📖 A quick introduction

So, back in the day, some folks from England decided to set up shop in New Zealand and planned this whole city around a cathedral, hence the name. They focused on making it green and beautiful with lots of parks and the Avon River flowing through. It quickly became known as the "Garden City."

Then, things got a bit rough with those big earthquakes a while back. But you know what? The city has been super resilient and is rebuilding itself with some cool new stuff while still keeping its old charm. It's also a big deal for Antarctic research and a starting point for exploring the amazing South Island. Pretty neat, huh?

🧠 Interesting facts

Antarctic gateway

Christchurch is one of the 5 cities that is a pit stop for anyone heading to Antarctica! It wasn't some big decision, but more like, "Hey, this place is closest and already has an airport and a port, perfect!" This kicked off in the mid-1900s when everyone started getting serious about Antarctic research.

It's pretty cool because you'd see these huge military planes and research ships constantly coming and going. There's even a whole area dedicated to Antarctic stuff near the airport.

The Earthquake

So you know how I mentioned those earthquakes? Well, it was a tough time for Christchurch. It wasn't just one little shake; there were a few big ones, but the main one that everyone remembers was on February 22, 2011. It struck right in the middle of the day, which sadly meant around were in the city.

It was super scary, with really strong shaking that caused a lot of damage to buildings, especially in the central city. Sadly, a lot of people were hurt, and tragically, many around 185 lost their lives.

Lord of the Rings

While the city center of Christchurch didn't transform into Middle-earth, the wider Canterbury region that Christchurch is part of did have some filming locations. So, yeah, you can find spots not too far from the city where parts of Lord of the Rings were filmed.

The city also was super important for the Lord of the Rings movies behind the scenes. It was like a home base for the cast and crew, with everyone flying in and out and using the city's services.

What moves the city?

When we're talking about what keeps the economy humming in Christchurch, here are three big things:

1. Healthcare and Social Assistance: This is the biggest one when it comes to jobs! Think of hospitals, doctors, and all sorts of services that help people. It's a really important part of what goes on there.

2. Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: This is another biggie and covers all sorts of skilled jobs, like accountants, lawyers, scientists, and techy people. Lots of brainpower in this sector!

3. Construction: After those tough earthquakes, there's been a ton of building going on, and it's still a pretty major part of the economy as the city keeps getting rebuilt and looking modern.

Additional curiosities

• The most popular company is KMD Brands, the group owner of Kathmandu, and the surfwear brand Rip Curl.

• Is part of a very small group of "antipodal" cities, with its near-exact opposite point on Earth being A Coruña in Spain.

• Christchurch has a sister city in England also called Christchurch!

• It was the very first officially recognized city in all of New Zealand.

• Before being called the "Garden City," Christchurch was nicknamed "Cyclopolis" because so many people used bicycles to get around.