Underrated Things Christchurch is Good at

This is a list of 8 things Christchurch is awesome at, that I think are underrated in the typical “what’s the best city in New Zealand” arguments.

1. Christchurch has by far the longest tomato growing season

everyone always yammering on about auckland vs wellington when in fact Christchurch is NZ’s best city… better weather by miles, my tomatoes are going strong in may. also cheap & has a weird vibe. 10/10 pic.twitter.com/FoBHy84xNU

— Tess McClure (@tessairini) May 5, 2021

2. It has a superior system of curbside rubbish collection

I definitely do not miss Christchurch but they really did have a superior system of curbside rubbish collection which Wellington could never replicate because this place is straight up too inhospitable for wheelie bins.

— Alex (@BanksyBeeBoo) April 1, 2021

3. The best whisky shop in (possibly) the Southern Hemisphere

Whisky and More have a lot of grey market drams at good prices. But Whisky Galore in Christchurch is the *real* whisky shop. Might just be the best in the southern hemisphere. https://t.co/kSY8TygVET

— Russell Brown (@publicaddress) May 3, 2021

4. Most bike friendly city

5. Best Library. Tūranga has won every award going since it opened in 2018. Wellington used to be a contender until their’s got shut down. Nice review by Barnaby Bennet here.

6. Flattest city. Some people love this, others hate it.

Daaamn, Christchurch you flat! pic.twitter.com/xt72VVmqGu

— H.A.D.Y.N. (@hadyngreen) April 1, 2021

7. It never rains here. The graph below shows data from NIWA for a bunch of areas in New Zealand. Cities over 100,000 people are highlighted red, showing Christchurch has by far the fewest.

8. Good club football scene. I can vouch for this one. Parklands for Life.

We may have an inefficient urban form, poorly integrated transport system, empty central city, and uninspiring fashion sense (black puffer jacket anyone?), but we are definitely winning in some areas.

Any others you’ve noticed?