We were fortunate enough to stay with Elena and her family for a week as we passed through Christchurch on our tour of the South Island. Elena and her family are incredibly warm, welcoming, down to earth and above all generous people. There's a reason they have so many glowing reviews on airbnb - they are amazing! Our accommodations were super clean and comfortable, and Elena and John's home is definitely a place we looked forward to coming back to everyday to relax. We didn't have a set itinerary for the christchurch area and Elena and john helped to guide us to some great food and interesting areas of the city, all while filling us in on the area as long time residents. Their home in Hornby is a short distance by car or bus into the CBD and located very close to a number of supermarkets and shopping locations. Their neighbourhood is very nice, with a few tasty takeaways and a dairy only a couple of minutes walk up the street.
We're extremely interested in how Christchurch continues to develop post-earthquake. When we return we will absolutely be getting in touch with John and Elena in the hopes that they aren't all booked up! Miss you guys, big hugs!