Sunday 1st April 2007. Christchurch. New Zealand.

This morning I head for breakfast at Moko on New Regent Street (which today celebrates its 75th birthday). New Regent Street was marketed as ‘The most beautiful street in New Zealand’ when it was opened by Mayor D G Sullivan.

A double row of Spanish Mission style shops and cafes, despite its beauty only three of the forty sites were actually bought before its opening in 1932.

The site was previously the home of the Colosseum building and the designs of Harry Francis Willis ensured that the new shopping arcade would be erected with continuous facades. As a shopping street designed in a single style, New Regent Street can be considered the forerunner of the modern day shopping mall.

A feature was the welded steel girders that ran the length of the street and today it remains the only New Zealand street built in a single architectural style.

Whilst built as Spanish Mission (a style that finds its home with the Spanish missionaries of California) the undergrounding of services, systems of ventilation, lighting and the extensive steel reinforcing were all considered major developments for the time.


Today as I sit on the bus heading through the suburbs of Christchurch it becomes increasingly obvious why they call this Garden City "English". I could easily be in Bournemouth (particularly Charminster) as I travel through bungalow heaven.

I am spending the day in Papanui where I will be joining a house share with four other guys for the next month whilst my stay in Christchurch is extended.

Its a day of project work and hanging out my washing in suburban Christchurch.