By Paul Topping

So here we are in Christchurch, fifteen years after the last earthquake, 185 lives lost and many injured. This is our second visit since then, and I’m keen to see the progress of the rebuild in this city. Over 2,000 hectares of the city could not be rebuilt after the earthquake, and now it is one massive grassland with some trees.

The town centre, however, is looking amazing since our last visit, with a lot less evidence of the quake. Some developments, like the new stadium and museum, will open in the years to come. The new convention centre shines like an overweight whale wallowing in the sunlight. There are so many new, generally less than six-storey buildings and refurbished offices.

The famous cathedral is likely to never be repaired due to cost overruns. It is still worth the walk around the area. The Queen Victoria statue and the war memorial hold centre court. The original Sheraton is still being refurbished, but city warehouse areas have, in many cases, changed use to restaurants, shops and microbreweries. I’m in my element with the range of beer flavours, so much choice, and so many locations.

Coming from Sri Lanka, which is dominated and monopolised by one company with limited local and imported brews, it is difficult to get even an IPA, for example. We visit the Trinity Congregational Church from 1875, Gothic Revival in style, now an amazing big pub. We slipped out via the back door past the toilets to a small, authentic Irish pub. Years since I’ve had a Kilkenny beer.

The River Avon gently runs through the city, and the odd punt can be spotted. The delightfully painted trams trundle up and down, followed by enthusiastic tourists taking photos. A great place to chill, eat, and taste wine is the Arts Centre, a lovely spot. Friends from the city take us there, and it’s so good to hear their stories and positive experiences living in a city of just over five hundred and fifty thousand, with growing tourist numbers.

I managed to get my motley team of local friends to give me twenty minutes in Hagley Park, dating back to 1865. It is said to be one of the biggest city-centre parks in the world. Amazing trees, river and bridges, with an array of Asian tourists taking photos. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Ironically, lots of permitted graffiti here.

Another lovely place is Lyttelton, which sits by the sea in a massive estuary. The street market is on, so the girls are happy tasting food at all the stalls whilst the men hit the roof terrace of a local pub. The views are awesome despite two large cruise ships in front of the town. There are so many microbreweries around Christchurch city and beyond. Let’s hope we see this in Colombo, where we need more tourists. The seafront town dates back to 1900, with an industrial harbour, but is most certainly worth a visit. A black statue of a sledge dog looks out to sea, immortalising those working on the docks, many of whom went to the Antarctic. There is a dramatic memorial statue to Robert Scott, the 1913 British Antarctic explorer, in the city centre. 

New Zealand is an active, young society, in many cases, living the dream life. Ski slopes are hours away, and the sea is on the doorstep, with nature trails, parks and a vibrant city. It’s no wonder so many foreigners take up residency, and many of us visit the place regularly. They say this city is about as English as you will see outside of Great Britain. As a UK passport holder, I’ve lost any affinity to Blighty. If I were thirty years younger, I’d move to Christchurch. I do like the heat and the people of Sri Lanka, so no more moves.