Christchurch is like a Southern Hemisphere version of the English city of Oxford. With beautiful buildings, a thriving arts scene and a youthful spring in its step, bicycle is a common form of transport here. Again, like Oxford, Christchurch is home to a large number of public parks and gardens, giving the city the nickname of 'The Garden City'. Christchurch is the largest city on New Zealand's South Island and is also a gateway to the big outdoors; located on Pegasus Bay, it lends itself easily to watersports and, within reach of Mount Hutt in the Southern Alps, skiing and snowboarding are popular weekend pursuits.
Students who choose to learn English in Christchurch can look forward to a lively social scene, encouraged not only by after-class activities but by the special student newsletter and school's very own radio programme. All of this gives you ample opportunity to make friends with people from all over the world and practise your English outside lesson time. Accommodation can be arranged in an apartment or youth hostel, or with a local family, which will give you maximum immersion in the New Zealand culture and exposure to the English language.
