Getting into town
The number 3 bus runs between Sumner village and the Bus Interchange in the city centre, every ten minutes through the day on weekdays and every fifteen at weekends. It takes about 45 minutes, and the last bus home gets back to Sumner around midnight.
From the airport
The airport is about 22 km away, 35 to 40 minutes in the car. The number 3 bus goes all the way from the airport to Sumner, about every half hour, and takes an hour and a quarter or so. Taxis, Uber and the Super Shuttle vans are outside International Arrivals.
Here for work
A quiet room by the sea after a day in the city. The number 3 also stops at Christchurch Hospital, Riccarton and the University of Canterbury, so it's an easy run for work across town. If there's anything you need for work while you're here, just ask when you book.
Rugby and concerts
One New Zealand Stadium, Te Kaha, is in the central city, for rugby, league and big concerts. It's 500 metres from the Bus Interchange, so the number 3 takes you most of the way. The roads around it close on big nights and the bus can be diverted, so leave yourself plenty of time, and catch it home before the last one goes.
The Botanic Gardens
Te Māra Huaota o Waipapa, the Botanic Gardens, are right in the city. Something's out in every season: daffodils in spring, roses in summer, the autumn leaves, and the warm glasshouses in winter. Look for the Peacock Fountain.
On the Avon
Take a punt down the Avon, with a classically dressed punter doing the work. Rides go through the Botanic Gardens all year, and through the middle of the city past the Town Hall and Victoria Square in summer. They take about half an hour, and you need to book.
The Arts Centre and the Art Gallery
The Arts Centre is a block of old Gothic stone buildings in the middle of town, with shops, studios and somewhere to eat, and it's free to wander round. The Christchurch Art Gallery is free too, and open every day.
Back to Sumner
Then catch the 3 home and have dinner in the village.