Much like your favourite Swanndri, there’s something about Christchurch you can’t help but warm to. Call it a rich history, a penchant for partying, or maybe a passion for reinvention – whatever it is puts the Garden City right up there with the best of them.

All of which is pretty darn good news when you find yourself with 48 hours to hit the streets here. Everything’s within easy striking distance, so let’s get into it.

In the South Island, between Waimakariri and the West Coast, there’s a rather famous road that crosses the Southern Alps. You might have heard of it. It’s called Arthur’s Pass.

Used by Māori for centuries to bring pounamu across the mountains, this crossing was made into a ‘road’ in 1866 as the gold rush reached full swing. Nowadays the gold is all gone (or so they say), but that hasn’t stopped people flocking here for a look. It’s a go to for travellers looking for exploration and relaxation amidst the magnificent sights of the Southern Alps.

Every fisherman’s journey starts somewhere. For keen spearfisherman Adam Hutchinson of Canterbury, like many New Zealanders, he first discovered the thrill of the catch as a boy of five or six, when eeling with family and friends. “It was a pretty big part of my childhood,” Adam reflects with a hint of nostalgia. He even recalls a little catchphrase his friend’s dad taught him – that if the month had an ‘r’ in it, then it was a good time for eeling – which has stuck with him to this day.