Bus services are operated by several companies all co-ordinated by Canride who operate a bus information centre where Worcester Street meets Cathedral Square (Mon-Fri 7.30am-5.30pm, Sat & Sun 9am-3.30pm) and an infoline (Mon-Sat 6.30am-10.30pm, Sun 9am-9pm; tel 03/366 8855, www.crc.govt.nz ). Most services currently fan out from Cathedral Square or nearby; though a new transport interchange at the junction of Lichfield and Colombo streets is due for completion in the near future. Tickets for short rides cost 90A?, most journeys (even to New Brighton and Sumner) are $1.80, while Lyttelton and the airport cost $2.70; multi-trip tickets give twelve rides for the price of ten. All routes run from 6am in the morning until about midnight (slightly longer in the case of more popular routes). In addition there's the free Shuttle , a distinctive yellow bus which runs from the Town Hall, through the Square, down Colombo Street to Moorhouse Avenue and back on a 10-15min cycle (Mon-Thurs 8am-10.30pm, Fri 8am-midnight, Sat 9am-midnight, Sun 10am-8pm)

Perhaps the best way of familiarizing yourself with the central city area is to hop on the Tramway (daily: Nov-March 9am-9pm; April-Oct 9am-6pm), which weaves a 2.5km circuit past many of the central sights, including the Arts Centre and Cathedral Square. The tramway was only installed a few years back, but the rolling stock is largely made up of lovingly restored 1905 originals. You can get on or off at any stop, depending upon the time limit of your ticket: a one-hour ticket costs $6 and an all-day ticket $7. Thrown in with the price is a rudimentary commentary that will at least identify landmarks and help you get your bearings.

Driving in Christchurch is pretty straightforward providing you avoid morning and evening rush hours. Most central parking spaces are metered from Monday to Saturday between 7am and 6pm (otherwise free). If you have to drive into town, there's free parking in the centre of Hagley Park (Armagh Street entrance).

Given the city's relatively quiet roads, cycling is an ideal way of appreciating some of the more out-of-the-way suburbs. Expect to pay around $20-25 a day for bike rental . Finally, a sedate way of seeing some of the prettier parts of the city is by punt up and down the River Avon (daily 9am-dusk; $12-15 per person; book through the visitor centre); the water-level perspective is a refreshing one.