Don’t let the city’s pious name fool you. Christchurch has a raft of adult entertainment and NSFW services available.
And it’s all completely above board thanks to New Zealand’s progressive sex work laws. The city is home to a couple of high-quality brothels, a vast escorting scene and several adult venues. While the scene here is much smaller than, say, Auckland’s, there’s plenty for us to sink our teeth into.
In this Christchurch sex guide, we take you through the best of the adult attractions in the Garden City. From high-end escort agencies, to brothels and strip clubs, swinger events, local sex parties and adult retail stores. Let’s crack on…
Sex In Christchurch
Sex and Prostitution In Christchurch
New Zealand has one of the world’s most liberal approaches to sex work, and unlike in Australia (where it differs state by state), this applies nationwide.
Prostitution is fully decriminalised across the nation, meaning buying, selling, and brothel-keeping are legal so long as everyone’s an adult and consents.
Christchurch embraces this Kiwi model with pride. Sex workers here have the same workplace rights as anyone else… they can refuse clients at any time and are protected by general labour laws. Punters, likewise, do not have to worry about getting collared by the police for partaking in the world’s oldest trade.
While the local sex industry operates openly, without shame or stigma, it is undoubtedly smaller than the scene in Auckland… and a drop in the ocean compared to Aussie cities like Sydney or Melbourne.
Who cares about quantity though?
It’s the quality that counts, and here CHCH delivers.
The Garden City serves up a uniquely Kiwi blend of chill and cheeky: sex venues are legal and regulated, yet the city’s English heritage and rebuild after 2011 have kept things a bit more understated.
Escort Industry
If you prefer your fun delivered to your door (or hotel), Christchurch’s escort scene has you covered.
Independent escorts and small agencies abound, advertising mostly online where their clients can find them easily. In fact, online escort directories are the lifeblood of the NZ sex industry.
The biggest player is NZGirls, which once held an estimated 90% of the market for escort ads. So much so it faced calls to be investigated for anti-competitive behaviour – a marker of how far the sex industry has come, if nothing else!
Other platforms have accused it of bullying escorts into listing exclusively with them. Whether or not that’s true, we’ve seen plenty of alternative websites getting some decent exposure in recent years.
Rivals like Escortify and VipGirls (50+ escorts) are worth checking out.
While the options above are known for pooling hundreds of escort ads, and providing the widest choice in Christchurch, they are not particularly well “curated”.
Customers looking to have their hands held, or simply wanting their ‘exact spec’ catered for, can opt for one of the popular local agencies instead:
Executive Girls – Sydenham-based agency offering a roster of around 30 sex workers (not just female – male and trans, too). 1 hour outcall starts at $320 for full service.
Stella House – A bespoke escort service in CHCH with focus on Asian girls. The menu isn’t published on the website (they say call to ask), but we’ve seen promo materials advertising 1 hour for $220 with their models. Appears to be a separate VIP tier at $320/hr.
Venus Room – A brothel operating from the centre of the old Woolston Industrial area, Venus is just as happy to send their girls to your hotel or private residence. Overnights available, too ($2000 for 8 hours).
One quirk in Christchurch (and NZ broadly) is the strong presence of touring and immigrant sex workers. By most accounts, foreign providers now outnumber local Kiwi girls. This has led to the price of hiring a local Kiwi girl increasing quite dramatically over the last few years.
If you like doing your due diligence before hiring a courtesan, check out Reddit’s r/NZEscortReviews.
Christchurch Brothels
Christchurch’s brothels operate legally, though there aren’t too many major names due to advertising restrictions.
The city council restricts larger brothels to certain commercial areas and regulates their marketing efforts.
We’re left with a city that clearly favours the independent escort market (or massage shops) over traditional brothel venues.
Still, there are a few well-known players worth mentioning:
Atomic Massage – 54 Byron Street, Sydenham. Formerly known as LA Girls, is a boutique brothel with over a dozen escorts working from its Byron Street venue. Full service starts at $175 for 30 minutes. Plus you get a massage thrown in. Look for the 54:
Venus Room – 15 Thackers Quay, Woolston. Not just an escort agency. Venus has one of the more polished incall setups in town. Themed rooms, spa facilities, and a bar area where you can have a drink with your chosen companion before heading off for private time.
Executive Girls – Another agency hybrid, runs a private brothel location by arrangement. They’ve been around since before the quakes.
All operator-run brothels in Christchurch must be in approved zones and at least 100m from sensitive sites like schools/churches by law. But thanks to a successful court challenge in 2005, even suburban neighborhoods can host small owner-operated brothels (SOOBs) up to 4 workers.
Inevitably, that means a lot of sex work happens quietly in discretely run private homes and apartments shared by SWs. You only find out the address once a private booking has been confirmed (via the escort directories or agencies featured above).
Red Light Districts
The city once had a well-known red-light zone: Manchester Street in the CBD.
Pre-2011, Manchester St (and the stretch between Lichfield and Bealey Ave) was infamous for late-night curb-crawling and blinking brothel signs. Street-based sex workers would line Manchester and the alleys around Latimer Square. It was the stroll.
Then came the February 2011 earthquake, which upheaved more than just buildings. The downtown cordon and destruction of many clubs let to the decimation of any coordinated RLD scene.
Some SWs migrated to new areas like the eastern end of Ferry Road in Woolston and the residential north end of Manchester Street in St Albans… much to the dismay of local residents, who were not particularly impressed with the arrival of hookers and punters on their doorstep.
Some residents pushed for a new bylaw to ban street soliciting in residential zones, but police and the NZPC argued that would only make things more dangerous for the women.
Nothing came of the push.
So, where does that leave Christchurch’s red light district today?
Well, it’s a moving target…
Manchester Street is still the spiritual home… and many street workers have since drifted back closer to the CBD as it rebuilt. You might spot a few freelancers lingering north of Bealey Ave on Manchester on weekend nights, or along side streets in light industrial areas.
In terms of a single strip where adult entertainment coexists, Christchurch doesn’t really have an equivalent to Auckland’s K’ Road. The scene is much more spread out.
The Price of Sex in Christchurch
So how much does a slice of horizontal fun cost in CHCH?
The short answer: less than in Auckland, but roughly the same as elsewhere in NZ.
Brothel Prices: You’re generally looking at around $120-$150 for 30 minutes, or $220-$300 for a full hour. The incall venues that double up as escort agencies (like Venusroom) lean more expensive since they don’t really budge with their rates. The massage parlour hybrids are typically cheaper.
Escort Prices: Freelance escorts in Christchurch have a going rate of roughly $200-$300 per hour for GFE. We occasionally see new girls advertising at the lower end (around $180/hr). You’ll note that the escorts here are much more likely to offer shorter time bookings (20 or 30 minutes). That’s generally not seen in Australia (you’d have to go to a brothel for a quickie instead).
Erotic Massage Prices: Rates are a bit lower than full service but not by much. Typically $80-$100 for a half hour sensual massage, $140-$180 for a full hour. Some massage parlours offer a tiered menu: $100 for HJ finish, $150 for oral finish, maybe $200 if they allow mutual touch or self-service on her.
Street Rates: Said to be roughly $50-$100. Not worth the risk.
Of course, YMMV.
A $100 quickie with Jane Doe off Manchester St won’t compare to a $250 hour with a highly-rated independent in a luxury hotel.
Erotic Massage Shops
Christchurch has a number of small shops and luxury spas dedicated to erotic massage.
At the high-end, you have boutique venues like Tender Touch (25 Carlyle Street, Sydenham), serving Christchurch for over 30 years with around 8-10 ladies on hand at any given time. TT has fully nude masseuses who leave “absolutely nothing untouched”. There’s also one guy on their roster (Carlos), available for women and couples.
The place is fully discreet – no signage, private entrance, booking by phone.
Prices start at just $90 for a 10 minute “hand relief special”. If you’d rather relax into the moment, their 1 hour costs $170. Full service is not available here.
There are several other parlours that follow a similar setup – Atomic Massage (54 Byron Street, Sydenham), Miss Relax (505 Papanui Road, Papanui), plus a variety of well-established independent masseuses, including several tantra practitioners.
And, of course, there’s a crap ton of erotic body rub ads on Locanto.
It’s worth noting that many independent escorts also offer erotic massage as a service. So you might find someone on NZGirls listing a lower rate for “sensual massage only” for clients who want a hands-on experience without penetration.
In NZ, there’s no separate license needed for massage vs brothel… it’s all under the Prostitution Reform Act. However, some massage parlours pretend to be legit therapeutic centres for zoning reasons, so they might be a bit coy publicly.
Sex Clubs In Christchurch
The 2011 quakes put an end to Christchurch’s one and only local swingers club.
The closest thing we’ve seen to a replacement is Tawse Manor, a 20 minute drive out in North Canterbury. Their website is currently down, but we see they have a presence on one of the region’s leading swinging networks – KiwiSwingers.
It’s possible they may have some upcoming events, but we’ve seen reports that the owners packed up and moved to Dunedin.
Either way, KiwiSwingers is a good place to start if you’re looking to explore the local Lifestyle around CHCH.
Other good options are Red Hot Pie and SDC.
For guys looking for gay action, check out Menfriends (427 Tuam Street, Phillipstown). It’s a popular sauna with a variety of themed play rooms.
There’s also a local “non-profit, pansexual” BDSM group called UncommonBonds. It hosts regular meet-ups and munches.
Christchurch Strip Clubs
If you’re looking for some titty bar action, you’ve basically got two options to choose from:
Calendar Girls – 63 Victoria Street, Christchurch Central City. This is the flagship gentlemen’s club in town, part of the famous Calendar Girls franchise. After the earthquakes, Calendar Girls set up in a swanky new multi-level venue on Victoria, helping turn that area into a late-night hot spot.
The Diamond Lounge – 32 Allen Street, Christchurch Central City. A newer entrant, the Diamond Lounge is something of a boutique strip club. It’s been marketing itself via social media as an exclusive experience, and it appears to be connected to the Calendar Girls brand. The details are a bit murky – as is often the case in the strip club industry!
Local Sex Shops and Adult Stores
Finally, what are the best shops around town for getting you adult retail fix?
Adult Mega Store – 632 Colombo St, Christchurch Central. A chain of large adult supermarkets carrying everything from basic condoms to eye-popping fetish gear.
Peaches and Cream – 586 Colombo Street, Christchurch Central City. Their megastore on Colombo St is not far from AMS… guess Colombo St has quietly become our mini “adult shop district.” P&C has a bright, welcoming store with all of the latest sex toys, lingerie, DVDs, lubricants, bondage gear, novelties and so on. They have a rep for their huuuge DVD and magazine selection.
Weirdos Adult Store – 397 Main South Road, Hornby. An unusual adult store stocking everything from dildos and vibrators to… skull mugs and gothic clocks? We’d love to hear the story behind this one!
There are also multiple Seductiva branches scattered around Christchurch (and indeed, most of NZ!). They’re known for a wide selection of vibrators and wand massagers.
What are your thoughts on the Christchurch sex scene today?
Drop us a comment or a private email if we’ve missed anything important!
