Stories

Cityscape reviews a few of Ōtautahi’s most unique and personality-heavy communities: Sumner, Woolston, Victoria Street and New Brighton. Sumner After a drive around the reopened and frankly stunning Sumner-Lyttelton Corridor we arrive in the sunny seaside suburb, where the hardcore winter surf bums rub up against the café culture of the flash hillside suburbs. Cyclists in coloured spandex whizz along Main Road from the city; skateboards, scooters and feet grace the broad beachside boulevard; and paddleboards and kayaks launch from the clock tower to explore the coast or catch waves with the surfers. The skate park on the corner of Nayland Street is a great gathering hub for the young, and just a skip away from some killer eateries. The north end of the beach is the spot for dog walkers from all over the city. Open to canines year-round, the sandy expanse next to Shag Pile is always populated with...

Charitable organisation and caped crusader Orana Park is swooping in to save the world… the rhinos of the world, that is. The open-range zoo is beginning construction on a new White Rhino Conservation Centre that will be able to hold 20 rhinos at a time. Construction on the new $1.4M facility begins Wednesday July 14 and will aim to increase genetic diversity of the existing population and help protect the species. Chief Executive Lynn Anderson explains that without swift action, rhinos could very well be extinct in our lifetime. “In Africa, one rhino is illegally killed on average every six hours for its horn. Rhino poaching is out of control and there are more rhinos killed than there are born. Unless we act now, rhinos may tragically be extinct within 10 years.” As New Zealand’s only open range zoo, Orana Park has partnered with two Australian open range zoos and The...

It’s here, it’s official – what many would argue to be the best part of winter – ski season! We Cantabrians are lucky enough to have the widest variety of ski fields in the country right on our doorstep. Our nine brilliant local fields are all within a couple hours’ drive from Christchurch (plus another four a little further afield in the Mackenzie district), and skiers and snowboarders are spoiled for choice, from gentle beginners’ slopes to off-piste thrills. Maybe you’re a first-timer needing to know which field is best for you, or a casual skier who’s never ventured beyond the bigger commercial fields, or maybe you’re an expert wanting to hit all the thrill-seeking action you can get your planks on. Before planning your next snowsports adventure, get the lowdown on what the excellent ski fields near Christchurch have to offer. Mid Canterbury Mt Hutt is the big boy, the...

Fashion. It’s a massive topic and there’s so much to know. Luckily Cityscape has the lowdown on where to learn more – whether you’re interested in fashion sustainability, want a look behind the scenes of famous fashion houses, insights into the latest trends, or just want to talk about the outrageous outfits worn by celebrities, these top 10 fashion podcast picks have got something for you. In Vogue: The 1990s It’s official: the fashion of the ‘90s is back, and while kids these days are rocking baby tees and bucket hats, this special edition podcast from the fashion gurus at Vogue takes us back to the origins of grunge, colourful tracksuits, and how hip-hop, supermodels and the red carpet suddenly began to influence fashion trends. Dior Talks A fascinating look behind the curtain at a legendary brand, and the women who have influenced it. This series of mini-collections delves into the...

Looking for some budget-friendly things to do with the kids? We’ve got some great ideas for free family activities around Christchurch – plus a few worth spending a bit on as well. Go to a museum Canterbury Museum has a whole bunch of activities that the kids will absolutely love, all free, and all inside where it’s warm and dry – bonus! Head to Discovery for a range of weird and wonderful things to explore, from digging for fossils to checking out live tarantulas! Or check out the special school holidays event, The Galileo Code, where kids can dress up as their favourite historical figure and search the gallery for clues to crack Galileo’s code. If you’re out Wigram ways, the Air Force Museum of New Zealand is definitely worth a visit – the kids will love getting to sit in the cockpit of real fighter jets and playing at being...

Finished Bridgerton and The Queen’s Gambit and looking for your next bingeable series? Look no further – we’ve rounded up our picks of the top ten shows to stream right now. The Serpent A nail-biting thriller made even more disturbing by the fact that it is all based on true events, the twisting and twisted story of 1970s serial killer Charles Sobhraj is hard to look away from. The conman posed as a gem dealer and travelled across Thailand, Nepal, and India, drugging and killing travellers on the ‘Hippie Trail’, while a junior diplomat at the Dutch Embassy in Bangkok doggedly tries to pick up his trail. The Flight Attendant First-class flight attendant and party girl Cassie finds herself facing the worst-case outcome of her alcoholism and reckless behaviour when she wakes up next to one of her passengers – whose throat has been cut – with no memory of what...

I think we need to address the fact that New Zelaand Opera's 2021 production of The Marriage of Figaro is dripping with sexuality, near-nudity, rubbing and crotch-sitting. I don't know if this is how Mozart and Da Ponte intended it to be, but I hope so and I am here for it. One of the first things we see after the curtain raises is Figaro facing away form the audience, his shapely butt outlined in tight pants, as he measures up a room for his wedding bed. The guy isn't even married yet, but he's definitely got plans for the after-after party. It's not long before we meet the opera's best character, Cherubino. We're going to talk about Cherubino, because the wee angel is outstanding – thanks to Bianca Andrew's bubbly performance and thanks to the quirks of the character. Cherubino is a 'breeches' role, which means the character is a...

Vegan lovers of Indian food, rejoice – butter chicken is now available sans butter and sans chicken at Coriander's. Yes, it's true, the crowd-pleasing pinnacle of Indian food has been given a plant-based makeover. Local Indian restaurant legends Coriander's decided that it was high time this popular dish was enjoyed by all, and Head Chef Pankaj Kumar rose to the challenge, developing the recipe himself with traditional Indian cooking techniques and ingredients. Coriander's innovative Vegan Butter Chicken is made with chunky soy pieces that taste amazing and add great texture to the curry, and it’s given extra flavour punch with fresh capsicum juice, soy milk, cashew gravy and tomato. Like all Coriander’s curries, the Vegan Butter Chicken is made with fresh herbs, spices and produce. It's authentic, rich, creamy and delicious, a truly satisfying dish for omnivores, vegetarians and vegans alike. The Vegan Butter Chicken is the latest addition to Coriander's...

Who has done this? A man is dead, and the perp is one of his eclectic mix of extended family. Was it the simpleton and easily-influenced son? The over-ambitious brother? The snooty matriarch? The hired 'entertainer'? Or perhaps the in-laws with 'interesting' foreign connections? Cityscape heads to the preview night of The Last Martini to find out. As we walk out of the cold night into the warm light of Riccarton House, we are greeted by live piano music and the gentle hubbub of guests mingling, wandering from room to room, and fetching themselves drinks from the special martini menu. Some have chosen to dress in 1920s theme, and it's hard to immediately pick the members of the Martini family from the show's audience – we all freely mingle and grab delightful canapés from trays as they are whisked around the residence by the in-character hospitality team. Soon, the butler Winston...

Lights are in the sky (and on the ground and everywhere in between) for Christchurch’s 2021 Matariki celebration. The central city and New Brighton are being illuminated with a series of innovative lighting installations, projections and perfomances. Tīrama Mai, meaning to illuminate or bring light, celebrates Matariki, the people of Aotearoa and our unique local landscape. The lighting trails, created by creative minds and lighting artists of Canterbury, will be in place from Friday 25 June until Saturday 10 July, between 6pm and 11pm every night. Wrap up warm and explore around The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora, Worcester Boulevard, Ōtākaro Avon River, Riverside Market, New Regent Street, Victoria Square and New Brighton Pier to discover all the mesmerising displays. The celebration will also include live entertainment over the three weekends, including kapa haka, aerials and fire, which you can catch at the Bridge of Remembrance, in Victoria Square and at the Arts...

The upcoming New Zealand Opera production of The Marriage of Figaro is a radical tale with strong feminist underpinnings, and it’s headed up by a team of some of opera’s finest women. Cityscape talks life, love and revolution with the creative team. Director Lindy Hume Have you directed The Marriage of Figaro before? I have not. And so it’s nice to be doing it for the first time, at this advanced age! Can you tell us a little bit about the opera without giving too much away? The whole thing is set in one single day of madness. It’s an intertwining plot of love, scheming and deception. Figaro is to marry a Countess’s maid, Susanna, who the Count is planning to bed, as he believes it’s his right. The young couple set about exposing the older man’s lechery, and he in turn sets about revenge. Is it a love story or...

Woohoo! Lorde is coming back to Christchurch in February 2022, this time as one of the headline acts at Electric Avenue Music Festival. The global superstar is one of the first artists announced to perform at Electric Avenue. She'll be joined but the likes of classic Kiwi jammers Supergroove as well as Drax Project, Lee Mvtthews, Harper Finn and Summer Thieves. The rest of the festival acts will be announced in September. Lorde's performance at Electric Avenue will be her first ever appearance at a New Zealand music festival, and comes off the back of her recent hit single 'Solar Power', which will feature on a full album released later this year. "We're stoked to have an artist of Lorde's calibre on next year's lineup," says Festival director Callam Mitchell. "Lorde truly is an international superstar and a household name around the world, so to have her performing at Electric Avenue for...

SATIRE. Cityscape sticks its tongue in its cheek with a take on some of the personalities who live between the four avenues. 1 The Yo-Pro She’s smart, she’s slick, she’s just landed her first six-figure job and she’s burnt her first month’s wage on an iPhone 12 and the deposit on a two-bedroom rental. Life is pretty good when the gym and the local cinema – easily her two favourite places to pass a weekday evening – are both just around the corner. She’s just scootered home from work via Riverside Market for some fresh weekend groceries, her fridge is stocked with Sauv and she’s about to text the girls to meet up for a pre-weekender at a pretty sweet new bar in High Street. Those fools may have to Uber into town and back, but she’s all set with a good pair of flats for a five-minute walk to funky...

Like a mighty phoenix rising into the sky, Royal New Zealand Ballet’s next production will erupt in glory on stage this August. Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) is bringing not one, but two glorious ballets to the stage at Isaac Theatre Royal. The Firebird With Paquita is a pairing of classic Russian ballet Paquita with a reimagining of The Firebird that brings the issues du jour of 2021 into the world of ballet. Loughlan Prior, RNZB’s choreographer in residence, has reimagined The Firebird for a new time and a new generation. It’s hot, it’s topical, and it’s absolutely beautiful. The ballet was first staged in Paris in 1910 and now, more than a century later, Loughlan’s adaptation places the magical world of The Firebird in a state of environmental crisis, where the natural world is threatened and humanity is staring into the abyss of extinction. The Firebird’s boon is an opportunity...

Ahead of his upcoming July 2021 tour, soul crooner Louis Baker took a moment to chat with Cityscape about BBQ, crowd singalongs, and favourite venues. Congrats on the upcoming release of your new EP, Love Levitates. Can you tell us a bit about the record? I wrote most of the record during Covid and then as soon as we came out of lockdown I started on the production with producer Devin Abrams. It’s a modern soul record and evolved out of my musings on love; be it whānau, friendship, observation, philosophy, and beyond. What would you say is different about this compared to your last album? Open was a collection of songs I’d written over a period of years that reflected my experiences of growing up and figuring myself out as a young man. I worked with a bunch of different people on that album. With this record I wanted to work...

Cityscape gets the low-down from the big names behind the central city’s residential developments. Can you tell us about Park Terrace? We have proposed to build a new central city retirement village complex on two sites we own on Park Terrace. We’re planning to build a Warren and Mahoney-designed village which will include apartments and rest home, hospital and dementia care. It will be home to more than 300 residents, and will include an indoor swimming pool, café, movie theatre as well as beautiful grounds for the residents to enjoy, right on Hagley Park. We’ve also undertaken to preserve the historic chapel on the site. The project will be worth more than $240 million and will create sustainable long term jobs as well as homes. Where are the two sites? The largest of the sites was previously the Bishopspark Retirement Village complex, which was a popular retirement village and care facility...

Cityscape gets the low-down from the big names behind the central city’s residential developments. Can you tell us about The Spire apartments? They’re made up of 29 apartments across four levels and sit on top of four floors of hotel rooms. Are you optimistic about the central city real estate market? Yes, I am very optimistic about central city real estate. I'm meeting a lot of people who are wanting to give up the home in the suburbs and move into the city. Read more of Cityscape's central city living coverage here What’s your five-second sales pitch for a central Christchurch apartment? Cut the commute and live above the city in luxury. What kinds of people are you seeing move into these new homes? The Spire is mostly 50-plus couples from the suburbs wanting to spend less time maintaining their houses and more time entertaining in the city. What is the...

Cityscape gets the low-down from the big names behind the central city’s residential developments. Can you tell us about your residential developments in the central city? Fletcher Living has a number of developments either completed, underway or planned, all of which are components of our overarching project known as One Central. This incorporates some 14 individual land parcels within seven city blocks running between Lichfield Street in the south and Kilmore Street to the north, and framed by Manchester and Madras streets. Overall, we expect to provide housing options for upwards of 2000 residents across potentially 900 dwellings. What are the nearby attractions that make One Central a cool place to be? With Rauora Park serving as the spine of the development, we love the open space and the park’s new art installations including the 16-metre high VAKA ‘A HINA and the sections of the Berlin Wall. Along with our temporary...