The rural-urban area of Belfast has experienced major growth in recent years, with new builds and subdivisions presenting an appealing lifestyle to many. If you like a bit of room to move, or maybe even to keep a couple of pigs in your back yard, Belfast might be the place for you. Surrounded by farmland, it walks the line between country living and city amenities, with small village centres and local businesses finding their place next to bigger retail centres and major supermarkets. Its north end bumps up against the mighty Waikmakariri River, with all the opportunities for play and leisure it affords.

Forget making the drive all the way out to destination green spaces like The Groynes and Styx Mill Conservation Reserve, or to see the animals at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve – if you’re in Belfast, these spots are right next door. This is also home to the Belfast Rugby Club, and it’s no coincidence that several former All Blacks, an All Black coach, and a Crusader once hailed from Belfast.

The big drawcard of this area is the awesome adventure asset of Bottle Lake Forest. It takes up most of the space in this suburb, and we’re not mad about it. The few houses that sit on the edge benefit from being neighbours with this extensive pine plantation, which is tailor-made for exploring on foot, by bike or on horseback. The Bottle Lake Forest Track is a grade 2 for mountain bikers, perfect for beginners and families. Walking tracks range from gentle meanders to longer explorations, and be sure to stop in at the Fairy Village while you’re here – hundreds of fairy homes built by families from all over the city sprung up after the Covid-19 lockdown, and more continue to appear. You can even add your own! The beach is just over the dunes if it’s swimming weather, and Spencer Park is also nearby, with its epic playground and all the adventure of Adrenalin Forest.

The northernmost suburb of Christchurch, Brooklands is a peaceful community full of determined people. After the earthquakes, much of the area was red-zoned, but a handful of residents declined the government’s buyout offer and have managed to maintain their much-loved homes. Now, the area has a distinct feeling of tranquillity – birdsong is abundant, and there are beautiful nature walks nearby, like the Brooklands Lagoon Track that leads to the mouth of the Waimakariri River and joins up with Te Rauakaaka Trail. It’s close to the legendary Spencer Park and Adrenalin Forest in the south, and just over the river from Kaiapoi in the north.

There are lots of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors in Burwood. It’s almost more green space, parks and reserves than it is streets and houses, which works out quite nicely for those that live here.

Next to Burwood Hospital at the north end is the largest freshwater wetland in Christchurch, Travis Wetland Nature Heritage Park. You can’t bring dogs here, but you can enjoy a soul-feeding wander along the wheelchair-accessible walkways and see how many rare native birds you can spot. The best opportunities for this are at the Bird Hide and Stout Tower viewing areas.

At the other end, Horseshoe Lake Reserve is distinctly dog-friendly, and an ideal space to let your four-legged friend roam free while you marvel at the feeling of a walk in the remote countryside without having left the city. The suburb’s south end follows the river around towards Anzac Drive Reserve, where you’ll find the Brooker Ave Disc Golf Course, and is close by to the relocated Shirley Boys’ and Avonside Girls’ High School and Taiora: QEII Recreation and Sport Centre. Other amenities nearby include The Palms Shopping Centre and Christchurch Golf Course.

Casebrook sits between Bishopdale and Northwood, with the extensive Styx Mill Conservation Reserve forming part of its north end. The Styx River – yes, we have our very own River Styx here in Christchurch, no Underworld jokes, please – flows lazily through the reserve, and there’s a central lake with a beautiful walk around its edge. The fenced dog park is ideal for making friends, both the canine and human variety. There are a few other smaller reserves in Casebrook, and Tulett Park has your sports needs covered, with a football field, cricket pitch and tennis court. For families and animal-lovers, Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is right next to Styx Mill in neighbouring Northwood.

This riverside suburb is surrounded by abundant green space, thanks in large part to the residential red zone here and in neighbouring Burwood. It’s an ideal spot for a romp through the long grass with dogs or kids, and a bit of foraging from the mature fruit trees if you’re feeling lucky.

Retail is well catered for at The Palms shopping mall, where there’s also a cinema and casual restaurants well suited to a family night out. If you prefer entertainment of the outdoor variety, talk a walk along the Ōtākaro Avon River to Kerrs Reach to catch some rowing action: no less than four rowing and canoe clubs have their bases here.

This is an easy-living suburb – close to the central city and Bealey Ave, acting as the fast track to Hagley Park and Merivale. Its housing stock is varied, new townhouses rubbing shoulders with character villas, and main arterial streets criss-crossing with quiet, leafy avenues.

Edgeware Village has gained a bit of a reputation for flavour, and savvy visitors to this little locale will be treated to the kind of hidden gems that have a towering reputation with their regulars. The restaurants here do a particularly good line in the most authentic Asian cuisine around, including Japanese and Thai. You’re also close to some Christchurch staples like a preloved clothing warehouse, a fresh fruit and veggie store with its own café, and possibly the best butcher in town.

This northern suburb borders Edgeware and St Albans, close to the shopping centres in Papanui and Shirley. Several main arterial roads run through it, including Hills Road, Innes Road and Cranford Street, which leads onto the new Christchurch Northern Corridor. Despite the increase in traffic, care has been taken to boost biodiversity in the area, in particular a new wetland planted around Buller Stream. There are four sports parks with playgrounds, rugby and soccer fields and basketball courts, and Christchurch Park is the home of Christchurch Football Club, the second oldest rugby club in the world. 

Locals know the best place to come for fresh fruit and veggies, and it’s right here. Backing onto farmland and orchards, this is the perfect place for absolute quality produce for cheap, with several such stores clustered along Marshland Road. At the northern end of the suburb is the Prestons subdivision, with beautiful walks, golf courses and beaches on its doorstep. Bottle Lake Forest Park is also only a few minutes away.

An intersectional convergence of the city centre, Fendalton and the northern suburbs, Merivale brings together the fine with the crowd-pleasing. Cruising down Papanui Road, the most obvious sight might be the golden arches, but the charming cafés, shopping boutiques and beauty salons are where it’s really at.

Here we find some of the city’s most fabulous denizens quietly going about the business of maintaining the latest styles, encompassing fashion, hair and beauty. A little bit of luxury and a lot of sophistication is Merivale’s wheelhouse, and it’s a well-known destination if you’re looking to treat yourself. Some of the city’s finest beauty salons and spas can be found here, calling you in for the kind of pampering and full-service treatments that will have you fitting right in with the stylish businesspeople that walk these streets.

This is one of Christchurch’s most upmarket and in-demand neighbourhoods, and its assets leave no doubt as to why. Home to some of Christchurch’s best schools, mid-afternoon Merivale comes alive with parents and school students, which makes it a great place to be if you like a buzzing atmosphere, but if you’re the type to avoid the crowds you’ll want to duck into a swishy café or gastro pub to indulge in some world-class food with a side order of people watching.

When it comes to food and drink, you’re truly spoiled for choice here. Some of Christchurch’s most iconic and well-loved eateries are settled into Merivale’s bustle, and on any given day you’ll find well-dressed professionals enjoying some post-work socialisation over a drink, platter or perfectly cooked steak.

Merivale’s retail scene is nothing short of an overachiever. Chic fashion boutiques for women and men line the streets, and at the heart of it all is the shopping destination of Merivale Mall. A far cry from a chainstore supermall, this is a smaller, well-thought-out arrangement home to high-end and boutique clothing, accessories, beauty therapy, and delicious fresh foods and sweet treats.

Sitting just north of Papanui, Northcote enjoys all the advantages of this bustling corner of Christchurch, from retail to hospitality and beyond. Northlands Shopping Centre is the big shopping drawcard, home to all your fashion, homewares and leisure needs. There are several notable eateries in the mall itself, and plenty more dotted around it, ideal for a dinner-and-movie date.

There are a few generously sized parks and reserves to fill your cup with fresh air and greenery too, including the Papanui Domain, complete with playground and sports clubs. Over by Northcote Road, Craighead Reserve has a children’s BMX Park, and Paddington Reserve has a multi-play structure and a basketball half court.

This suburb on Christchurch’s northern edge is a bit of a recreation hub, especially for the wholesome family variety. The Groynes, one of the city’s most extensive and epic parks is here, packed with activity potential. Playgrounds here bring the goods, with features like flying foxes, bridges, play structures and rope swings to keep kids of all ages entertained. Hire a water-faring craft on the weekend and head out on the lake – you can choose from pedal boats, aqua trikes, and double or single canoes. You can also go fishing here if you have a license, and there are two permanent orienteering courses to explore. Clearwater Golf Club sits next to The Groynes, a championship course that has hosted several international tournaments.

On Northwood’s southern side, Styx Mill Conservation Reserve has a river running through, a bookable picnic space and several gentle walks: a beautiful spot for a family day out or to spend some peaceful time in nature. Your retail needs are covered at Northwood Supa Centa, and just a hop, skip and jump away from Styx Mill is Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, an enduringly popular wildlife park home to native birds and reptiles, cuddly farm animals, and exotics like capuchin monkeys, capybara, lemurs and leopard tortoises.

Wide streets, retail hubs, mature trees and the busy hum of life moving through at pace. That’s the vibe of Papanui, sitting northwest of the central city between St Albans and Bishopdale. There are two major high schools here as well as five primary schools, so the suburb is bustling with families and kids, taking advantage of the lush parks and shopping destinations in the area.

With the major arterial route of Main North Road running through and the schools and attractions drawing people in from around the city, Papanui can be a high-traffic area. It’s worth taking to the streets on foot, so you can thoroughly investigate all the tempting dining options. Papanui Road is home to several top quality restaurants and a plethora of flavourful and diverse takeaway joints, particularly strong in the international cuisine stakes.

This is a retail hub too, with Northlands Shopping Centre as the anchor point, and several other big Kiwi stores like Kmart and Briscoes in the surrounding area. St James Park sits in the centre of the suburb, a beautiful spot for a picnic or to walk the dog through the gardens and along tree-lined walkways. Pay special attention in late autumn and early winter – the large trees around the playground area are a favourite resting spot for monarch butterflies, and it’s rather magical to look up and see hundreds of them fluttering among the branches.

This relatively new suburb is centred around the Prestons Park residential development, which on its completion will be home to 1150 sections. The development is already a thriving community, offering residents the perfect balance between nearby amenities and quiet tranquillity. Prestons is only 15 minutes’ drive from the central city, yet with the beach, Styx River and Bottle Lake Forest all nearby, it feels like an oasis all its own. If golfing is your thing, you’ve got two courses to choose from right on your door step, and the suburb is well serviced for retail too, with small shopping centres at Prestons Park and at the corner of Marshland Road – and don’t forget all the fresh veggie outlets along the semi-rural Marshland Road.

You may not expect to find an actual redwood in Redwood, but there is one – a majestic Sequoia redwood standing proud on Prestons Road. It was this very tree, in fact, that gave this northern suburb its name. Pre-1960s, it was called Styx, for its proximity to the Styx River, and the Styx Mill Conservation Reserve.

Between this green space mecca and several other decent-sized parks, Redwood is well served for enjoying the outdoors. You’ve got retail needs covered in neighbouring Papanui with Northlands Mall, and there also happens to be an institution of a second-hand shop on Cranford Street for those with an eye for a bargain. Redwood even has its own community radio station, Radio Redwood, which you can tune in to on 107.5FM.

Sitting between Shirley and the central city, Richmond is an area well suited to getting around on foot. Lots of things are within easy walking distance, including The Palms Shopping Centre, the green space (and foraging!) in the Avonside red zone, tranquil riverside walks, and the central city itself. Avebury House, on the edge of the residential red zone, is a beautiful and historic Victorian home with English-style gardens. It’s a hub for community events such as vintage markets, quilting, yoga, Pilates, and tending the community garden.

Housing is simple, some state housing and some picturesque villas and cottages, and you’ll find a lot of bustle along Stanmore Road, the main road of the suburb. There’s an eclectic array of shops, cafés and food stores here, a major supermarket, and the architecturally impressive Richmond Club opposite Richmond Playground. Stanmore Road is also home to a legendary fish ‘n’ chip shop: the crumbed cod here are the size of your forearm.

Between Burwood and Mairehau on the north side of Christchurch, Shirley is a mostly residential area about ten minutes from the central city. Housing is mostly one-storey bungalows, built between 1950 and 1980, and the area is well-serviced for retail, with The Palms Shopping Centre and Home Base on Marshland Road two of the major hubs. The Palms is one of Christchurch’s largest malls, and has a couple of restaurants and bars as well as a cinema to cater to the after-dark crowd.

Shirley was a veritable nerve centre for schools pre-quakes, and although the secondary schools were forced to relocate, there are still two primary schools and an intermediate in the area. MacFarlane Park has a playground and basketball court, and the Christchurch Golf Club, as well as nearby Horseshoe Lake Reserve and the Burwood Red Zone provide all the green space your heart desires.

Scenic surrounds, a semi-rural community feel and a couple of major outdoor assets are the kind of benefits you’d be basking in as a resident of Spencerville. Settled on the east coast on the northern outskirts of Christchurch, Spencerville is also a popular camping spot for Christchurchians wanting to get out of the city, but not too far out. The campground is set in the middle of a large forest reserve, and with the beach, river, lagoon and Bottle Lake Forest all mere minutes away, there’s no shortage of activities to keep locals and visitors happy.

Bottle Lake Forest is a smorgasbord of walking and biking tracks, and for those with a taste for adventure, Adrenalin Forest is an awesome multi-level obstacle course high in the treetops, guaranteed to get the blood pumping. There’s a great adventure playground at Spencer Park too, popular with kids and kids-at-heart since ages ago.

St Albans is a suburb of many faces. Not only in the sense that it’s Christchurch’s second-largest suburb for population, but also its eclectic mix of housing, its position between central city and outer suburbs, and its bustling city feel combined with strong community spirit.

There are many villas and character homes populating the streets of St Albans – most missing their original brick chimneys after the earthquakes – that give parts of this suburb a dignified sort of feel. Its proximity to the central city makes this prime real estate, and sites cleared after earthquake-related demolitions were quickly filled by new builds, bringing modern townhouses and units in to nudge up against the older homes.

St Albans is bordered by Merivale on the west and Edgeware on the east, so you can enjoy the bustle, shopping and eateries on one side and retreat back to quiet suburbia on the other. This is a suburb known for its community togetherness: people living here tend to be protective of their suburb and often come together to make their voices heard. The local monthly paper – St Albans News – has been running since 1993.

There are three main parks in the area: Abberley Park, St Albans Park and Malvern Park, all with excellent playgrounds. Alongside Malvern Park is Rugby Park, the home of the Canterbury Crusaders, and English Park near St Albans School is the stadium of Canterbury United Football Club.

Wedged in between Merivale and Papanui, you might expect Strowan to be as busy and fast-paced as its neighbours, but it somehow feels quieter and more serene, with its wide streets and grand old homes. Like its neighbours, this area is fairly well-to-do, so you can expect beautifully renovated villas and new builds with plenty of space around them – no high-density living here. It is in-zone for several top secondary schools, including Christchurch Boys’ and Christchurch Girls’ High, and St Andrew’s College is located right in Strowan’s heart.

You’re right on the edge of Merivale with all its shops, cafés and eateries, and Northlands Mall is just a little way up the road for shopping. Elmwood Park is also close by, popular for cricket and home to Elmwood Tennis Club and Elmwood Park Bowling Club.