Abbott House : Christchurch Apartment Accommodation

Sumner, premier seaside suburb of Christchurch, is a small village, however there is much to do here. You can relax at one of the many cafés and restaurants in the village, just minutes from the Abbott House apartment. You can walk, run, cycle along the beach, or escape the houses within a few minutes of your accommodation by heading into the hills for stunning views. You can often see the Kaikoura mountains 150km away. You can surf, canoe, paddle or swim in the sea. In summer, there are manned surf-lifesaving areas on the far side of Cave Rock and at Taylor's Mistake.

See:

• Surf Webcams

• Restaurants

• Other Shops

• Walks

• Cycling

• Golf Courses

• Skiing

Surf Webcams

To check what the surf and weather are doing look at the views from:

• Brighton Pier              (©NIWA, our house is in the far distance)

• Taylor's Mistake         (next bay round from Sumner)

• View from Richmond Hill  (over northwest part of Sumner Beach)

Restaurants

Sumner has a many restaurants and cafés. Here (in no particular order) is a selection of Sumner food outlets. All shops are in the main shopping area unless stated. 

For a full list and some menus, see The SumnerToFerrymead Restaurant Guide.

Name	Our Comments	Options	Hours	Phone
Indian Sumner	Great Indian food. A personal favourite for take out, also very popular to eat inside this tiny restaurant, or outside on a hot evening.		Tues-Sun 5pm - 10:30pm	326 4447
Wakefields	Another favourite for superb food and wine. Why travel into town when such good food and service are here, and you can walk home along the beach?? Best to book. The happening place at the weekends, which often start early on a Thursday.		Mon-Thurs 4pm - late Fri-Sun 11am - late	326 7230
Delilicious Café	We are addicted to this bakery/cafés date and orange muffins. Get a full range of supplies for a picnic lunch or dinner here. Great coffees with perfect rosetta patterns.		Mon - Sun 7:00am - 6pm	326 7362
Dot Com	Another favourite café, especially for breakfast of coffee and muffins. Internet terminals at the back of the café.		Mon-Sun 7:30am - 9:30pm	326 4000
Coffee Culture	This café is the place to be seen and to see - great people watching spot. Freshly roasted coffee daily.		Mon-Fri 7:30am - 9.30pm Sat-Sun 8am - 11pm	326 5900
Tart Cafe & Deli	Very popular, a personal favourite with great food and coffee, sunny outdoor seating.		Mon-Fri 7.30am - 5pm Sat-Sun 8.30am - 6pm	326 7111
The Cornershop Bistro	Very bright and cheery decor. Great dining, also good for a casual snack or light meal.		Wed-Fri 9:30am - late Sat, Sun 8:30am - late	326 6720
Club Bazaar Pizzeria	Gourmet pizzas in a very informal atmosphere - it looks like a DIY challenge in places!!. Old fashioned game machines will keep the kids amused for hours. Eat in, or take-away.		Mon-Sat 5pm - late Sun 12pm - late	326 6155
Ruptured Duck Pizzeria	Eat in, or take-away		Mon-Fri 5pm - 10pm Sat-Sun 12pm - late	326 5488
Ruptured Duck Bar			Mon-Fri 5pm - 10pm Sat-Sun 12pm - late	326 5488
Scarborough Fare	By the clock tower at the Scarborough end of the beach. This café has great views of the surf - choose between eating inside or al fresco with the seagulls and sun.		Mon-Sun 10am - 4:30pm	326 6987
Red Snapper Fish&Chips	On corner of Nayland St and Wakefield Ave. Pick up some excellent fish and chips and head down to the beach to watch the sunset.		Mon-Sun 12pm - 8pm (often a bit later on Fridays)
Poseidon	By Cave Rock, this café / restaurant has fantastic location on the beach.		Mon-Fri 9:30am - late Sat-Sun 8:30am - late	326 7090
Marine	The local pub and local institution.			326 6609
KB's Bakery	Formula food.		Mon-Sun 7am-5:45pm	326 7701
Odyssey	Fish and Chips. - new decor in 2005
Sumner Ice Cream Parlour	By Cave Rock, handy for beach.
Salt Bar Cafe	"Come in for great coffee and a snack, all-day dining or a glass of wine"		Mon-Fri 7am - late Sat-Sun 8am - late	326 4774

=Restaurant

= Café

= Take-Away

= Delivery

Other Shops

Here is a selection of some of the shops in Sumner. All shops are in the main shopping area.

Here is a very small selection of local Christchurch walks.
All times are estimates only, and reflect our personal experience of a couple in their 40's walking together at a comfortable pace.
Please ask us for more ideas - there are hundreds of walks in the area many begin just minutes from the Abbott House apartment or B&B.

New Zealand is an island, subject to rapid and unpredicted weather changes. Please dress sensibly, and let someone close to your accommodation know where you are going and when you are likely to return. In summer, sun-block is essential.
In winter take warm wind-proof clothing.

Abbott House to Taylor's Mistake (120 mins return)

Overview: Spectacular views over Sumner and Christchurch. If the surf is up, watch the surfers in the gentler surf of Sumner, or wilder surf of Taylor's Mistake. At Taylor's Mistake see the unique baches, built over the years as personal holiday homes. Uniquely in New Zealand, a few of the homes are built into the caves along the cliffs.
Fitness: Total climbing of around 300m (up and down).
Directions: Walk to the beach. Turn right. Follow the shore line until just before the boat slipway, then follow the cliff path to Taylor's Mistake.

Taylor's Mistake to Boulder Bay (60 mins return)

Overview: A gentle undulating track along the cliff tops. Janet spent much of her childhood in Boulder Bay, which has a handful of baches. Her father rebuilt Rosy Morn, the second-to-last bach in Boulder Bay.
Fitness: Total climbing of around 100m (up and down).
Directions: Go to the end of Taylor's Mistake beach furthest from Christchurch. Follow the cliff line. When you can see the houses in Boulder Bay, follow the main track inland until you reach a stile. Follow the path down to the water.

Abbott House via Captain Thomas Track to the top of Evan's Pass (120 mins return)

Overview: A steady climb from Sumner to the top of Evan's Pass giving great rural views of Sumner valley and village, with a view from the top of Lyttelton harbour.
Fitness: Gentle steady climb of c.200m.
Directions: The track starts in Wakefield Ave, near the end of Denman St. Follow the marked trail.

Barnett Park to Cave (50 mins return)

Overview: Rural walk up to an open cave. At the weekend, look out for rock climbers to the side of the right-hand trail.
Fitness: Gentle steady climb of c.150m, round trip of c.3km.
Directions: Start at Barnett Park, which is on Main Rd on the Sumner Side of Redcliffs (between the new World Supermarket and the Christchurch Yacht Club). Walk up track on one side of the valley, then down track on the other side.
Note: Allow a further 25 mins each way to walk from Abbott House to Barnett Park.

Cycling

Sumner caters for both road cyclists and mountain bikers, and the options can be linked together. You can disappear for hours should you want to, or you run out of energy. Ask Chris for more details, but a quick summary must mention:

• Single-trail mountain bike trail from the top of Evans Pass all the way to Godley Head, with the option of returning the same route and ending up with a short fast fun 250m plus descent on the road, or you can divert off-road for a tricky downhill to Taylor's Mistake, with a sharp climb out just when you are really feeling tired. (Allow 1 - 2 hours or even more).

• Road or mountain bike along the Summit Rd - many climbs but just as many downhills. In many places there is an off-road option just below the road.

• "Short Bays" road route - Sumner, stay on Christchurch side of hills round to Dyers Pass and then go up and over Dyers Pass, through Governors Bay, round to Lyttelton and back to Sumner (1.5 hrs for a very fit cyclist).

• "Long Bays" road route - Sumner, stay on Christchurch side of hills round to Gebbies Pass and then go up and over Gebbies Pass, round to Governors Bay, on to Lyttelton and back to Sumner (2.5 hrs for a very fit cyclist).

Golf Courses

There are over 20 Christchurch golf courses within an hour's drive, ranging from my favourite, the pretty 12-hole Charteris Bay course ($15 green fees, phone 329-4799) to the new championship Clearwater Resort ($60 - 90 green fees). For a list of contact details for Canterbury courses see the NZ Golf Courses site.

Skiing

There are at least eight ski-fields within two (and a bit) hours' travel from Abbott House B&B and apartment accommodation. Check out the latest conditions at the Snowco site.

"Christchurch apartment accommodation with a stunning seaside setting."