Richard7666
July 11th, 2009, 12:04 PM
If it's culture you want in a holiday, Invercargill and Hamilton have more to offer than Christchurch, according to the AA.
The AA's latest DestinationNZ newsletter lists the country's top 10 art and cultural destinations with Christchurch failing to win a spot, even falling behind New Plymouth.
The Ellerslie Flower Show, the Chalice in the Square and Buskers' Festival have failed to sway the AA.
And the snub has drawn outrage and shock from Christchurch civic leaders. Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said the list just served to demonstrate the ignorance of the AA.
"As an example of cultural awareness it's definite proof that the AA should stick to helping elderly citizens change flat tyres," he said.
"It gives a whole new meaning to shallow analysis. It's not even once over lightly, it's once over without thinking."
Parker said Christchurch had the country's largest and most successful theatre company, an award-winning art gallery, an active music scene, a world-beating collection of Gothic buildings and one of the finest collections of Maori artefacts.
Kath Low, Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism general manager, marketing and business development, was shocked.
"It's unbelievable," she said. "I'm absolutely amazed because I would have thought Christchurch would've been at the top.
"If you just look at what we've got in the cultural precinct the art gallery, Arts Centre and museum it's a fairly strong offering.
"There are other strong destinations in New Zealand, but we'd be among the best.
"Put against some of the others [on the list], I'm very surprised."
Low said they were told by tourists that Christchurch's culture was a big drawcard visitors to Canterbury Museum and the Christchurch Art Gallery totalled over 1.1 million in the last financial year, with both institutions reporting record numbers.
Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt was surprised but pleased with the recognition for the city in the deep south due to its Heritage Trail, which toured past the city's notable buildings.
"We missed the boom times of the 80s where most cities' heritage buildings were wiped out for glass buildings," he said. "We didn't lose that integrity in the inner city.
"I think this is recognition we've never had before it's nice to get the encouragement."
Shadbolt said it showed culture could not just be bought.
AA Destinations editor Kristy Turton said the list was not meant to be taken as gospel.
"It's just an opinion," she said. "You can only have 10 and somebody will always feel left out."
The full list, in order, is Wellington, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Nelson, Auckland, Invercargill, Hawke's Bay, Dunedin and Hamilton.
Lol at "even falling behind New Plymouth" and "Invercargill and Hamilton have more to offer than Christchurch, according to the AA."
It does beg the question though actually, Hamilton and Invercargill, bogan hotbeds as they are, do actually have a fair bit in the way of museums, galleries, and parks, along with relatively substantial tertiary student populations and music scenes. Hawke's Bay (well, Napier) has the whole art deco thing. Nelson has...well it used to have the Wearable Arts so it must have something. Wellington and Dunedin are self-explanatory, while even though Rotorua is supposedly not somewhere you'd want to live, it's got the Maori thing going on.
None of this warrants Chch's absence though, or Dunedin being so far down the list, or New Plymouth being so far up if it is to be included. Unless it's 'per capita' or something, but then you should probably kick Auckland off.
The AA's latest DestinationNZ newsletter lists the country's top 10 art and cultural destinations with Christchurch failing to win a spot, even falling behind New Plymouth.
The Ellerslie Flower Show, the Chalice in the Square and Buskers' Festival have failed to sway the AA.
And the snub has drawn outrage and shock from Christchurch civic leaders. Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said the list just served to demonstrate the ignorance of the AA.
"As an example of cultural awareness it's definite proof that the AA should stick to helping elderly citizens change flat tyres," he said.
"It gives a whole new meaning to shallow analysis. It's not even once over lightly, it's once over without thinking."
Parker said Christchurch had the country's largest and most successful theatre company, an award-winning art gallery, an active music scene, a world-beating collection of Gothic buildings and one of the finest collections of Maori artefacts.
Kath Low, Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism general manager, marketing and business development, was shocked.
"It's unbelievable," she said. "I'm absolutely amazed because I would have thought Christchurch would've been at the top.
"If you just look at what we've got in the cultural precinct the art gallery, Arts Centre and museum it's a fairly strong offering.
"There are other strong destinations in New Zealand, but we'd be among the best.
"Put against some of the others [on the list], I'm very surprised."
Low said they were told by tourists that Christchurch's culture was a big drawcard visitors to Canterbury Museum and the Christchurch Art Gallery totalled over 1.1 million in the last financial year, with both institutions reporting record numbers.
Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt was surprised but pleased with the recognition for the city in the deep south due to its Heritage Trail, which toured past the city's notable buildings.
"We missed the boom times of the 80s where most cities' heritage buildings were wiped out for glass buildings," he said. "We didn't lose that integrity in the inner city.
"I think this is recognition we've never had before it's nice to get the encouragement."
Shadbolt said it showed culture could not just be bought.
AA Destinations editor Kristy Turton said the list was not meant to be taken as gospel.
"It's just an opinion," she said. "You can only have 10 and somebody will always feel left out."
The full list, in order, is Wellington, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Nelson, Auckland, Invercargill, Hawke's Bay, Dunedin and Hamilton.
Lol at "even falling behind New Plymouth" and "Invercargill and Hamilton have more to offer than Christchurch, according to the AA."
It does beg the question though actually, Hamilton and Invercargill, bogan hotbeds as they are, do actually have a fair bit in the way of museums, galleries, and parks, along with relatively substantial tertiary student populations and music scenes. Hawke's Bay (well, Napier) has the whole art deco thing. Nelson has...well it used to have the Wearable Arts so it must have something. Wellington and Dunedin are self-explanatory, while even though Rotorua is supposedly not somewhere you'd want to live, it's got the Maori thing going on.
None of this warrants Chch's absence though, or Dunedin being so far down the list, or New Plymouth being so far up if it is to be included. Unless it's 'per capita' or something, but then you should probably kick Auckland off.