This unassuming NZ airport has plenty of surprises

The airport

Christchurch International Airport (CHC), New Zealand.

The flight

Air New Zealand flight NZ223 to Sydney (SYD).

The arrival

Christchurch Airport and the city beyond.

Christchurch Airport is located about 12 kilometres from the city centre, with the facility well-equipped for parking (30 mins free) and taxi services. We have arrived, however, on a domestic flight from Hokitika on the West Coast, with the one integrated terminal set-up making the transfer a breeze. For those having an extended farewell with local family or friends before departure, there are three cafes on the ground floor, as well as several upstairs in the pre-departures area.

The look

The 10-year-old Christchurch airport – New Zealand’s second largest – is much like the city itself – clean, bright and breezy. It’s also parochial in the nicest possible way, celebrating Kiwi creativity through installations and art displays, as well as various street art projects that brighten the terminal’s exterior. A rainbow Progressive Pride Flag unveiled during Pride Week in March 2023 dazzles the walkway to the parking pay station; while upstairs at Gate 15, a 35-metre-long mural created in collaboration with street art collective Oi YOU! celebrates the lifestyle of the Canterbury region.

Check-in

From the domestic bag claim, it’s just a short walk to the combined domestic and international Check-In Hall, where Air New Zealand has a fully automated self-service system, from receiving luggage tags and boarding passes, to scanning the tag and placing suitcases on the conveyor belt. A quick check of my passport by a free-ranging staff member was the only person-to-person interaction in the seamless check-in process.

Security

Automated e-gate passport machines flick us through to the security screening in no time, where we are met with broad smiles and friendly “kia ora” greetings. Are there friendlier people in the world than the Kiwis? The airport staff certainly set a good example.

Food + drink

Post-security, there’s little in the way of refreshments apart from the central bar and a pizza joint called Alps. If you’re hungry, best to fill up before passport control in the Level One food court, where you’ll find a couple of cafes, a sushi restaurant, a smoothie bar and a Burger King. If you have plenty of time, you can also linger in Spitfire Square, just a short walk from the terminal and with an abundance of fast food choices.

Retail therapy

A roving robot called Pepper.

The All Blacks have quite a presence at the airport, with expensive merchandise available from their official store on Level One. Soft-toy kiwis, lambs, possum gloves and scarves, and manuka honey products are also popular last-minute souvenirs, available at Explore – Simply New Zealand, Naturally NZ and Global Culture. Chocophiles can also stock up on Whittaker’s iconic NZ chocolates, available from the large Duty Free section.

Passing time

On Level One, next to Domestic Arrivals, is the airport’s Digital Innovation Zone, a space where kids can meet four humanoid robots, two named Pepper and two named NAO. Under-aged boredom can also be alleviated with Mini Explorer Passport Activity Books and packs of pencils, available from airport Information Desks. My nine-year-old granddaughter was also keen to spend her remaining NZ dollars at the games arcade near the departure gates – honestly, has anyone ever won anything in a claw machine? Free unlimited Wi-Fi is available throughout the airport, with charging stations located in several locations.

The verdict

While light on shopping and food options post-security, this friendly, bright airport offers plenty of surprises if you have time to wander.

Our rating out of five

★★★★

Julie Miller travelled as a guest of Development West Coast.