{"id":995,"date":"2025-10-03T03:20:42","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T03:20:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wherevershallwegonow.com\/?p=995"},"modified":"2025-10-03T04:42:31","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T04:42:31","slug":"beach-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wherevershallwegonow.com\/?p=995","title":{"rendered":"Beach days"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Beach days<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

dog friendly<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christchurch isn’t what you would call world renown for beaches but New Zealand is an island (or three to be precise) so you are never far from the sea. Here are a few sandy spots to visit if the urge takes you. Whether you\u2019ve got a dog like our cocker spaniel Marley or you\u2019re just looking for pleasant walk and ocean breeze – or you are feeling like braving the water for some body-surfing – generally a bit chilly for me! If you do decide to go for a swim, find the surf life save flags<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Waimairi Beach (New Brighton)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Just 15 minutes from the city centre, Waimairi (which runs on in a big long stretch from New Brighton beach) is one of the easiest beaches to get to. It\u2019s wide, sandy, and perfect for long runs (or, if you\u2019re not into sprinting, long wanders with a coffee in hand). There\u2019s a dedicated dog exercise area here, so you\u2019ll see plenty of wagging tails. Parking is simple, and it\u2019s close enough to nip back into town afterwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sumner Beach<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

About 20 minutes from central Christchurch, Sumner is more than just a beach \u2014 it\u2019s a little seaside village full of character. There are great cafes, fish and chip shops, and that easy-going holiday feel. Dogs are welcome but must be leashed on the main stretch during the busy summer season. If you head east towards Scarborough, you\u2019ll find more space for a good run. Non-dog owners will love the people-watching, the cafes, and that iconic cave walk at low tide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFish and chips smell better than anything. Ever.\u201d<\/em><\/p>– Marley<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Waikuku Beach (30 minutes north)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A bit further out, Waikuku is the kind of spot you head to when you want a quieter, family-style beach day. Dogs are allowed off-leash in certain areas, these are well sign posted, and the wide open sand is great for both flying kites and chasing tennis balls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Purau Beach (40 minutes from the city)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tucked away on Banks Peninsula, Purau is small, sheltered, and perfect for a calm swim. It\u2019s not a huge dog-spotting beach, but if you\u2019ve got a pup who likes a dip and you\u2019re after a slower pace, the it’s a lovely rural drive and you can look back across the harbour to Lyttleton, the main port of Christchurch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Whether you\u2019re four-legged or two, the Christchurch coastline has something for everyone: space to run, waves to splash in, and salty air that leaves you feeling like you\u2019ve had a proper day out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Things to know before you go<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you set out, it\u2019s good to know the general dog rules<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Dogs are usually allowed on the beaches, but in summer (from November to March) they must stay on-leash in patrolled swimming zones.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Outside those zones, you can let them run free \u2014 which is Marley\u2019s idea of paradise.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Always carry a lead, pick up after your pup, and look out for signs at the beach entrances.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cSigns? I don\u2019t read signs. I pee on them.\u201d<\/em><\/p> \u2013 Marley<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Beach days dog friendly Christchurch isn’t what you would call world renown for beaches but New Zealand is an island (or three to be precise) so you are never far from the sea. Here are a few sandy spots to visit if the urge takes you. Whether you\u2019ve got a dog like our cocker spaniel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":481,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wherevershallwegonow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/995","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wherevershallwegonow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wherevershallwegonow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wherevershallwegonow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wherevershallwegonow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=995"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/wherevershallwegonow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/995\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1009,"href":"https:\/\/wherevershallwegonow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/995\/revisions\/1009"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wherevershallwegonow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/481"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wherevershallwegonow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=995"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wherevershallwegonow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=995"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wherevershallwegonow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}