Christchurch updates -visitor centre, mall, and free wifi

And of course the container mall is open in Cashel Mall .. with FREE WI_FI read more here

I have just been sent this information from the city of my birth!
"After eight months in temporary premises Christchurch’s i-SITE Visitor Centre now has a specially-designed portable home beside Canterbury Museum on Rolleston Avenue.

“It’s an ideal spot for the visitor centre because it is in an area that will naturally attract most of our visitors to the city,” says Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism chief executive Tim Hunter. “We’re thrilled to have secured such a central location for the centre and are looking forward to welcoming many visitors and locals through its doors over the summer months.”

Prior to the February quake the i-SITE Visitor Centre was based in the Old Post Office building in Cathedral Square. For the past few months it has been operating out of temporary premises at the Chateau on the Park.

Manager, Sandra Caldwell says the new i-SITE Visitor Centre is a one-stop shop for visitors and locals looking for travel advice. It also offers ticketing for many key Christchurch events and booking services for tourism activities, accommodation and transport for Canterbury region and the whole of New Zealand.


“And the location of the centre is superb; it’s an easy walk to attractions such as Punting on the Avon, the Canterbury Museum, Caterpillar Tours at the Botanic Gardens and the North Hagley Park Events Village which is going to be home to some great events over the summer, including the World Buskers Festival in January.

“There are cafes and restaurants close-by and the Re-Start retail complex, with its attractive and vibrant mix of 26 shops and Ballantynes, is a short walk down Cashel St,” Ms Caldwell says.

She says i-SITE staff are delighted to have a more permanent home in time for the busy summer season.
“We’re expecting lots of visitors, including cruise passengers to come through this centre. Our new facilities in the Botanic Gardens will allow us to provide a high level of service to those who want information about the experiences and activities they can enjoy around Canterbury and the South Island.”

destination london?

Going to London? It's now possible to enjoy the city even more. The tourist board published an excellent free booklet (Go Further in London) that tells us exactly how to how to make our budget go further. The booklet is available in many places and information is also on the website www.visitlondon.com.

London's made up of many villages each with their own character and style. It's one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world and I've been taste-testing the food of different ethnic groups. Try Lebanese delights in Edgware Road, Chinese food right next to Soho and Indian food in Brick Road, and Brixton for some Caribbean or African flavours - whatever your tastes, it’s available.

You know the big tourist destinations (see side bar) but what about places and events that are less well known: many free. For me it’s the green spaces that make London wonderful: large swathes of uncut grasses are left to flower and seed - attracting butterflies, insects, birds and other wildlife - these contrast with the manicured parts and the 'keep off the lawn' signs. Wandering around these parks is a real treat - it's hard to believe one is in one of the world's largest cities. Take a picnic lunch and spend time in Greenwich Park that has the meridian time-line, observatory and Maritime Museum, and superb views over much of London and the Thames.

Experience nature in the city at Barnes in West London - home to the Wetlands Centre - both resident and migratory birds are easily seen.  Check the website or phone for special activities.

Within the city there self guided walks - with free maps –around well-known icons of London and other fascinating places along the way. London is a good walking city and the tube also gets you around easily.

Markets are another superb way of seeing Londoners at work and play.  With more than three hundred to chose from there is something for all tastes - Greenwich for arts and crafts, Petticoat Lane for a variety of goodies, Spitalfields for flower lovers and Covent Garden for British made articles. Brixton even has a guided walking tour around the area and markets  Camden's my favourite for its alternative-lifestyle atmosphere and Borough is the place for fabulous food. Open on Fridays and Saturdays you can buy anything from organic food through to black bean chilli, oils and olives, ostrich burgers, cheeses and chocolates - a veritable cornucopia.

Explore Hampstead and its cemetery (Archway Station Northern Line) - one of London's most celebrated literary and intelligentsia suburbs. This area has more 'blue plaques' celebrating its residents than any other London borough: these range from John Keats, Boy George, AA Milne, and Agatha Christie through to Richard Burton, George Orwell, Freud, Twiggy and many others.

The Highgate cemetery (guided tours daily) is divided into two; the West Side is sentimental Victorian - when people didn't die but were merely sleeping. The East part is still being used: buried within its walls are Karl Marx, George Elliot, Christine Rossetti and Michael Faraday, to name a few. The headstones make interesting reading and are wonderful for atmospheric or spooky, black and white photography.

And finally, on my small list of hidden London gems, is the fabulous St Pancras Chambers. This Victorian, Gothic style building was originally a hotel, which closed in 1935 when it became railway offices. It is being restored to its former glory and will soon become a luxury hotel (Marriott) and apartment block.

The prestigious Art and Design Show is held twice yearly and the unrestored backdrop of its interior is a great foil to the pieces on display. Michael Czerwinski, artist in residence, is responsible for developing the systems that have made the visual art exhibitions, opera and other performances possible. Guided tours take place on most weekends.

So once you have seen some shows, once you have done the museums (mostly free) and art galleries, and once you have completed the top ten sights, buy a travel card and explore the many unheralded jewels in this ancient city.

London's top ten attractions  (by ticket sales)

1 London Eye

2 Dali Universe

3 London Dungeon

4 Tower of London

5 The Original London Tour (Open top double decker bus)

6 Madame Tussaurds

7 Hampton Court Palace

8 Westminster Abbey tour

9 Banqueting House

10 Kensington Palace

 (Source: www. visitlondon.com)

·        30% of London is green open space

·        London has 1,800 parks and open spaces

·        Richmond Park has 2,000 acres of landscape

·        Greenwich Park was created in 1433 and is the oldest royal park

·        Hyde Park has been a royal park since 1536

·        Hyde parks riding track - Rotten Row - was the first public road to be lit at night in England

·        Hyde Park has 4 miles of horse rides

·        Kew gardens has 40,000 varieties of plants and grows more species than any other garden in the world

·        Kew's Victorian Palm House is 2248 square metres and houses banana, coffee and paw-paw plants

 

Other gems

BBC TV centre www.bbc.co.uk/tours

Brahma Tea & Coffee museum

Ride a canal boat from Camden

Chelsea

Physic gardens

Bank of England museum

Theatre Museum