Christchurch Backpackers and Cafe is budget accommodation on Union Street in New Brighton, Christchurch, pairing hostel rooms with a cafe, and it rates 4.0 from 45 Google reviews.
A good backpackers offers more than a cheap bed: expect a choice of dorms and private rooms, a well-equipped shared kitchen, secure luggage storage and staff who can point you to the right bus. The trade-off worth weighing in a suburb like New Brighton is location — beachside stays are quieter and often kinder on the wallet than the city centre, but it pays to check the trip into town before booking. Regular hostel-stayers also look closely at noise rules and how the shared kitchen is kept, since those shape a stay more than anything in the photos.
For surf, the pier and long morning walks on the sand, this Union Street spot puts Christchurch's seaside at the doorstep.