Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - Wellington or Christchurch?

I have an extra day and a half in my trip to NZ/Australia and I want to add either Wellington or Christchurch. The only other city in NZ I'm going to visit is Auckland. Which of these two do you think I should visit?

Out of the 2 you suggest I prefer Christshurch. However if you can, get right down to Queenstown (ZQN), which is IMHO the most beautiful town in NZ.

I'd go to Wellington, especially at this time of year. There's enough inside (in case weather is bad) and outside stuff for 1.5 days.

Queenstown (ZQN) needs much more time, and is a little risky in winter - you may get stuck there (CHC too but much lower risk than ZQN).

My vote goes to Wellington. Christchurch is basically NZ's senior citizen capital - boring with nothing to do. Christchurch is really only good as a gateway to the South Island.

Wellington has enough to keep you occupied and is quite similar to Melbourne (Auckland is like Sydney). I would leave the South Island for its own seperate trip and do it all in one big bang.

My vote goes to Wellington. Christchurch is basically NZ's senior citizen capital - boring with nothing to do. ...Wow, we all have seriously different travel experiences. I've been to CHC 6 times now (always just for a day or 2) and I thought it was a university town full of young girls just aching to have a good time. Some of my best travel memories are of CHC (and it isn't the architecture or the food!). I never realized that it was boring, or full of senior citizens; I guess I meet the wrong people (thankfully).

But all of NZ can be sleepy and boring from a global perspective -- that is a large part of its charm! Making it the most beautiful country in the world. My own opinion is that WLG is boring and AKL is just a city. My top-3 towns in NZ are CHC, Thames and Arrowtown (near ZQN); but Thames and Arrowtown are stretched to be 2 blocks long.

Queenstown (ZQN) needs much more time, and is a little risky in winter - you may get stuck there (CHC too but much lower risk than ZQN).

Ahh yes you're right. Have been stuck at ZQN myself in the middle of winter but that was actually a good memory rather than a bad one!

My vote goes to Wellington. Christchurch is basically NZ's senior citizen capital - boring with nothing to do. Christchurch is really only good as a gateway to the South Island.

Wellington has enough to keep you occupied and is quite similar to Melbourne (Auckland is like Sydney). I would leave the South Island for its own seperate trip and do it all in one big bang.

Although I live in Wellington, I am an expat Melburnian, and would agree with haydensydney I find Christchurch extremely stuffy and conservative, and thoroughly enjoy living in Wellington, with plenty to do and see, both in and out of the city. It is really a little Melbourne.

Actually, I'd go for Christchurch. Although it might be colder at this time of year than Wellington, it is (I think) more likely to be drier and certainly likely to be less windy.

But the real glory of New Zealand (and it's a world-surpassing glory) is the scenery outside the big cities, and of course in an extra day and a half you're not going to get to see that. Someone above suggested saving Christchurch for a "big bang" South Island trip, and I'd say that if you enjoy beautiful mountains, fjords, seascapes, farmland... you wouldn't be disappointed at such a trip.

But in reality either city will occupy you for a day and a half. And as I recall, landing at Wellington is much more exciting than landing at Christchurch...

Actually, I'd go for Christchurch. Although it might be colder at this time of year than Wellington, it is (I think) more likely to be drier and certainly likely to be less windy.

But the real glory of New Zealand (and it's a world-surpassing glory) is the scenery outside the big cities, and of course in an extra day and a half you're not going to get to see that. Someone above suggested saving Christchurch for a "big bang" South Island trip, and I'd say that if you enjoy beautiful mountains, fjords, seascapes, farmland... you wouldn't be disappointed at such a trip.

But in reality either city will occupy you for a day and a half. And as I recall, landing at Wellington is much more exciting than landing at Christchurch...

Although I might be a little unkind about Christchurch, I would certainly agree that it would be the starting point to see some spectacular scenery by any standard, although to do it justice would require at least a week.

I happen to be typing this in Wellington on a sunny, windless day, and Wellington with its harbour is something again on days like today.