Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand with a 2006 population of over 350,000. It is located on the edge of the Canterbury plains and is a major stepping off point for touring the South Island. Christchurch is known as the Garden City, a well-deserved name. Looking from a few floors up, one is struck by the number of trees that grow like a forest throughout the suburbs. http://wikitravel.org/en/Christchurch