Attractions

The Avon River (officially Avon River / Ōtakaro ) is a stream fed river that starts its journey through the city close to Christchurch Airport. The Avon weaves its way through the Botanical Gardens and then meanders through Christchurch City and eventually flows into the Pacific Ocean, after passing through the Avon Heathcote Estuary to the east of Christchurch.  

One of the popular pass times for local families is hiring a canoe from Antigua Boat sheds and splashing and paddling your way around a portion of the Avon River close to the Botanical Gardens. 

As the Avon makes its way through the eastern suburbs of Christchurch it increases in size and flow. A great cycle/walking trail has been developed providing an easy way of following the flow of the Avon east. 

. 

The Colombo is a unique shopping and entertainment experience positioned in the cities leading former industrial area of downtown Sydenham, only five minutes walk from Designer Cottage.

With a compelling vision, engaging personality, quality substantiation, and a stunning architectural environment The Colombo is positioned as a unique new concept for Christchurch, and the city’s most desirable retail, food and entertainment experience.

Sumner Beach is known as the best and most stunning beach in Christchurch. It offers a great village feel with many cafes and restaurants. Also for the outdoor lover, it has many walking tracks.

Some of Christchurch's most expensive and sort after real estate is visible around the surrounding hills. 

The Tannery has a range of exciting and unique shops in an amazing Christchurch shopping destination covering fashion, gifts, homewares, recreation and leisure, craft, dining, health & beauty, and postal services. You’ll be surprised and amazed at the spectacular architecture of the Tannery complex, resurrected from the historic Victorian Tannery buildings now accommodating owner operated and specialist shops you won’t see anywhere else.

The Tannery is the place for individuals to shop, people who love quality, like to make ethical purchases, and want to support crafts and artisans. We have free accessible car parking, all in one convenient historic location by the picturesque Heathcote river. If you’re looking for a boutique Christchurch shopping centre, or a unique shopping experience, The Tannery is the place for you.

Christchurch International Airport is the only airport that serves Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located 12 kilometres to the northwest of the city centre and Designer Cottage B&B.

The airport is modern and offers a range of transfer option in to the City centre. Super Shuttle offers a fast and reasonably price option for the transfer to Designer cottage. Super Shuttle vehicles park just outside the International arrivals area at the terminal and can be pre-booked through their website or the drivers are happy to process payment at the vehicles. 

Cathedral Square has long been considered the heart centre of Christchurch City itself. The square is dominated by the Anglican Cathedral which with its construction started in 1864.

Unfortunately the Cathedral has been damaged many times by earthquake activity with the latest earthquake in 2011 destroying the spire and the upper portion of the tower, and severely damaging the rest of the building. The Cathedral can be viewed from reasonably close from outside of a safety fence constructed around the building. 

Work has commenced on the repair of the Cathedral and is expected to take many years.  

Addington Railway Station is the only railway station servicing the city of Christchurch. 

Two train services operate from Addington; the TranzAlpine and the Coastal Pacific.

Addington Railway Station is 4.5kms (8 - 10 min by car) from Designer Cottage subject to traffic. 

The beautiful Christchurch Botanical Gardens were founded in 1863 with the planting of an Oak tree to celebrate the marriage of Prince Albert and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.   

Today, the botanic gardens encompasses 21 hectares of a selection of mature European plants and trees together with a vast range of local plants species. The Avon River forms the boundary of the gardens on the southern and western sides.The heritage Rose garden is one of the highlights as is the peacock fountain and large glass house. 

During spring time the thousands of spring bulbs put on an amazing display of colour and are enjoyed by local by their thousands. 

Countdown Super Market is located only 800m (6mins walk) from Designer Cottage.

Opening hours 8am - 10pm 7 days a week.

Countdown have a great selection of local produce including an extensive beer and wine section. 

OUR STORY from The Fermentist

"We started building the Brewery in 2017, and opened the doors of the Taproom in June 2018. Right from the outset we have tried to challenge ourselves in the way we run both the Brewery and the Taproom. This hasn't been a perfect journey, but we are willing to try something and then step back and say to ourselves, "we can still be better at this, so lets try again."

With the Brewery and Taproom we wanted to commit to positive environmental and social processes, so looked at everything through a sustainability lens. From solar panels that power our fully electric brewery, to locally sourcing of brewing ingredients, to water efficiency initiatives, and community restorative river projects, we are continually working to improve our practices. Our taproom brings this to life by serving a more sustainable menu, with locally sourced produce as well as ingredients from our onsite and entirely edible garden.

We are proud to be a member of the bustling community of Sydenham, Christchurch.This vibrant suburb continues to grow, and we love being right at the heart of that redevelopment".

The Welder will be New Zealand's largest and most authentic Health & Wellbeing complex.

Why Health & Wellbeing? Because we believe Christchurch can be the most liveable city in the world and to do so, it needs to look after its people. The emphasis is on making peoples lives better through producing healthy products and services and creating enjoyable and memorable experiences. 

The development is based around repurposing 6 authentic, character buildings dating back as far as 1880. These industrial workshops share in their unique mix of materials and eccentric features that today are irreplaceable. The buildings were all constructed for artisan businesses including a black smith, a welder and an engineer.

Anytime Fitness is located 5mins walk from Designer Cottage on Colombo Street and is open 24 hours. The facilities are modern and include a great selection of weight machines, treadmills and cross trainers. Plenty of car parking, clean modern facilities and some aerobics classes are also included in the daily or weekly membership fees.  

Just 400m from Designer Cottage is the famous  Pedros House of Lamb. 

Started as a mobile business operating from a caravan, the family run business has expanded to operating outlets in Christchurch, Queenstown and Auckland. 

Pedros slow roast only export quality, whole lamb shoulders. Made with locally sourced New Zealand lamb, complimented with garlic and rosemary, and served with a generous side of scalloped potatoes. Perfect to share.

If you are looking for fast, healthy and fresh food either dine in or take out the Casbah on Colombo Street is fast becoming a favourite choice for the people of Christchurch. The best thing is the Cashbah is only 400m or 3mins walk from Designer Cottage. 

Specialising in fresh salads, souvlaki, and hot dishes, the healthy offerings are served fresh daily and are full of Middle Eastern flavour. The fresh fish either grilled or crumbed is our favourite.

5th Street is has been voted one of the top restaurants in Christchurch and is only 5mins walk from Designer Cottage. 5th Street is a neighbour to the popular Hello Sunday Cafe and is owned by the same young entrepreneur. The building was once a factory and it has been cleverly transformed into a quirky, stylish venue for intimate dinners or group get togethers.

The staff are all hand picked and are happy to share their passion for great food, cocktails and first class customer service. 5th Street is our favourite local restaurant and we are happy to recommend it to our guests. Bookings are essential. 

Do you want a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean? The view of the sandy beach from the pier goes for miles and miles. New Brighton Pier will be the place for some great photos at sunrise or sunset.  

Local crab fishers can be spotted dropping their crab pots off the end of the Pier. 

The Christchurch Gondola (cable car) departs from its depot in the Heathcote Valley and climbs to Mount Cavendish (445m asl). At the summit is a large modern complex completed in 1992 with facilities including a cafe, gift shop, viewing platforms and information about the formation of the surrounding hills and harbour. 

On a clear day the Gondola depot on Mount Cavendish offers amazing views of the Pacific Ocean, Lyttleton Harbour, Christchurch City and views up to the stunning snow capped Southern Alps. 

Enjoy a hike to the summit and return by cable car or perhaps the other way round. Once at the summit there are a myriad of tracks from 20mins in duration to a few hours exploring the surrounding hills.  

Please check the Gondola website for latest operation hours.  

Sign of the Takahe is one of our favorite lookout points in Christchurch City, especially in the evening just before sunset.   

With plenty of parking, the short 5min walk to the lookout is well worth a special trip. On a clear day the view spans from the Pacific Ocean to the east, across Christchurch City and west to the stunning Southern Alps. 

The stunning heritage stone building visible from the road was once a rest stop for new immigrants and travels alike arriving at the port of Lyttleton to the east as they made their way over the hills and into Christchurch city to the north. 

These days, the beautifully restored Gothic style building is an up market cafe/restaurant. The high tea is legendary, sipping tea and sampling the sweet treats while taking in the view is a memorable experience. 

The new hot saltwater pools on the New Brighton foreshore opened on 30 May 2020. Situated on the beach and adjacent to the Christchurch Pier you will need to pre book a steamy salt water pool experience. at He Puna Taimoana 

Christchurch Adventure Park is an Adventure park in the Port Hills of Christchurch, and is about 6.5kms from Designer Cottage. Built by the Canadian company Select Evolution, it had its opening function on 16 December 2016. According to the developer, the 358 hectares (880 acres) park with a 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) chairlift and initially 50 kilometres (31 mi) of downhill tracks is the largest facility of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The park suffered some damage due to a nearby fire. The lift and zip lines had suffered significant damage due to the fire, and the park's condition was much worse than the operator initially thought. However, the park reopened on 6 December 2017, ten months after it closed for repairs and is now an important and fun activity for locals and visitors alike.