Simon Barnett: Why I love Christchurch

Trams which run through the Spanish architecture of New Regent Street. Photo / ChristchurchNZ

OPINION

It can be hard to explain just what makes a city so special.

Most of us can list all the unique attractions, eccentric eateries, those little hidden gems only locals know about…

But what it really comes down to is how it makes you feel.

It's a place you draw comfort from. You feel a sense of calm in that place. Where your family roots are deepest… It's the place you call home.

And for me, that's Christchurch.

As a boy who grew up in Vegas (Or, Ashvegas... That's Ashburton for anyone north of Cook Strait!), Christchurch always had the bright lights and big-city feel to me.

While the earthquake was an absolute unmitigated disaster, one positive thing, if there is a benefit to come out of it, is that it has allowed the city to regenerate in a very modern way.

Christchurch, unlike any other city in New Zealand, has this beautiful blend of vibrancy, history, and modernism that is unique to a place that was forced to rebuild.

We've managed to blend the preserved architecture, the likes of the old government building, the art centre, the museum and the very modern architecture of the Justice precinct, the crossing and the Riverside Market.

It's all interlinked, underpinning the beautiful meandering nature of Christchurch.

The trams, which run through the Spanish architecture of New Regent Street, past the Cathedral, and into the vibrant Riverside district give you a good look at the city post-earthquake and a chance to encounter that modern and historic blend. It's a lovely experience.

There are not too many cities in the world where you have a gem like Hagley Park at its heart. A sweeping 163-hectare green space with every amenity you can think of… and it's never crowded.

That feeling of space in Christchurch gives me comfort.

It's called the Garden City for a reason. There's almost a bucolic warmness as you wander through the botanic gardens, following the gorgeous and genteel Avon River which weaves through Christchurch, boat punters happily drifting alongside white swans. The sedate and very English nature of Christchurch is incredibly appealing.

Christchurch is also a very convenient place to live. One of the lovely things is that everything is very easily accessed.

Punting on the Avon. Photo / ChristchurchNZ

You can be on your mountain bike in the afternoon, and 20 minutes later be at Orange Theory stadium for the rugby, or at Sumner beach for a surf.

You've got the Mt Hutt ski field an hour away, you can get to the wonderful alpine village of Hanmer Springs (complete with natural hot pools) in about 90 minutes, and an hour to the east you're in Akaroa, which is steeped in French history, nestled into a beautiful and gorgeously wild coastline.

You'd be hard-pressed to find that variety and accessibility anywhere else in the world.

What I could get in other big cities I'd lose in this lovely sense of warmth and intimacy, and family, and home that I get from Christchurch.

We've got it bang-on here - it's expanding quickly, and as much as I would love to keep it our little secret, you can't keep gold a secret forever.

And that's what we have here in Christchurch… pure gold.