Looking up at the curved ceiling above me, a faded ad tells me that I could be a union-certified tram operator, with paid holidays and a guaranteed minimum wage. As I return my gaze to the scenery that is sprinting past me while I tune in to the driver’s voice, I hear him say that those ads were posted over 90 years ago, joking about the current tram operator benefits being close to the same as they were back then. This is Christchurch, New Zealand, from its best vantage point.
Christchurch’s tramway system has existed for nearly 200 years. Experiencing a multitude of changes over this time, the tram has woven in and out of service, but it has remained a vital part of the city.
The tram was first proposed in 1855, before Christchurch was even established as a city. However, that hope for a tram would not come to fruition until 1880, when a singular line running from Cathedral Square to the town railroad opened in order to ease commerce and the transport of goods from the city to the nearby port town of Lyttelton.
Private companies built rail lines radiating out from the city center and, in 1903, the Christchurch Tramway Board was created to regulate the transit. By 1920, it was the largest electric tramway system in the country. However, by the end of World War II, the tramway was worn down, and the last trams ran in 1954, before the torch of transit was passed to a fleet of diesel-run buses.
The revival of the tramway system occurred with the introduction of tourist trams in 1995. Drivers led educational tours on the city’s history from the perspective of the trams, many of which had been recalled to service after more than 40 years of inactivity and underwent substantial restoration.
The buildings and the tram lived in harmony for just sixteen years before tragedy. The Canterbury earthquakes of 2010-2011 severely affected Christchurch and its surrounding areas. Happening within less than a year of each other, the first earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1 and struck 25 miles west of Christchurch on September 4th, 2010, with the second having a magnitude of 6.3, striking in Heathcote Valley, a suburb of Christchurch, on February 22nd, 2011.
In between these two quakes, there were over 11,200 aftershocks, or ‘shakes,’ that tormented the city. This further contributed to the damage and gave Christchurch its nickname, ‘Quake City.’
The earthquakes and aftershocks rewrote the future of Christchurch forever. Buildings that were once thought to be everlasting crumbled in seconds. Liquefaction tore through many streets, sinking them and leading to many being labelled as ‘Residential Red Zones.’ Driving past these now green fields, street lamps are all that hint at a former life. The tram was put out of commission for over two and a half years, and the city grieved.
However, the city has not let that grief define them, with the trams being a key point of that perseverance. “The tramcars have been a much-loved icon of Christchurch, and locals in particular were very happy to see the trams back up and operating in 2013 as a memory of the city pre-earthquake,” noted a spokesman for Christchurch Attractions. The company, which took over the trams in 2005, has seen the importance placed on them in times of struggle.
Even as the trams’ return brought hope, they operated through the rubble of broken buildings and broken lives, still awaiting repair three years later. The damage done to the city has persisted to this day. Christchurch has focused on rebuilding and renewing, heavily investing in community-based centers and establishments, in order to draw visitors to a revived city center.
I got the chance to revisit New Zealand this past summer — their winter — with my family, after more than five years. I reconnected with my Dad’s side of the family and found Christchurch, the town where he grew up, an entirely new landscape from what I remembered.
One chilly-sunny morning, coming into Christchurch around 10 a.m., I hopped onto the tramway for the first time, with my family in tow. We had just walked across Cathedral Square and The Chief Post Office, the hulking new library glistening across the tracks. Lamenting together in their disuse, the post office and the cathedral figuratively gossip, as two integral, historic structures are apt to do. They look on the gleaming library with interest, the tram serving as their only separation.

The last time that I had visited, Christchurch was moving on from the quakes through the use of a steel-cut, colorful and abstract city of temporary container establishments. I remember vividly the precarious towers that my Nana said would fall at any moment. While many of the buildings in the city center had been totaled, these replacements were bringing back the lively nature of the city, while still allowing room for growth. As the tram rolled by, some container-buildings still stood, inspiring as ever.
As repairs had been made in the five years since my last visit, the clash of modernity, antiquity, and rubble startled me. We approached the tram stop and waited; a sleek red and gold tram, with ‘Quake City’ emblazoned on an advertising board pulled up shortly after. Originally from Dunedin, New Zealand, “the Christchurch trams are historic by nature, with the current fleet of tramcars aged between 90 and 120 years old.” This tram is a part of a fleet of eight currently in use from different parts of the country and Australia. Stepping on board, I was greeted by a driver with a laugh and a twinkle in his eye, who checked my ticket and continued the journey.
The tram runs on two intersecting loops of the central area of the city, forming a skewed figure eight. Stops 1 – 9 turn south towards the One New Zealand Stadium and Cardboard Cathedral, before turning around and passing Cathedral Square again. Then, stops 10 – 18 tour locations that are east and west of the Ōtākaro/Avon river.
Rather than go from stop 2 to stop 3, the tram journeyed on to stop 10. Since we had gotten on the tram during its second trip down Worcester street— as we neared one of the many parking lots that take up the emptied seats of collapsed buildings, waiting to be remanned — rather than veer left towards the new shopping center, we drove across the reinforced bridge that ran over a river.
The Ōtākaro river which, according to the driver, means ‘the place of a game’ and was named after the Māori children who would play on the shores while jobs were being done, could not help but flow with energy. Steps and seats that surrounded the river catered to diners eating their takeout while watching the slick ducks dive for their food, strollers and tourists, some interested in the punting that the river often boasts. and even children, who were enamored with the eels that hugged the banks of the river and shone in the filtered sun.
Moving quickly over the river from the 2nd stop to the 11th then 12th, the driver noted the seekers mākete, a market open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., even in the slight frost of late winter. Here, my family decided to get off and explore, coming across all sorts of baked goods, homemade crafts, and a popup library. Filtering through the sounds of Chappell Roan and The Police as we walked past the stalls, we found a secluded table to enjoy our trove of purchases.
Located adjacent to the market we found The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora. Comprising 23 buildings, 22 of which are listed by Heritage New Zealand, the area was formerly used by Canterbury College, and the Christchurch Boys’ and Christchurch Girls’ High Schools. Each nook holds a different venue, ranging from craft markets to cafes to small museums.
Polished to perfection, the Arts Center was one of the first areas of Christchurch to see the effects of restoration after the earthquake. The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Merit Award noted the astounding rehabilitation of the Great Hall and Clock Tower. Only two buildings still await repairs, the Hydraulics and Mechanical Engineering buildings that face Worcester Boulevard. Their faces are lifted by metal supports, harsh in contrast to the Gothic Revivalist nature of the buildings.
We hopped on the next tram to pass through, twice as long as the last and with arguably the most comfortable seating (as the driver pointed out), as it makes a sharp turn and skirts the edges of the Botanical Gardens.
The tram then passes through a residential area, making stop 16 at Quake City. Honoring and remembering the stories of the Canterbury Earthquakes, the museum uses both personal narratives and interactive tools to educate on the quakes.
Further down the same road is stop 17: Victoria Square. Nestled between the restored 1972 Christchurch Town Hall and newly opened Te Pae Christchurch Convention Center, Victoria Square is a meeting place and memorial for all. The park holds many statues and architectural installations that note the multifaceted history of New Zealand. A few days later, my family and I had the opportunity to go to Ice Cream Charlies, the legendary ice cream truck in operation since 1903. Although under new management from the original ‘Charlie,’ the stall has remained a classic stop for students, as my Dad once was, and tourists alike with their classic vanilla recipe and several sauce toppings.
Finally making it to the 18th stop, the sweet and savory scents of food drift from the windows of stores on New Regent Street into the tram. We become a traveling circus as restaurant goers return our interested gazes. New Regent Street is a historic road, conceptualized in the Spanish Mission style and converted into a pedestrian road in anticipation of the reopening of the tram in 1995. It has since remained a top priority in the reconstruction efforts, being a Category I heritage item.

Riders have the opportunity to ‘dine and dash’ by choosing from a range of restaurants, bars, ice cream parlors, and even tattoo shops, before boarding the tram once more. The food is deliciously curated to the cultural palate of Christchurch; the loose relationship between the tram line and the seating for the restaurant ebbs and flows with the crowds.
Eventually, the return to stop 1 becomes inevitable. The tram slips into Cathedral Junction, minimalist yet immense, and finds respite for several minutes before departing again. Glass domes decorate the top of the terminal and small shops circle an expanse of glossy stone flooring.
Cathedral Junction was originally envisioned by John Britten, a mechanical engineer and inventor of the Britten motorcycle, who planned a large shopping complex along the aesthetic of old European stations. The current rest stop pays homage to the designer’s initial work and concept.
Once the tram is ready to roll again, a new driver takes over and invites tram-goers back on. I myself spent more time wandering Cathedral Junction and New Regent Street, walking to The Margaret Mahy Park and skatepark nearby with my siblings.
Large petals reach over the play area and nimble cobweb climbing frame, enveloping the children in safety. The playground is in bloom year-round with its floral design and interactive play. During initial reconstruction after the earthquakes, the city council found strong interest for a public park and, in 2013, the Amazing Place Competition challenged children to design “the world’s best playground.” The winning design was inspired by Margaret Mahy, a local children’s book author.
Back by Cathedral Junction, a new tram had pulled in. This one, energetically blue and the youngest of the trams, packed in customers and moved out of the station towards the hallmark Christchurch Cathedral.
As the tram moves past the cathedral, the eerie winding of wires through brick, a method used to reinforce the structure against another earthquake, has created a structural curiosity, yet not an anomaly. Further down the tracks, a similar structure lies in disrepair. The old Rydges hotel, formerly hosting Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana, and the likes of David Bowie, The Beach Boys, and more, was damaged in the earthquakes and will cost an estimated $100 million to repair. Wishing to return to its glory days, the Rydges hotel waits.
The city plans to remove the surrounding structures, including a six story parking lot, for redevelopment. The drivers are disappointed about the lack of improvement in the hotel more than ten years later; however, they are still holding out hope for it. Already the effects of Christchurch’s extensive rebuilding efforts are seen, as the tram makes a turn onto the new shopping and restaurant center on Oxford Terrace.
“The nostalgic feel of the attraction is a nod to the city’s past, and the route travels past examples of both restored heritage buildings as well as modern architecture, highlighting the city’s historic and modern ties,” notes a promotional brochure.
In line with the Ōtākaro river, the tram moves past lively crowds even in the middle of winter. It becomes difficult to hear the conductor as the loud restaurant-goers wave from their seats. These dynamic joints in the ride provide space to take in the life that spreads throughout the city. I let myself step back and reflect.
Christchurch is youthful and optimistic, while not disregarding its past. The tram dedicates itself to highlighting the overflowing city; evolving into something more than a tourist attraction, the tramway is a spirit of unbreakable resolve, akin to to all Christchurch residents.
Christchurch is youthful and optimistic, while not disregarding its past. The tram dedicates itself to highlighting the overflowing city; evolving into something more than a tourist attraction, the tramway is a spirit of unbreakable resolve, akin to to all Christchurch residents.