Christchurch sits on the flat Canterbury Plains, drained by the Avon River through Hagley Park, with the Southern Alps two hours west. It was founded in 1850 when the Canterbury Association's 'First Four Ships' landed settlers at Lyttelton Harbour, becoming New Zealand's first chartered city in 1856, named for Christ Church, Oxford. The magnitude-6.3 earthquake of 22 February 2011 killed 185 people and produced some of the strongest ground shaking ever recorded in a city; the still-rebuilding centre includes the temporary Cardboard Cathedral that replaced the wrecked Christ Church Cathedral. It is now the South Island's largest city and the gateway to Queenstown and Aoraki/Mt Cook.
Nights sit around 4°C and afternoons around 15°C, though some nights drop below freezing.
The year in Christchurch moves gently: summer afternoons sit around 22°C, winter ones around 12°C.
Some summer days reach 29°C, and some winter nights drop below freezing.
Rain is spread through the year — about 617 mm in total, from 68 mm in June down to 40 mm in February — so no single month is a washout.
Wind is rarely an issue; most months sit between calm and a light breeze. The air stays clean through the year.
Days stretch to about 15.2 hours of light in December and shrink to 8.8 in June — something to weigh if you work to a fixed timezone.
No month in Christchurch matches what you're after, so come for the place rather than the weather. Expect fast internet (278 Mbps) and a high cost of living (about €1950 a month).
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