Christchurch, New Zealand

Overview

Christchurch, also known by its Māori name Ōtautahi, is the largest city on New Zealand’s South Island and the country’s second-largest urban area by population. Long known as the Garden City, Christchurch is noted for its parks, tree-lined neighborhoods and extensive residential gardens.

The city was heavily damaged by a series of earthquakes beginning in 2010, including the Feb. 22, 2011, earthquake that killed 185 people and led to extensive rebuilding across the central city.

Trams operated in the city beginning in 1880, with much of the system electrified starting in 1905. Regular tram service ended in 1954, but a central-city heritage tram loop opened as a tourist attraction in 1995. The city is also the eastern terminus of the TranzAlpine passenger train. The route crosses the Southern Alps through the Otira Tunnel before reaching Greymouth on the West Coast and is primarily operated as a scenic tourism service.