Ōtautahi · Canterbury

Online courses in Christchurch

Christchurch, or Ōtautahi, sits near the middle of the South Island's east coast in the Canterbury region. Most of the city is flat, built on gravels that rivers carried down from the mountains to form the Canterbury Plains, while the Port Hills separate it from the harbour at Lyttelton. Farming was the city's original economic base and dairying has grown strongly in the surrounding districts. Lincoln University, which began in 1878 as a school of agriculture, is about 15 km outside the city.

The city's 'Garden City' nickname comes from its many public parks, and the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, founded in 1863, lie inside the loop of the Avon River / Ōtākaro beside Hagley Park. Small remnants of the original wetland survive, including Travis Wetland in Burwood. Orana Wildlife Park, New Zealand's only open-range zoo, and Willowbank Wildlife Reserve are both in Harewood, and a marine mammal sanctuary around nearby Banks Peninsula protects the Hector's dolphin.

Close by: Lincoln, Rolleston, Kaiapoi, Rangiora, Lyttelton, Akaroa.

Photography in Christchurch

Christchurch Photographic Society (opens in a new tab)
A club of more than 100 members that meets every Wednesday, with competitions, tutorials, guest presentations and field trips, and welcomes all skill levels and camera types.
Club competitions and field trips give regular feedback on your images and a group to shoot with.
Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū (opens in a new tab)
The city's public gallery, on the corner of Worcester Boulevard and Montreal Street, holds photographs in its collection, such as Laurence Aberhart's 1981 work purchased that year, and hosted a survey of photographer Mark Adams from March to July 2026.
Photography exhibitions and the searchable online collection are a way to study New Zealand photographers' work in person.
Port Hills (opens in a new tab)
The eroded remnant of the Lyttelton volcano, rising between the city and Lyttelton Harbour, with reserves, walking and mountain-biking tracks linked by the Summit Road; the hills are visible for many kilometres across central Canterbury.
The Summit Road and track network give elevated viewpoints over the city, the plains and the harbour for landscape practice.

Photography Courses you can study from Christchurch

Animal & wildlife in Christchurch

Orana Wildlife Park (opens in a new tab)
An 80-hectare open-range zoo on McLeans Island Road, Harewood, holding species such as giraffes, rhinos, cheetahs, lemurs, siamangs and the country's only gorillas. It breeds threatened native species, including kākāriki karaka, brown kiwi, pāteke, whio and pepeketua, for release to the wild.
Daily animal presentations and paid encounters let students watch keepers work with exotic and native species, and the park lists work experience and volunteering under its support pages.
Willowbank Wildlife Reserve (opens in a new tab)
A wildlife reserve at 60 Hussey Road, Harewood, featuring North Island brown kiwi, great spotted kiwi (roroa), kea, South Island kākā and takahē, plus a farmyard. It also keeps rare farm breeds such as Arapawa Island goats, kunekune pigs and Damara sheep as part of a breeding programme with an offsite farm.
A place to see native birds and rare livestock breeds close up; the reserve has its own conservation, foundation and volunteering pages.
SPCA Christchurch Centre (opens in a new tab)
The SPCA's Christchurch centre at 14 Wilmers Road, Hornby, handles adoptions, cruelty reports, lost and found animals and desexing. It is supported by over 500 volunteers and about 40 staff.
Students of animal care and welfare can apply for animal-centre volunteering or fostering roles listed by the centre.
International Antarctic Centre (opens in a new tab)
A visitor attraction at 38 Orchard Road beside Christchurch Airport that houses rescued kororā (little penguins) and huskies.
Visitors can watch rescued little penguins and huskies and learn about Christchurch's role as an Antarctic gateway city.
Banks Peninsula marine mammal sanctuary and marine reserves (opens in a new tab)
A marine mammal sanctuary around Banks Peninsula protects the Hector's dolphin / upokohue, and the Akaroa and Pōhatu (Flea Bay) marine reserves protect marine life.
Within a day trip of the city, students can observe Hector's dolphins and protected coastal ecosystems.

Animal & Wildlife Courses you can study from Christchurch

Beauty in Christchurch

Beauty Courses you can study from Christchurch

Agriculture & farming in Christchurch

Ravensdown Canterbury A&P Show (opens in a new tab)
Described by its organisers as New Zealand's largest A&P show, it runs over three days each November at Canterbury Agricultural Park, with more than 5,000 classes including cattle, sheep, alpaca, shearing and woodchopping.
Students can watch livestock judging, the grand parade and shearing competitions, and talk to breeders and exhibitors.
Lincoln University (opens in a new tab)
Founded in 1878 as the School of Agriculture of Canterbury University College, Lincoln University is about 15 km outside Christchurch and teaches crop and animal science, pasture and food science.
The university hosts industry events such as dairy focus days and the South Island Dairy Event, which are useful for networking with farmers and researchers.
South Island Dairying Development Centre (SIDDC) focus days (opens in a new tab)
SIDDC is an industry-funded partnership of seven dairy-sector organisations that supports the Lincoln University Dairy Farm and runs focus days for farmers, most recently on 15 October 2026 on climate, pasture quality and beef-on-dairy.
Focus days and the SIDDC mailing list are a way to follow current South Island dairy farm practice and research.
South Island Agricultural Field Days (opens in a new tab)
Canterbury's largest agricultural event, held every second year at a dedicated site on Courtenay Road, Kirwee, west of Christchurch, with machinery demonstrations, exhibitors and rural competitions. The 2025 event ran in March and the next is scheduled for April 2027.
A chance to see farm machinery demonstrated and meet suppliers and contractors from across Canterbury.
Christchurch Farmers' Market (opens in a new tab)
A Saturday-morning market of over 60 stalls in the grounds of Riccarton House & Bush at 16 Kahu Road.
Students interested in organic or small-scale production can talk to Canterbury growers and producers who sell direct.

Agriculture & Farming Courses you can study from Christchurch

Landscaping & horticulture in Christchurch

Christchurch Botanic Gardens (opens in a new tab)
Founded in 1863 inside the loop of the Avon River beside Hagley Park, the gardens include New Zealand plant gardens laid out between 1910 and 1927, a rose garden of 104 beds, and conservatories such as Garrick House, which holds the country's largest publicly owned collection of cacti and succulents.
Students can study labelled native and exotic plant collections, glasshouse growing and seasonal bedding displays in one place.
Canterbury Horticultural Society (opens in a new tab)
Based at The Kiosk in the Botanic Gardens, the society runs a monthly Garden Life meeting, workshops, courses, demonstrations, garden tours and specialist groups for flowers, chrysanthemums, daffodils, and fruit and vegetables.
Its talks, workshops and affiliated garden clubs are a way to learn practical techniques and meet experienced local gardeners.
Travis Wetland Nature Heritage Park (opens in a new tab)
A 116-hectare wetland in Burwood on land that was once drained and farmed as a dairy farm, now under an ecological restoration programme; endangered Canterbury mudfish have been released there.
A working example of wetland restoration and reserve management, with a trust that publishes monthly newsletters.
Riccarton Bush / Pūtaringamotu (opens in a new tab)
A remnant of podocarp forest at Riccarton House with kahikatea trees up to 600 years old, open to the public free of charge during daylight hours.
Shows what lowland Canterbury forest looked like and how a small urban remnant is managed.

Landscaping & Horticulture Courses you can study from Christchurch

Annual events near Christchurch

November
Ravensdown Canterbury A&P Show
Three days of livestock, equestrian, shearing and woodchopping competition at Canterbury Agricultural Park.
November
New Zealand Trotting Cup Day, Addington Raceway
The main day at the venue that calls itself the home of New Zealand harness racing, a chance to see Standardbred horses race.
March or April (odd-numbered years)
South Island Agricultural Field Days, Kirwee
Canterbury's largest agricultural event, with machinery demonstrations and rural competitions; the 2025 event ran in March and the next is April 2027.
Monthly
Garden Life, Canterbury Horticultural Society
A monthly talk at the Botanic Gardens with guest speakers on gardening topics, open to non-members for a fee.

Studying from Christchurch: questions

Where can I see animals and wildlife being cared for in Christchurch?

Orana Wildlife Park (an 80-hectare open-range zoo) and Willowbank Wildlife Reserve are both in Harewood on the city's northern edge, the International Antarctic Centre near the airport houses rescued little penguins, and the SPCA Christchurch Centre in Hornby rehomes companion animals.

What farming events happen near Christchurch?

The Canterbury A&P Show runs over three days each November at Canterbury Agricultural Park. The South Island Agricultural Field Days are held every second year at Kirwee, with the next scheduled for April 2027, and SIDDC holds dairy focus days linked to the Lincoln University Dairy Farm.

Why is Christchurch called the Garden City?

The nickname comes from the large number of public parks in the city. The Christchurch Botanic Gardens, founded in 1863 beside Hagley Park, are the best-known, and the Canterbury Horticultural Society is based at The Kiosk inside them.

Where can I see marine wildlife near Christchurch?

Banks Peninsula, south of the city, has a marine mammal sanctuary protecting the Hector's dolphin and two marine reserves, at Akaroa and at Pōhatu (Flea Bay).