Christchurch vs. Wellington for a 3 week stay in July

Would you be seeking to do any winter sports while you were in NZ?

Maybe? I do like x-country skiing, but it wouldn't be my focus. My husband is hoping to surf and maybe hunt (bow and arrow). I'd be into hot springs, hikes, maybe snow-shoeing. I wish we could go when it's warmer, but this is when I have the time off.

The other thing to consider is that I will need to return, probably in November, for an embryo transfer (minus husband). So, in theory, I could maybe plan the trip back so I could get in one backpacking/hut trip before the transfer.

Hmm ... both are pleasant cities (but less good in July than summer).

If I were forced to make the decision, I would probably choose Wellington as being rather more cosmopolitan. Don't know about hunting with bows & arrows, but I think surfing would be a bit chilly in winter!

The two major surf destinations are on the North Island (Raglan and Gisborne) but they're not particularly close to Wellington. There is skiing at Mt Ruapehu, a few hours north of the city, plus some very good parts of the South Island (Queen Charlotte Sound, Abel Tasman NP, etc) are close too, via car ferry.

I'd say Wellington. The north island has, perhaps, more variety to offer in terms of city and country combination and transport options around the island. Additionally, and this is not a nice reason to pick Wellington over Christchurch, but Chch is still suffering from the earthquake of five years ago and is in many/most places a bit like a building site.

Ask an Aucklander about surf and they'll say Piha, Muriwai and Bethels Beach. All with good west coast surf.

Christchurch without a doubt - hospital facilities are excellent; outdoor opportunities are great; weather in winter is 100X better than Wellington's. Surf right on the doorstep; snow about 1 hr away.
Also accommodation is generally more available as CHC is a major tourist hub in summer so plenty of empty motels in the winter!

If your husband is into hunting you have a few national parks that allow hunting an hour drive from Wellington. He will most likely need to apply for a permit first.

Christchurch is colder than Wellington however Wellington has a permanent wind.

From Christchurch you have Dunedin, Kaikora and Queenstown close by.

From Wellington you have the Wairarapa for wineries/vineyards, Orongorongo's and Tauruas for hiking and hunting and Kapati Coast for beaches and surfing.

Closest snow from Wellington is a 5 hour drive north. From Christchurch it's a lot closer.

I'd pick Wellington. All of NZ has wind (comes with being an island rather than a large land mass) and the time you are looking at is not peak Wellington wind time. However a breeze can have its benefits - certainly not an air quality problem in Wellington while Chch has been prone to the inversion layer of pollution hanging around (though this has improved with banning of certain wood burning fires). Have lived in both and Chch is colder during winter. Wellington is a good city to spend down time in with lots of cafe's etc. Lots of walks around and the hills create amazing view points. Day trips up the Kapiti Coast and Wairarapa. Could even take the ferry over the Marlborough for a few days.