Day trip to Christchurch in New Zealand. Pictures, images, photos of Christchurch.

Day tour in Christchurch on New Zealand Southern Island
18-19 November 2007

Christchurch can be considered the main access gate for a trip to New Zealand South Island. It is a beautiful city with many green parks and museums. The city hosts also the International Antarctic Centre, the main gateway to Antarctica for scientists and researchers.

(Click on a picture to see an enlarged version)

A central street passing through Cathedral square.


	The cathedral is a Christchurch city's symbol.


Inside the cathedral.


	The museum of the arts in central Christchurch. The city has many museums of different themes.



	Just a short walk from the cathedral square, there is a beautiful botanical garden, hosting huge trees and where everything is green.

A tram for tourists.


The International Antarctic Centre is located near Christchurch's main airport and is one of the world's most important base from where scientific expeditions depart for Antarctica. There is also a very interesting museum dedicated to the white continent and nobody loving Antarctica should miss it during a trip to New Zealand.


	The reproduction of New Zealand's Scott base in Antarctica. One of the room is constantly kept at -8 centigrade and there is also a wind storm simulator.



An aquarium hosting a group of Little Blue Penguin, the world's smallest penguin. My visit matches the feeding time (lower-right picture).

Christchurch, New Zealand, International Antarctic Centre

A room in the museum.



Several dozens millions of year ago, the Antarctica was much warmer and shifted to the north. It was populated by trees, ferns, animals and dinosaurs. Several beautiful fossils, transported by glaciers and found by geologists along the coast, are stored in the museum.

This satellite antenna was used at the south pole during late '80s and early '90s. The antenna has survived, and did work, at temperatures sometimes reaching -90 degrees centigrade.