Paddling near Christchurch, Canterbury

Christchurch sits on the Canterbury Plains of the South Island, with the braided Waimakariri River to the north and the meandering Ōtākaro Avon River threading through the city centre. Paddlers here move between calm urban flatwater, coastal sea kayaking on Banks Peninsula, and the whitewater of the Waimakariri Gorge — a range that suits everyone from first-timers hiring a kayak at the Antigua Boat Sheds to multisport athletes training for the Coast to Coast.