[Mr TW]

Almost all Christchurch residents (98 per cent) said they felt safe in their homes during the day, the 2006 Quality of Life survey found, and 96 per cent said they felt safe at home during the night.

But 58 per cent of residents reported feeling unsafe in the central city during night hours.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10425221

[Mr TW]

Reading through the rest of the article, tbh Chch sounds like any other small city. But what are your perceptions? Its interesting from our point of view as Chch had been identified as our destination in NZ (allthough its going to take more than this to put us off) ;)

[Moorf]

I voted yes, because on the whole I do.

However, it comes with a caveat.... there ARE areas where I wouldn't wander around at night, either on my own or with hubby. I wouldn't, for instance, be on Brighton beach late at night on my own, or in some of the less salubrious surburbs, yet I frequently went on the beach at midnight in Sumner with my dog, on my own....

Town centre - much like small town UK really - use your common sense. But we've never had probs in Chch city either during the day or night which would cause us to feel unsafe. You do hear of flare ups in the city centre but we've never seen one, but I'm sure all pubs the world over have their problems near closing time!

The only "criminal element" I see are usually behind the wheel of a car....

[wilson182]

I voted yes, because on the few nights out that I have had in the city centre I have felt very safe and not really come across "trouble".

Are you specifically talking about the city centre or Christchurch in general cause it's a big place. As moorf says, you still need to use common sense.... even in New Zealand.

[nippa&pippa]

Compare with UK's city and town i have been at night, chch is very quiet! :yes

[K&CS]

Unfortunately, with 3 kids, I don't really get to be in Chch at night! OH has been out a few times without me and felt safe. As Helen said, you need to use common sense. I don't think it is a good thing for a woman to be wandering alone late at night wherever you are.

[nippa&pippa]

Same as kate, i haven't been out at night apart from pop down to 24hour supermarket :laugh
But was in city centre at night last april visit...my husband and i did notice how quiet it was....

[Moorf]

Good timing this... the main news and Tonight (on in 10 mins) feature articles on how safe Kiwi's feel in their cities and Chch came out with about 58%+ feeling unsafe!

Interesting that the Mayor said "perception is hard to measure" - I like that!

[veronica]

well Pete and I walk the dogs at night in the east (not so good) side of the city centre and I have on occasions walked them by myself there too, never had any probs, also tend to walk back from the city centre on the rare occasion we go out and have never seen or experienced anything untoward. During the summer we have about 24 guests a night at the backpackers and most of them have at least one night out in town and return in the early hours of the morning while in Chch and in 3 summers have had nothing bad happen. Can only go by our own experience.