Further down the eastern coast from Kaikoura is Christchurch, the largest city in the South Island. Although inhabited by moa hunters as much as 1,000 years ago, it's current look and feel was planned by two British gentlemen (Godley and Wakefield) in 1847 and was named after the Oxford college Godley had attended. Christchurch was NZ's first city and now has approximately 350,000 inhabitants.
The most well-known landmark in Christchurch is Christ Church Cathedral (an Anglican diocese) located in The Square at the very heart of the city. Construction commenced in 1864 but owing to financial hurdles it was not completed until 1904. After attending a morning service in June 1901, the Duke of Cornwall and his wife (King George V and Queen Mary) started a trend of climbing the tower to admire the view.
Next to the cathedral is 18 meter high steel and aluminium artwork known simply as Chalice, commissioned by Turning Point 2000 Trust to celebrate the city's 150th birthday as well as the new millennium. The leaves depicted are mapou, kowhai, mahoe, totara, karamu, titoki, ngaio, maratata and koromiko - native trees that grew in the area prior to British colonisation.
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