Like Seattle, Christchurch is a technology hub. Tom Furness, a professor at the University of Washin

In the early 80s, Christchurch was looking for a West Coast connection and set their eyes on San Francisco for a sister coupons for alamo rental car city partnership. When San Francisco chose their bigger, flashier cousin coupons for alamo rental car Auckland instead, the Cantabrians settled for their second choice.
The son of the American ambassador to New Zealand was living in Seattle at the time. So was John Ballard, a New Zealand native and the founder of the aeronautics department at University of Washington.
Like Seattle, Christchurch is a technology hub. Tom Furness, a professor at the University of Washington, founded the Human Interface Technology lab, a joint venture between the University of Washington and The University of Canterbury. The HIT lab works to break down what Furness calls "the interface straight jacket coupons for alamo rental car between humans and computers."
Five months later, a second Earthquake hit. This one was very shallow and closer to the city. Although a lesser magnitude, this 6.3 quake had the highest peak ground acceleration ever recorded in an urban center. 185 people were killed and much of the center of the city and its classic neo-gothic architecture was destroyed. Since September 2010, Cantabrians have experienced over 11,000 aftershocks.
But like Seattleites, Kiwis are tough, and Christchurch proved coupons for alamo rental car resilient. Millions of dollars have gone into the rebuilding effort, and grassroots recovery initiatives like Gap Filler  have sprung up as well.
Where else can you enjoy Sunday coupons for alamo rental car morning service under a cardboard roof? Christchurch's iconic cathedral was destroyed beyond repair in the 2011 earthquake. Shigeru Ban , an Japanese architect, was hired to build Christchurch a temporary coupons for alamo rental car cathedral. Who knew cardboard was such a flexible and durable building material?
coupons for alamo rental car Like many cities, Christchurch's coffee culture began with one of Seattle most famous coupons for alamo rental car exports, Starbucks. Today things have changed and Christchurch has a thriving coffee culture where savvy baristas can whip up a proper cappuccinos that would make any Seattleite proud.
And like Seattle, Christchurch is a city made for lovers of the outdoors, with surfing and mountain biking less than a twenty minute ride from the city center. Skiing, rock climbing, kayaking and windsurfing are also all on Christchurch's menu.
How to fill your nights:  Often overshadowed (in so many ways) by Australia, New Zealand has its own boutique  wine culture  not to be forgotten. Start a good night off with a glass of local Pinot Noir, Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc, the three varieties coupons for alamo rental car it is most famous for.  Waipara Valley wineries  are only 40 minutes north of Christchurch.
How to fill your stomach: For a place that started out as somewhere where a bunch of Brits moved so they could become even more Puritan, Christchurch has a really diversified. coupons for alamo rental car Immigration laws have loosened and now Thai, Korean and Indian restaurants are all thriving on New Zealander's adventurous appetites.
For a modern take on Thai and great cocktails, try the  King of Snake . For fine dining check out Spanish Chef Javier Garcia's Curator's House restaurant located coupons for alamo rental car in the center of the Botanical Gardens. If you just want a bloody good burger and chips, Burgers and Beers, Inc. is a must.
When to go: New Zealand's weather is pretty nice year-round so the better question is 'when do you want to get away from Seattle?' Of course, winter here is summer there, so January, February and March make great times to visit.
Heard it from a local: "The way of life you people have in Seattle is really similar to the way of life we have in Christchurch, with the linkage between coupons for alamo rental car the ocean, the mountains and the forest, and the general lifestyle." (From a 2008 Seattle Channel video profiling Christchurch)
Abby Higgins Contributor Abby Higgins is a travel writer and journalist who splits her time between Kenya and her hometown coupons for alamo rental car in Washington State. She speaks French and Swahili and received her BA in Political coupons for alamo rental car Science from Bryn Mawr College. In addition to writing, she has spent the past three years working in development and women's rights in East Africa. You can read more of her writing at abbyhiggins.com.
Before the 2010 quake that hit Christchurch, I was able to visit the country after reading coupons for alamo rental car about it in a Travel coupons for alamo rental car Republic review . Last year, I was invited to be part of a media family to visit Christchurch, an opportunity for journalists to see not only the damage to the area, but also the steps taken toward the rejuvenation of a city.