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8 Christmas Destinations to Book Now Across New Zealand

Friends sharing lunch and wine at Crawford Road Kitchen, Gisborne.
Story Central Otago
A summer guide to eight of New Zealand's best holiday destinations, featuring the best places to make a pit stop, pull up a chair, have a mosey or unwind.

The National

Person walking past exterior of The National gallery in Christchurch
Place Christchurch & Canterbury
Fashion key icon. Galleries and museum key icon.

The National has been at the forefront of the contemporary art scene in Christchurch for over a decade.

Objectspace at Sir Miles Warren Gallery

The sloping ceiling inside Objectspace Christchurch.
Place Christchurch & Canterbury
Galleries and museum key icon.

Objectspace is Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading gallery dedicated to design, craft and architecture.

Ngaio Marsh House

A colourful bookshelf by an old bed in the Ngaio Marsh House.
Place Christchurch & Canterbury
Stay and explore key icon. Galleries and museum key icon.

Ngaio Marsh House sits in a beautiful spot on the lower slopes of Christchurch’s Cashmere Hills.

The Custard Square Bookshop

Two women standing outside the bookshop caravan on a sunny day.
Place Christchurch & Canterbury

As a tram rattles down Worcester Boulevard, the driver loves to point out an adorable outdoor set-up known as The Custard Square Bookshop.

Telling Tales

Books and toys on shelves and a couch with big soft toys at Telling Tales children's bookshop, Christchurch.
Place Christchurch & Canterbury

Igniting the love of reading in children is a magical gift and one that Telling Tales know plenty about.

Dead Video

Dead Video sign.
Place Christchurch & Canterbury
Theatre and performance key icon.

If you’re wondering — did streaming kill the video star? — the answer is not quite, thanks to neat people like Evan at Dead Video.

Absolution Tattoo and Body Piercing

View of the counter at Absolution Tattoo and Body Piercing studio in Christchurch.
Place Christchurch & Canterbury
Galleries and museum key icon. Services key icon.

A contemporary tattoo and body-piercing studio in the Arts Centre.

Canterbury Museum

Dinosaur skeleton on display at Canterbury Museum in downtown Christchurch.
Place Christchurch & Canterbury
Stay and explore key icon. Galleries and museum key icon.

It’s exciting times for Canterbury Museum as a major five-year redevelopment is now underway at its Rolleston Avenue site. In the meantime, a pop-up a few blocks away serves as a temporary museum space.

The Court Theatre

Signage on the exterior of the theatre building at The Court Theatre.
Place Christchurch & Canterbury
Theatre and performance key icon.

There is something for everyone at The Court with shows ranging from comedy to musical, mystery to children’s theatre, improv to Māori and Pasifika plays.

The Arts Centre

Inside Wilson & Dorset luxury wool shop at The Arts Centre in Christchurch
Place Christchurch & Canterbury Editor's Pick
Cafes key icon. Galleries and museum key icon. Theatre and performance key icon.

A much-loved heritage hub for all things creative and cultural, Christchurch’s Arts Centre is a real jewel in the city’s crown.

The Physics Room

Ivy on wall outside The Physics Room.
Place Christchurch & Canterbury
Galleries and museum key icon.

The Physics Room is well worth a visit.

CoCA

Exterior of CoCA.
Place Christchurch & Canterbury
Galleries and museum key icon.

CoCA is a slick and ultra-modern art gallery space in the centre of Christchurch.

Neat in the Neighbourhood: Your Guide to Sydenham

The brightly coloured interior of a brewing company Christchurch.
Story Christchurch & Canterbury
Ask a Christchurch local where the city's independent spirit lives loudest, and plenty will point you south of the centre. Once an archetypal precinct of warehouses and workshops, Sydenham has spent the post-quake years decorating its industrial bones with roasteries, breweries, boutiques and just about everything you could ask of the city fringe. It's where street art meets industry, and good coffee meets great perusing. There's usually something pretty sweet, and tasty, hidden down its many side-streets - you just have to know where to look.

Christchurch Art Gallery

Exterior curved glass building of the Christchurch Art Gallery.
Place Christchurch & Canterbury
Galleries and museum key icon.

Locals and visitors alike have the pleasure of viewing some of the best art in New Zealand and the world here.

Scorpio Books

A woman sitting on a dark brown leather couch reading a book, surrounded by bookshelves, in Scorpio Books.
Place Christchurch & Canterbury

The city's best independent bookshop; come here for the latest and greatest novels and non-fiction.