Christchurch – What to See, Do and Eat: CARDBOARD CATHEDRAL AND CONTAINER SHOPPING

By Next Plane Out on November 1, 2016 • ( Leave a comment )

I began my 17 days South Island trip in Christchurch. Took a red- eye direct flight on Singapore Airlines and arrived at about 10am local time. I booked an Airbnb accommodation, mainly because I’d wanted a space to store my hard case luggage, without incurring massive storage fees for that 2- week period of backpacking. Luckily, the host of my apartment agreed to keep my luggage, until I was back 2 weeks later.

My main aim on this second visit was to truly experience what NZ is about. The amazing landscapes, and the ruggedness of travelling through it all. It was also my first backpacking trip, so I was really excited about it. I also visited a few places that I’d missed on my first trip, which was a really short 5 days and 4 nights to the land of the Kiwis.

I didn’t get to visit the cardboard cathedral then, so I was very excited to catch it this time round. It was serene and beautiful especially on the inside.

CHRISTCHURCH CARDBOARD CATHEDRAL

The cathedral structure instantly stands out amidst the barren land and ruins that surround it. It was also rather easy to locate, being just a short walk away from the container shopping mall. My favourite part has to be the triangular stained glass windows. There’s also a mix of geometry and symmetry to the architecture, which kind of gives it a ‘sturdy’ feel. It was designed by Japanese ’emergency architect’, Shigeru Ban, after the earthquake in 2011 destroyed the original Christchurch Cathedral.

I didn’t explore much of the container shopping mall on my previous trip, so time round I practically spent the entire afternoon shopping around the area. The sun was really hot that day and I got quite burnt. I think it’s because there were barely any shade from container to container. Got myself a pair of funky printed merino wool socks from one of the shops! I think I got most of my souvenirs settled there, and it’s great I could keep them all in the luggage to be stored at my Airbnb, till I returned. Saved me the hassle of lugging them around or the need to do mad shopping on my last day back.

CONTAINER SHOPPING – CAFES, MARKET AND SHOPPING

I was quite surprised to see so many people over there, as based on my last trip I had the impression that Christchurch was a ‘dead town’. I saw a busker playing music to a crowd, and people chilling out with pizzas and drinks.