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| Christchurch
is the largest city
in the
South Island of
New
Zealand and the third largest
urban area in the country. It is a coastal city, situated in the middle
of the South Island's east coast just north of
Banks Peninsula. Named after Christ Church College at the University of Oxford, it was originally known as Christ Church, the name being abbreviated by common usage by the 1880s. The pre-European (Māori) name Otautahi, is said to originate from a Māori chief named Tautahi, who is believed to have occupied a seasonal dwelling on a bank of the Avon River near to where the Barbadoes Street bridge now stands. To date there is no documentary or archaeological evidence to support this contention. Christchurch is the provincial capital of Canterbury, New Zealand, which is about the size of Belgium. The city is situated at the southern end of Pegasus Bay, near the centre of the east coast of the South Island, between Banks Peninsula and the Canterbury Plains. The city is bounded to the east by the Pacific Ocean coast and the estuary of the Avon and Heathcote rivers. To the south and south-east the city is limited by the volcanic slopes of the Port Hills, and to the north by the braided Waimakariri River. The large number of public parks and well-developed residential gardens with many trees has given Christchurch the name of The Garden City. Hagley Park and the 30-hectare (75-acre) Christchurch Botanic Gardens, founded in 1863, are located in the central city, with Hagley Park being a site for sports such as golf, cricket, netball, and rugby, and for open air concerts by local bands and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. With much of the city being flat and only a few metres above sea level, spectacular views can be obtained from almost any high building. At these low elevations the city appears more like a forest with only a few buildings visible, rather than a major city. At the centre of the city is Cathedral Square, surrounding the Anglican cathedral, Christ Church. Christchurch has a temperate climate, with temperatures in January ranging from a minimum of 15 C to a maximum of 33 C, and from −5 C to 10 C in July. The summer climate is often moderated by a sea breeze from the northeast, but a record temperature of 41.6 degrees Celsius was reached in February 1973. A notable feature of the weather is the nor'wester, a hot fhn wind which occasionally reaches storm force and causes widespread damage to property. In winter it is common for the temperature to fall below 0 C at night. Snow falls occur rarely, on average once or twice a year in the hill suburbs and about once or twice every two years on the plain. On cold winter nights, the surrounding hills, clear skies, and frosty calm conditions often combine to form a stable inversion layer above the city that traps vehicle exhausts and smoke from domestic fires to cause smog. While not as bad as smog in Los Angeles, California, Christchurch smog has often exceeded World Health Organisation recommendations for air pollution. The city has strict requirements for domestic home heating in order to limit air pollution. Christchurch has played a significant role in the history of Antarctic exploration. Both Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton used the port of Lyttelton as a departure point for expeditions, and there is a statue of Scott (sculpted by his widow) in the central city. Christchurch International Airport serves as the major base for the Italian and United States Antarctic programs as well as the New Zealand Antarctic programme. The International Antarctic Centre provides both base facilities and a museum and visitor centre. Large Concert Venues
Source: Wikipedia |
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