Destination Showcase Template

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[BOX bold size=50][CENTER]CHRISTCHURCH, NZ[/CENTER][/BOX]
[BOX family=serif italic size=32][CENTER]Gateway to the South[/CENTER][/BOX]
[BOX size=15][CENTER]Photography & Words: Your Name Goes Here[/CENTER][/BOX]
[BOX size=15][CENTER]Presented by [L=https://christchurchadventurepark.com]Christchurch Adventure Park[/L][/CENTER][/BOX]


Intro to the area, any key points, what you can expect this Destination Showcase to show you: Prior to 2011, Christchurch was known as ‘The Garden City’ – renowned for its Cathedral, the Avon River, the tram and this interesting character known as “The Wizard”. Now, the city is better known for geological reasons. The earthquakes in September 2010 and February 2011 gave the city a real shake-up, both literally and metaphorically. With the massive destruction was the chance for a fresh start, a new identity. Most of the traditional tourist stops were lost or cut off after the earthquakes. In their place emerged a host of new places and activities, showcasing the resourcefulness of the city and the people that reside there. Mountain biking is one of the activities that has really shone in the aftermath. Riders from all over the world are taking notice of something Cantabrians have been aware of for some time.

Christchurch is predominantly flat, flanked by hills and mountains to the North and South. The South Pacific Ocean meets the city to the East. It’s easy to navigate, with the central city being the place to go to eat and drink, while the hills, which are just about visible from anywhere, are the place to go when you’re looking to ride. Christchurch is the gateway to the South Island since it's an easy drive to the equally excellent riding of Queenstown or Nelson. The world-class Craigieburn trails are only an hour away, with other stunning locations close by. [L=https://www.christchurchairport.co.nz/en/]Christchurch Airport [/L]is geared up to receive riders as they start their adventure, only 15 minutes away from Christchurch Adventure Park. With international flights landing from everywhere either directly or through domestic connections via Auckland or even Australia, it serves as the perfect place to start the ride.

The riding in Christchurch is varied in type, and thanks to [L=https://christchurchadventurepark.com/]Christchurch Adventure Park[/L], is now more easily accessible. The Port Hills are home to the park, and to the majority of the riding in Christchurch. There are a few places to ride on the flat and Mcleans Island and Bottle Lake Forest are home to XC trail centers, but for most riders, the hills are where the action is. We arranged for a couple of Christchurch’s finest riders, Sam Blenkinsop and Billy Meaclem, to guide us around the trails and show us what can be achieved in a day’s riding. All the areas that we visited were easily accessible by bike and all within a 10km radius from the heart of the city. With all the riding we had to discover, it was going to be a long day.


[CENTER][FONT size=20 letterSpacing=5][B]Use a Header Like this for Each Area or Day of Riding: Day 1 / Port Hills East and Victoria Park[/B][/FONT][/CENTER]

Little story about the area: We started before dawn, at the very top of ‘Greenwoods’ track for a stunning sunrise lap down towards Godley Head. With the coast being so close, you could link this trail up to the ‘Anaconda’ trail, ending up in Taylors Mistake for a pre-breakfast surf. This trail is typical Canterbury, tight and rocky, with amazing views over to Lyttleton, out to the sea and back over Christchurch.

[PI=16834037 width=window]Your captions go here.[/PI]

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[PI=16834035 width=window]Break it up with one full size banger and then two smaller images throughout the article. [/PI]
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[PI=16834034 width=window]Keep the number of photos per the article below 40. If you have 4 locations, that's maximum 10 photos per area.[/PI]

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[PI=16834033 width=window]Many sheep in New Zealand, styles to get over fences are common.[/PI]
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[PI=16834032 width=window]The grass is high at the moment which looks majestic in the morning sunlight.[/PI]
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[PI=16834031 width=window]Ever get the feeling that you're being watched?[/PI]

[PI=16834030 width=window]Sam has no time for riding the corner as it was made.[/PI]


Break the text up throughout the images, but make sure you have at least a paragraph: Instead of dropping down to the sea, we used the Summit Road as a connection to head to our next zone, where we started above the Adventure Park and rode the ‘Gnarly Nun’, down to where it meets Christchurch staple, ‘The Flying Nun’, and pedalled across to Christchurch’s original home of riding, Victoria Park, where you find a diverse selection of trails. Pine forest, dark jungle, blue gums, dust, rocks, mud, and jumps, it’s all in there.


REPEAT THE ABOVE FOR AS MANY RIDING AREAS AS THERE IS


[PI=16833991 width=window]With the tiniest amount of light left in the sky, it's time to go.[/PI]

[PI=16833989 width=window]What a way to end a huge day of riding.[/PI]

Wrap it up with a nice conclusion like this: We were out all day from dawn until dusk, but we still barely scratched the surface of what’s on offer here in Christchurch. For us, it was time to relax and get something to eat. Maybe we’d head to Little High, where you can get a little bit of everything, or local favourite Smash Palace, where you can ride right in. Christchurch is on the up and up right now, there’s so much going on and the riding just gets better and better. With the riding so close to the city, and epic locations all around, it truly is the gateway to riding in the South Island.


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Add in Trailforks embed here (from this section of the website):

[PREGIONINFO rid=7379 width=text height=150px counts=1 stats=1]
[PMAPREGION rid=7379 width=media height=400px maptype=trailforks trailstyle=difficulty controls=1 list=0]
[L=https://www.trailforks.com/region/christchurch-adventure-park//]Christchurch Adventure Park mountain biking trails[/L]


Pinkbike would like to thank:
[L=https://christchurchadventurepark.com/]Christchurch Adventure Park[/L]
[L=https://www.christchurchairport.co.nz/en/]Christchurch International Airport[/L]
[L=https://www.christchurchnz.com/]Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism[/L]

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