Sumner Beach, a part of Christchurch in New Zealand, is a popular spot for locals and tourists that sits seaside along the east coast. It is a short drive or bus ride from the Christchurch CBD.
It’s so sad to hear about the cliff collapses and damage to homes, commercial buildings, Shag Rock and more from the earthquakes. The photos below are from a week before the February 2011 earthquake.
To go by bus from the CBD, just hop on a Metro Bus – Route 3. When approaching Sumner Beach and the village you immediately see all of the homes in the hills.
Sumner Beach is a great place to take walk along the esplanade, go (wind) surfing, swim safely, or just chill and take in the scenery. A lot of people say it has a Mediterranean seaside feel to it.
Looking to the west, you can see the Southern Alps off in the distance. The only thing missing from this view is the Christchurch skyline, which you can see from the right vantage point and on a good weather day.
A stony outcrop formed of volcanic rock dominates the area and beach landscape, highlighted by Cave Rock.
Some up close shots of Cave Rock. People can go inside the cave and explore during low tide.
Climbed on top of Cave Rock and got this shot towards the east.
Sumner Village has shops, cafes and small eateries. It definitely has the cozy, small town feel. Always wanting an iced chocolate when in New Zealand or Australia, I stopped into Coffee Culture, a local chain, for one. Delicious.
Sumner Beach is a great beach in New Zealand and a spot I’ll keep going too over and over again. What do you like best about Sumner Beach? What is your favorite beach to go to in New Zealand?
