Greater Christchurch

• – swimming with dolphins in this town with a French heritage on Banks Peninsula
• – the largest city in the South Island
• – small town just north of Christchurch
• – seaport town just over the Port Hills south of Christchurch
• – small town just north of Kaiapoi
• – small inland town on the way to the Craigieburn ski fields and Arthur's Pass

There are many satellite towns surrounding Christchurch that are undergoing rapid expansion, especially since the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Rolleston was only a small village on the side of State Highway 1 back in the early 1990s; today, the town has a population of over 13,000.
Banks Peninsula is named after Joseph Banks, a naturalist who visited New Zealand with Captain James Cook.

By plane

Many people arrive at Christchurch International Airport.

Some of the bays near Lyttelton can be popular watering holes for Cantabrians.
Corsair Bay has one of the nicest beaches in the area, and is a great place to relax on a sunny day.

Other regions of Canterbury:

• Mackenzie Country
• Mid and South Canterbury
• North Canterbury