Our hotel in Christchurch, The Heritage. We stayed in this building, the "OGB" or Old Government Building. The Heritage also has a modern building. The hotel is well situated, right on Cathedral Square in the center of the city.
The OGB had many great interesting features, including huge safe doors like this one, that remained from the building's previous usage.
We had a delicious lunch at the OGB Restaurant. Our window had a Cathedral view.
Christchurch Cathedral, dating from around 1850.
Christchurch has beautiful 19th century buildings, such as the City Post Office pictured here.
A circular tram loops central Christchurch. It's mainly a tourist tram.
The inside of the tram cars bears a strong resemblance to San Francisco's cable cars: all wood, nicely restored.
The Arts Center has a market on Saturday. The local artists have all sorts of arts and crafts on display. A fun way to spend a Saturday morning. In addition, there are permanent vendors inside the building.
Bulletin board inside the Arts Center.
Across from the Arts Center sits Hagley Park, a large urban park featuring a Botanic Garden. This is the very beautiful  Peacock Fountain, which sits at the entrance to the garden.
The Avon River runs through Christchurch (as well as through Hagley Park). You can rent a canoe or rowboat.
Or you can have a gondolier take you down the river.
They were having a Gypsy Fair the day we were in Christchurch.
It was a lot of fun. There were all sorts of things for sale, a tour of a gypsy home, food for sale, and shows.
One of the twenty or so gypsy homes at the fair.
Bridge over the Avon River. Christchurch has lots of beautiful willow trees.
A building on the side of the river.
"Dry standpipe," perhaps?