I was shocked to see, some years on, just how much evidence remains of the major earthquake in 2011 which killed 185 people; the original cathedral is still a ruin surrounded by safety fencing and the shopping centre still consists largely of shipping containers pending the erection of a new centre – building was still in progress as of 2016. But get over the feeling of being on a huge building site and Christchurch has a great deal to offer from its lovely market, lovely green park area and the absolutely unmissable Antarctic Centre with its blue penguins (all have a disability of some sort and have been rescued from certain death had they remained in the wild) it’s husky zone, thrilling hagglund ride and fabulous 4D theatre where you can experience a simulated Antarctica cruise Sample a real Antarctic storm in their polar room and see an igloo. This was worth every last cent of the admission fee.
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