Stories

World-class sailors and boats will be flying across Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour in early 2022. ChristchurchNZ has announced that the high-speed SailGP sailing league will hold part of its second season right here in Ōtautahi Christchurch. The league pits identical, high-speed F50 foiling catamarans against each other. For added excitement, the newest team to join the league is New Zealand, headed up by sailing celebrities and Olympic champions Peter Burling and Blair Tuke. SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts says the harbour is "perfect" for foiling, and a world-class venue for specators. "The positioning of the race course is quite similar to the layout of our event in San Francisco, which should provide spectacular viewing for our spectators. Surrounded by the natural beauty of Lyttelton Harbour, we expect this event will draw passionate spectators from across the country and Australia, provided the COVID-19 situation improves as we hope it will. Aotearoa New Zealand is...

Kiwi theatre is returning to the stage this February with a new comedy from beloved New Zealand playwright Sir Roger Hall. Starring well-known Kiwi actors Mark Hadlow and Darien Takle, Winding Up explores the reality of the 'golden years' in a play that is at once heartwarming, honest, poignant and hilarious.  With his inimitable wit, Sir Roger revisits Barry and Gen, the beloved bickering couple from his hit play Conjugal Rites, as they tackle family feuds, health problems, modern technology, and the complications of conjugal relations. Winding Up puts the fun in funeral, even as Barry refuses to stop planning his own. “It’s about us,” says Hadlow. “With an ageing population, so many of the issues in the play confronted by Barry and Gen are topical and provide a window into the complexities of getting older!” Sir Roger Hall, who was knighted in 2019 for his services to theatre, says, “I...

It's that magical time of year. Fish are jumping, birds are singing, and we're up to our balls in jugglers. That's right, the buskers are back and Cityscape has your picks for some of the most anticipated acts of Bread & Circus World Backyard Buskers Festival 2021. Paul Klaass Paul Klaass is a multi-award winning comic juggler. His one man circus has hilarious comedy skits, world-klaass juggling, and screeds of charm. With a fresh and modern take on circus, this unique and memorable must-see show is fantastic family friendly fun. Biggest Little Circus Back by popular demand, The Biggest Little Circus return with astonishing aerials, classic Kiwi comedy, OMG juggling and loads of lycra! You can't miss their leotards and you don't want to miss their one-of-a-kind performance, kiwi charm and loads of lycra. Catch them at the Scott Statue Park Busking Pitch throughout the festival. BETTY'S WORLD A Christchurch premiere...

The world’s fastest growing alcoholic beverage is making its way to Aotearoa with the launch of TINK – New Zealand’s first natural fruit wine seltzer. Made in Marlborough by family-owned Kiwi company Giesen Group, TINK uses an innovative process of fermenting wine and natural fruit juice together to create a light and refreshing sparkling seltzer perfect for the summer season. With seltzer growing exponentially in the US and Australian markets, all the signs are pointing to 2020/21 being the summer of seltzer here as well. TINK is sold in 330ml cans with three flavours available – Tropical, Berry Rose and Lemon & Lime. It is also designed with a health and wellbeing focus, being low in sugar, low carb, and gluten free, with no added flavours. The drive to wellness among Kiwis is also reflected in the popularity of Giesen’s 0% alcohol Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, launched in February 2020. A world...

Orana Wildlife Park has got something very special for Christmas – two stunning Sumatran tigers, freshly arrived from Australia Zoo. Reggie and Scout are a pair of boisterous four-year-old boys and the only tigers in the South Island. After the park’s elderly tiger, Dumai, sadly passed away in February, the team have been upgrading the tiger habitat in preparation for welcoming some new big cats. New platforms and climbing structures have been erected, and the water features have been updated for Reggie and Scout’s entertainment. According to Orana’s Exotic Species Manager, Rachael Mason, the cats are settling in well. They are chatty and friendly, greeting their keepers with a distinctive tiger chuff, and have been seen grooming each other and cuddling together. With such positive signs that they are relaxed and comfortable, it is now time for them to explore their new outdoor surroundings. The tigers will be making their first...

We look back on a decade of earthquake recovery and pull some massive moments from the memory bank. 01 - September 4, 2010 earthquake Welcome to the 20-teens, Christchurch. Read more – Mayor Lianne Dalziel: Looking back and looking forward 02 - February 22, 2011 earthquake The day we lost 185 people to a terrible force of nature. The city would never be the same, physically or in spirit. 03 - Shag Pile Rapanui, the great stack of rock marking the entrance to the estuary crumbled into a somewhat less impressive figure during the February earthquake. 04 - Sumner container art Amazing art belies the practical nature of these containers, placed along Peacocks Gallop to prevent boulders falling on the road. Read more: The Wrightmann Collection: A short history of Canterbury contemporary art 05 - Cranes, cones and fences If we were to develop a coat of arms for Christchurch in...

Heads up Cityscapers, we've got the low-down on the best places to be and this summer's Christchurch happenings. There’s nothing like a drink with a view, and what better way to enjoy our acres of sky and a warm summer breeze than by heading top-side to one of our two new sky-high establishments. Pink Lady Rooftop, perched on top of The Muse hotel in Manchester Street, is an intimate floorspace with wide-reaching views across the city skyline to the Port Hills and Southern Alps (and there's also the excellent new café The Residency on the ground floor). Mr Brightside over in Oxford Terrace has a bistro-style set up with a retractable roof to make the most of its 360-degree views whatever the weather. Over in Lyttelton, beloved post-earthquake pop-up pizza place Arbour is opening in a permanent new home. The quirky space features a 120-year-old reclaimed boat as its bar, a...

A new exhibition – Mosque: Faith, Culture, Community – which aims to demystify Islam for non-Muslim New Zealanders opened at the weekend at Canterbury Museum. Mosque: Faith, Culture, Community highlights the mosque as the heart of Muslim communities, and the diversity of Islamic culture showcased through art and objects. The museum developed the exhibition in partnership with Christchurch Muslims who are keen to share knowledge, understanding of Islam, and the diversity of those who follow the faith with the wider community. “Our hope is that in working with local Muslims we have created uplifting experience for our visitors, one that highlights the diversity of Islamic art, architecture and culture," says Museum director Anthony Wright. “It is important that we share stories from all parts of the Canterbury community and that we work with those communities in presenting them. We hope that the exhibition will dispel some of the misconceptions about Islam...

Appropriately themed ‘navigating love’, NZ Opera’s 2021 season is set to make us fall in love with opera all over again with a variety of operas in different sizes, styles and locations. The big hit for the year is set to be Mozart and Da Ponte’s The Marriage of Figaro, which was sadly postponed in 2020 but will come to Isaac Theatre Royal for three dates in July 2021. The other star of the season is (m)Orpheus – a very Kiwi-Pasifika reimagining of the Greek tragedy Orpheus and Eurydice – but you'll have to travel to Auckland or Wellington to see it. January and February will see a series of open-air operas in Wellington Botanic Garden, Auckland’s Glover Park, and Hamilton Gardens. NZ Opera will mark the start of the academic year with Opera in Schools performances of Don Pasquale – a classic tale of love, scheming and comeuppance – coming...

Canterbury has a thriving arts scene, with ultra-talented local veteran and newcomer artists filling Greater Christchurch's many galleries. Here's our pick of spots to get your fill of art works. Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū Start with the city’s public gallery, an impressive glass-fronted building in Montreal Street where you’ll find everything from the classics to contemporary works. The gallery’s All Art All Summer season brings Kiwis face to face with work from local artists. Exhibitions include Christchurch-based sculptor Graham Bennett’s Seeking a Balance, Te Waipounamu object maker Areta Wilkinson’s Moa-Hunter Fashions, and rarely-seen historic art in As Time Unfolds. christchurchartgallery.org.nz Fiksate The bridge between the streets and the galleries, Fiksate is an urban art hub unlike anything else in the country. It’s gritty, it’s on the edge, and it’s just a real cool space to be in. You’ll find it in Gloucester Street until the end of December...

Beloved post-earthquake pop-up pizza place Arbour has opened in a permanent new home in Lyttelton. The quirky space features a 120-year-old reclaimed boat as its bar, a clear roof and enough plants to make it look like the most delicious-smelling greenhouse around. With a focus on sustainability, Arbour serves a seasonal menu made using produce grown in the urban farm at the back of the restaurant, and as many other ingredients as possible come from within the Lyttelton Harbour basin. The owners raise pigs and cure their own meat for the restaurant, and they’re offering an extensive vegan menu. Preserving the fantastic community vibe that the pop-up pizza cart radiated, Arbour will also be a live music venue and community space, and it’s got an awesome outdoor space for lingering in the sunshine over pizzas and local brews. arbourbar.co.nz

Get an eyeful of these stunning fried chicken dishes from around Christchurch. Discover some chicken hotspots you might not have heard of, and some of the city’s top eateries with chicken dishes to die for. 1 – Chicken Tenders, six pieces – Empire Chicken. empirechicken.co 2 – Chilli Chicken with egg, ginger, garlic paste and soy sauce – Coriander’s Ethnic Indian Restaurant. corianders.co.nz 3 – Chilli Bang Bang Chicken with avocado, toasted almonds, jalapeños, sriracha, mustard and maple glaze – Town Tonic. towntonic.com 4 – Sticky Chicken with jasmine rice, sautéed greens and soy/lime/sesame dressing – Untouched World Kitchen. untouchedworldkitchen.com 5 – Fried Chicken with big mac sauce and dill pickles – Civil & Naval. civilandnaval.co.nz 6 – Chili Chili Bang Bang with Monster Hot Chili sauce, grilled pineapple and pickled veggies – Monster Chicken. monsterchicken.co.nz 7 – Spicy Sticky Crispy chicken with fresh batter and hand-made sauce – Big Bang...

We round up great films, reads, shows to bingewatch, new albums to treat your ears to and a couple of decent podcasts to enlighten. Watching Film picks thanks to Lumière Cinemas' Nick Paris. Misbehaviour Well-behaved women rarely make history, and in London 1970, Sally Alexander (Keira Knightley) is on the brink of misbehaving her way right into notoriety. Fed up with the constant disadvantages that come with being a woman, and sent into particular fury by the upcoming Miss World pageant, Sally and her friends in the newly-formed women’s liberation movement hatch a plan to disrupt the pageant and finally shake the world awake. A brilliant and witty true story. The Dry Based on the bestselling novel by Australian author Jane Harper, The Dry follows Federal Agent Aaron Falk (Eric Bana), who arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke....

You can achieve your own Riverside/Mondrian-style mural at home with a bit of masking tape, careful planning, and some bright Resene colours. Colour blocking is a great way to liven up a feature wall in your home. We’re loving the ‘randomly placed blocks’ look reminiscent of the great works of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian – and of Dcypher’s new Riverside Market Resilient mural. To achieve this look, choose primary colours like Resene Aviator, Resene Dynamite and Resene Galliano, separated by lines in a dark shade like Resene Blackjack. Pair with a neutral backdrop so that it’s the block of colour that shines. The key is to give each colour enough room to breathe rather than filling the whole space with shapes. resene.co.nz

Whether you’re going in for a coffee fix, a cheeky brewsky, an afternoon glass of Waipara’s finest wine, a sundowner gin, or a healthy dose of kombucha, we’ve got such a sweet selection of Canterbury beverages available there’s no excuse not to #drinklocal. Coffee The Coffee Monster Cold Brew is brewed in the CBD using two types of the finest single origin coffee beans. A dark and rich coffee, the double 48-hour batch brewing brings out a chocolate profile with hints of earthy flavours and a sweet, clear finish. Perfect for cocktails, black over ice, or with your choice of milk. The Coffee Monster is the passion project of local caffiend Chris Meyer whose mission is to supply establishments and good humans with a local product that exceeds expectations. thecoffeemonster.co.nz Epiphany by Prima Roastery is an ethical and tasty coffee roasted in Sydenham. The roast came about when Good Habit and...

Spanning almost three decades, The Wrightmann Collection comprises nearly 1000 works of art and objects by Aotearoa New Zealand artists, signifying an ‘alignment of the stars’ for Selene Manning and Anthony Wright. Many items in the collection, displayed in the recently completed Wrightmann House, represent a cross section of contemporary Canterbury art and its art history with works by recent graduates and emerging artists in conversation with senior artists’ work. Recently opened for the first time to the public for a one-night only arts event, a fundraiser to support SCAPE Public Art, The Wrightmann Collection also reveals the untold story of Christchurch’s many ‘pop up’ galleries and artists’ spaces that flourished in the immediate post-quake period. 2011 From 22 February 2011, Manning and Wright prioritised the work of local graduate and postgraduate students. Wright notes that the earthquake changed everything. This included the city’s galleries, which were decimated. Galleries that opened...

Punchy, modern mixtures, traditional Italian flavours, and eclectic and subtle new creations – we’re slicing up Christchurch’s irresistible pizza scene. 1 - Spice up your Slice Bottle + Stone This new wee hole in the wall serves up unique al taglio-style pizza - the rectangular kind, with some toppings cooked on, the others laid on fresh. Tuck into a delicious slice and grab a bevvy from the on-site bottle shop (Bottle + Stone makes a pretty good margarita). Ingredients: Spicy salami, Italian sausage, mozzarella, red onion and confit garlic. bottleandstone.co.nz 2 - Pizza Salsiccia Francesca’s Italian Kitchen Francesca’s Italian Kitchen uses local, seasonal produce to make to-die-for woodfired pizzas, as well as a tempting menu of Italian classics that might have you deviating from the pizza menu – maybe. Salsiccia is Italian pork sausage, and this is a homemade recipe inspired by classic northern Italian flavours. Ingredients: Pork sausage, tomato base,...

Want to reminisce on those milk bar days, adult style? Boogie on down to Boo Radley’s and give yourself a major milk moustache with these drool-worthy grown-up shakes. Gingerbread Man – Frangelico, Licor 43, gingerbread syrup and vanilla ice cream, topped with gingernut crumb, chocolate syrup and whipped cream. Roger Rabbit – Cointreau, crème de cacao and vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate syrup, chocolate pearls and whipped cream. Caramel Maker – Maker’s Mark bourbon with salted caramel and vanilla ice cream, topped with caramel popcorn and whipped cream. Boo Radley's is an award-winning southern-USA-styled bar in Victoria Street where you'll find blues, live music, delicious sharing plates and – of course – an excellent selection of drinks. booradleys.co.nz