Springfield Cottage Blog

Christchurch Climate Statistics

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:31:00 --1200

CLIMATE DATA FOR CHRISTCHURCH
	Av daily sunshine hrs	Mean daily max temp	Mean daily min temp	Mean no. Wet days	Mean mthly rainfall	Mean relative humidity
		oC	oC		mm	%
January	7.4	22.5	12.2	6	42	73
February	7.0	22.2	12.1	6	39	80
March	5.9	20.4	10.6	6	54	79
April	5.4	17.8	7.7	7	54	83
May	4.6	14.6	4.5	7	56	86
June	4.0	11.7	2.1	9	66	87
July	4.0	11.3	1.9	9	79	87
August	4.8	12.4	2.9	8	69	85
September	5.5	14.9	5.1	7	47	79
October	6.4	17.4	7.2	7	53	73
November	7.2	19.2	8.9	7	44	72
December	7.1	21.2	10.9	7	49	72

Christchurch enjoys a temperate relatively dry climate with rain falling on fewer days than New Zealand's other major cities. The climate is comfortable all year round.

We do have light frosts in the winter months (June- August) but these are usually followed by clear sunny days. We can have snow once or twice a year in winter months but it usually only lies on the ground for a few hours.

Christchurch is famous for its Norwest winds which is a fohn type wind that can raise the temparature by 10-15 degrees centigrade within an hour

Public Holidays In Christchurch

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:38:00 --1200

Having arrived in some countries to find that all shops and banks were closed because it was a public holiday we thought it might be useful to provide a rough guide as what was open.

Generally supermarkets and shopping malls are open seven days a week although shopping malls are sometimes only open for limited hours on Sunday. Banks are generally only open Monday to Friday, the exception being banks at airports.

Public Holidays

26 October 2009 Labour Day - All malls supermarkets and restaurants open but not banks

13 November 2009 Canterbury Anniversary Day - All malls supermarkets and restaurants open

25 December 2009 Christmas Day - Everything is closed apart from a few restaurants

26 December 2009 Boxing Day - All malls supermarkets and restaurants open but not banks

1 January 2010 New Years Day - All malls supermarkets and restaurants open but not banks

2 January 2010 Day after New Years Day - All malls supermarkets and restaurants open but not banks

6 February 2010 Waitangi Day - All malls supermarkets and restaurants open but not banks

2 April 2010 Good Friday - Everything is closed apart from restaurants

4 April 2010 Easter Sunday - Everthing is closed apart from restaurants

5 April 2010 Easter Monday - All malls supermarkets and restaurants open but not banks

25 April 2010 Anzac Day - Everything closed in the morning, malls supermarkets restaurants

open in the afternoon

7 June 2010 Queens Birthday - All malls supermarkets and restaurants open but not banks

WHATS ON IN CHRISTCHURCH

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:20:00 --1200

There are a couple of sites that list what is on in Christchurch

www.bethere.co.nz

www.summertimes.co.nz

but here is a list of some of the events that are on

21-31 Jan 2010 Buskers Festival www.worldbuskersfestival.com

5 Feb Classical Sparks (free concert in Hagley Park)

5 Feb Rohan Keating at the Mdhouse Winery Waipara www.adayonthegreen.co.nz

18 Feb Dianna Krall www.ticketek.co.nz

25 Feb Tom Jones www.ticketek.co.nz

1&2 March 2010 Cliff Richard & The Shadows www.ticketek.co.nz

6 & 7 March 2010 Chinese Lantern Festival www.asianz.org.nz

21 March Burt Bacharach www.ticketek.co.nz

19 Feb- 14 March Festival Flowers

6 March Waipara Wine & Food Show

10-14 March 2010 Ellerslie International Flower Show www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz

5-11 April Jazz & Blues Festival www.jazzfestivalnz.com

24 October Andre Rieu www.ticketek.co.nz

Heritage Award

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:30:00 --1200

In July 2007 we won the Supreme Award of our local community board's Heritage Awards.

These Heritage Awards "serve to acknowledge the preservation and restoration of our commnities heriatge in the Shirley/Papanui Community and to encourage individuals and groups to take pride in their local heritage"

We entered the "good caretaker" category which recognised owners who have maintained a property in original or near original condition for a number of years.

There are a large number of beautiful old homes in Christchurch particually in our area so we completely taken by surprise when we were telephoned and told we had won the overall Supreme Award.

In the program for the presentation at the local Marae (Maori meeting place) the judges wrote of our two cottage.

"Cottages built in 1878 and 1910 and now used as boutique accommodation providing a viable and appropriate use for these outstanding examples of workers cottages. Very high standards of restoration conservation and caretaking have been achievedand the gardens beautifully and sympathetically maintained".

Things to do in Christchurch

Thu, 10 May 2007 16:10:00 --1200

We are often asked what there is to do in Christchurch. It depends on what you like to do but here are a few personal suggestions of things we like. In Christchurch Park in the car park beside the botanical gardens then walk through the botanical gardens to the museum, Art Centre ( arts and craft market on Saturday & Sunday) Art Gallery Avon River and Cathedral Square (the information centre is in the Square) Drive out to Sumner (a seaside suburb) for a swim or a coffee and perhaps drive over the hill to Taylor's Mistake (a small sheltered beach). Come back via the summit road in the late afternoon for views over Christchurch to the Alps in the far distance. And for day trips 1.Akaroa one and half hours over the hills of Banks Peninsular. Akaroa is a small picturesque village originally settled by the French. Lots of old cottages with lovely gardens.. Take a boat trip out to heads of the harbour to see seals and the rare hectors dolphins and perhaps swim with the Dolphins. Call in at the Barry's Bay cheese factory on the way home. 2.Arthur's Pass one and half hours drive west of Christchurch. This National Park area is a great place to experience our native bush (forest)and the mountains. The are a number of short walks including the Devils Punchbowl or Bridal Veil Falls. Between November and February the Dobson nature walk is a great place to see many of New Zealand's alpine flowers just a few metres from the road. 3.Hanmer Springs one and half hours drive north of Christchurch Famous for it's thermal pools, Hanmer also has forest walks with lovely autumn colours in April to May and if you have a craving for an adrenalin rush there are jet boats raftingand bungy jumping. The drive to Hanmer takes you through the wineries of the Waipara and lunch and a little tasting at Pegasus Bay or Waipara Springs winery is a very enjoyable experience Finally we have had guests who have had great plans to travel far and wide and then just spent the day in our garden. In May the nerines are flowering