26 Jul 2024

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With time to spare and places to see, Canadian tourist Guillaume decided to explore Christchurch his way.

He has now clocked up just under 900km of running and hiking over his six-month visit – utilising the city’s public transport and a pair of sneakers.

“To explore the beautiful Ōtautahi I grab a bus, start to run, then grab another bus to get back. It’s amazing that we can get in and out of the city or to nice urban places that easily,” Guillaume says.

“Being able to start somewhere and finish somewhere else is great – you couldn’t do that with a car.”

Exploring the Port Hills is the top of Guillaume’s favourites list, taking in the array of interconnected paths, change of panorama and the elevation. “I love rugged places, rocks and boulders and going up and down.

“But I also love broad leaves forests, and I’ve found the nicest places for that are along the Waimakariri River and some places along the Styx River.”

Guillaume runs for the pleasure of it, as a way of exploring Aotearoa.

The Christchurch 360 Trail and Council’s walking maps guided Guillaume’s running plans, helping him to discover what the city has to offer. “I just run when I feel like it, for the pleasure of it,” he says.

“I’m often stopping to take pictures and watch birds, so my average speed would probably be awful!”

Exploring walking tracks isn’t the only way this keen explorer has taken in the sites of the Garden City. After participating in the City Nature Challenge, Guillaume volunteered at a Council-led tree planting day.

“Being on unpaid leave comes with an upside – you have a lot of time,” he says.

“So, I got in touch with the Council’s Parks team through the Nature Challenge and looked into Council’s volunteer opportunities, and I ended up tree planting. It’s been a great way to discover places.”

Tree planting season is underway until the end of August. Find out more about volunteer opportunities in our parks here.

Explore Christchurch’s parks and walking tracks here.