Cycling holidays: Top tips for seeing Christchurch by bike
2 Mar, 2021 01:00 AM
6 minutes to read
NZ Herald
In the first in a new monthly series,
Sarah Bennett and Lee Slater tour the sights of New Zealand cities and towns on two wheels. First up is Christchurch/Ōtautahi, where post-quake development has taken cycling to the next level.
Elevator pitch
Christchurch calls itself the city of cycling and backs this up with a rapidly expanding network of cycleways and other bike-friendly facilities thanks to generous government funding. Millions more have been set aside to complete major plans in the next few years, with community groups also chipping in.
Sumner: A rebuild success story Christchurch’s deadly earthquake left deep scars in the affluent suburb of Sumner. Three people were killed in the wider area as cliffs collapsed and boulders crushed buildings. Houses and businesses were made uninhabitable and community facilities were destroyed. The risks of rockfall and structural hazards led to the “red stickering” of 314 properties in the wider area.
Don Scott/Stuff
Cliff faces smashed onto buildings in Sumner on February 22, 2011. Resident Charlie Hudson says she remembers hearing the “explosions” from the Port Hills when the quake struck. “I was out in my car and I rushed to Sumner School to gather the children and take them home before realising home doesn t exist any more.”