very visible today. The best example of this is the cathedral, as it has not yet been rebuilt.

Instead, a temporary cathedral was built - the Cardboard Cathedral.

In the city center, many empty spaces have emerged, as more than half of the buildings had to be demolished after the earthquake. New buildings are gradually being built.

In addition to the many street art, there is also a piece of the Berlin Wall in Christchurch.

My very nice time in New Zealand ends here and I continue my journey to Thailand - more about that in the next blog post.