Chinese New Year in the Garden City: Your Christchurch City Car Rental Playbook
By early February, Christchurch has that easy summer glow: long golden evenings along the Avon, the Botanic Gardens at their lush peak, and day trips to Akaroa or Hanmer Springs begging to be taken. Add Chinese New Year celebrations lighting up the city from 7 February and you have one of the best times of year to be based here with wheels. Travellers planning car hire in Christchurch City for the full 14-night festival stretch should expect a tighter, pricier market than usual.
Every quote in this window comes from a single supplier, Ezi, which means your comparison shopping is really about categories, not companies. The spread runs from $1,848 for an Intermediate up to $3,444 for a large SUV, an 86 percent difference for what is mostly boot space and ride height. The smart move is booking the cheaper category early, because that $1,848 Corolla Cross will be the first thing to disappear off the shelf.
Four of the five cars on offer are hybrids, which suits summer driving here perfectly: Canterbury fuel prices sting, and a hybrid sips gently whether you are crawling down Colombo Street or cruising to Akaroa over the hill. Five seats are the norm, so a family of six needs to pounce on that lone seven-seater, likely a RAV4 at the upper end near $3,444. Two weeks of luggage for a family fits far better in an SUV, but a couple with soft bags will be perfectly content in the Corolla Cross.