New Brighton, New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Suburb: | New Brighton |
| City: | Christchurch |
| Island: | South Island |
| Surrounded by: | |
| to the north | Waimairi Beach |
| to the east | Pacific Ocean (Pegasus Bay) |
| to the south | Estuary of the Heathcote and Avon Rivers, and Southshore |
| to the west | Avondale and Bexley |
New Brighton is a coastal suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, to the east of the city centre.
Named after New Brighton in England, it is frequently referred to simply as Brighton, (occasionally leading to confusion with Brighton, near Dunedin).
The suburb is divided into three sections spread along the southern coast of Pegasus Bay: North New Brighton; New Brighton; and South New Brighton, which lies at the northern end of a narrow peninsula between the bay and the estuary of the Avon River. A pier was built here in the 1990s.
New Brighton was originally a distinct coastal village, separated from the then outer suburbs of Christchurch by the swampy areas adjoining the Avon River. However, urban expansion, land reclamation and drainage have led to Brighton being swallowed by Christchurch city.
The current attractions of the area include:
- a sandy beach, with good surfing, stretching 18 kms from the Waimakariri River mouth in the north, to the Spit in the south
- swimming with (summer) surf-club-supervised areas
- bird-watching at the Spit: godwits migrate from this area and their return is something of a local event
- cycling, walking, orienteering, geocaching in the extensive plantation areas which abut the northerly beach, and (of course) on the beach itself
- 4WD driving (permit required) in the extreme northern beach area
- pier and Council library on the foreshore, in Central New Brighton
- restaurants and art/craft-related shops: in growing numbers
[edit] Saturday trading
For several decades, New Brighton had the distinction of being the only place in New Zealand where general retail shops were permitted to open on Saturdays (remaining closed on Mondays), and the business district thrived as a result. With the introduction of nationwide Saturday trading in the 1980s and then seven-day trading, retail activity declined markedly.
