10am: Breakfast club

Order the legendary brioche French toast with brown buttered apples and cinnamon cream at the cornershop Bistro (32 Nayland St) in the beachside suburb of Sumner, home to the once iconic Shag Rock – now Shag Pile following the quakes.

11am: Dizzying heights

Perched 500 metres above sea level on the collapsed crater rim of an extinct volcano on the Port Hills, the ride up to the Christchurch Gondola summit station reveals jaw-dropping vistas over the regenerating city to the Southern Alps.

11.45am: Market fresh

Get your caffeine fix from Samo coffee lounge (3 Canterbury St, Lyttelton) and explore the Saturday Lyttelton Farmers’ Market in this picturesque village port. Taste a whitebait fritter from the lucky pig stall to find out why this tiny fish is a celebrated Kiwi delicacy.

1pm: Jazz and lunch

Slow food and live jazz are at the heart of Gustav’s Kitchen & Wine Bar (3 Garlands Rd, Woolston) where chef Josh Young runs a restored, old-school Aga cooker in the open-plan kitchen.

3.30pm: Say cheese

The lost art of cheese maturation is undergoing a revival at canterbury cheesemongers (301 Montreal St), where handmade roquefort rubs rinds with gorgonzola, gruyere and New Zealand’s own Mahoe Vintage Gouda. Their cheese toasties on artisan bread are an institution.

4pm: Stop and shop

Fashion, food and Kiwi kitsch collide in the bustling Re:START container mall (Cashel St). Explore the Quake City exhibit before checking out the Christchurch Cathedral ruins and its temporary replacement, the Cardboard Cathedral. Refuel at c1 espresso (185 High St) where sliders and fries are delivered through a network of clear pneumatic tubes overhead.

7pm Time to dine
Housed in a restored 1899 Victorian Villa, renowned Kiwi chef Jonny Schwass’ harlequin public house is a journey through the region’s freshest and finest with a slick 1920s cocktail aesthetic. Watch Victoria Street’s hot bar and dining scene come to life on the deck before dinner of Canter Valley duck with red cabbage and apple, and fried banana custard.

11pm: Last drinks

Choose your poison from a selection of more than 160 whiskies at cocktail lounge the last Word (31 New Regent St) set in a 1930s Spanish Mission-style space. Next door, the auricle sonic arts Gallery (35 New Regent St) offers specially matched wines with its audio exhibitions.

1am: Recline in style

Espousing ‘caring luxury’ and overlooking Hagley Park and the Avon River, boutique luxury hotel the George (50 Park Tce) has a rock-star pedigree, and its consistent first place ranking in New Zealand’s best hotel listings ensures a complete escape.

Visiting Auckland or Marlborough while in New Zealand? Be sure to check out our Auckland and Marlborough city guides.