Where are the good areas to live in or around Christchurch New Zealand for a family ?

This very much depends on your budget and family living style you are looking for. If you want a good school to send kids to then it may be easier to be situated IN christchurch.
In which case fendalton, cashmere, sumner or mount pleasant are all very friendly, lovely places to take a look at.

Just OUT of christchurch may involve some commuting in and out of the city, but honestly traffic is not that bad in christchurch and it is usually a nice trip.
If you have plenty of money there is a new town being built very near christchurch called 'Pegasus' which looks to be a very promising, pleasant community. It is right by Pegasus bay and the water, so this modern little town would be great for a newly moved in family.
As someone said there is also Kaiapoi or Rangiora which are both just out of Christchurch. If you are looking for a slightly smaller community with all the same attractions these spots would be for you. There are local primary and secondary schools, big and small houses, and always the option to drive or take the bus into town.

Hope this helps.

I live In Christchurch New Zealand. I would recommend Kiapoi. Its a nice little community, and very tidy looking. Plenty of parks, pools, restaurants, cafes, shops. It Is also only a 15 minuite car ride Into Christurch.

There are quite a few nice areas to lives, but as pointed out it depends on what money you have as there are some wealthy areas that can cost a bit to live in!! Areas that I know have a pretty good reputation ( and probably more "exclusive) are Fendalton, Merivale and parts of Cashmere...there are quite a few areas that are good, but IN GENERAL the more western suburbs generally tend to have a better reputation than some in the east and south ( eg Linwood, Sydenem ahhh spelling. probably don;t have the greatest reputations in the world, but there will be good areas within them.
I am going by schools ( as I worked as a teacher there) and there are some very good schools....ones I can recommend are Christchurch Girls and Christchurch Boys ( the former having an excellent reputation), Riccarton High School, Burnside High School are all good, while there are others that are ok too eg Avonside Girls.

There are quite a few lifestyle blocks now around chch and they are scattered around the place...as for towns Rangiora and Kaipoi are north of the city and Rollerston to the west/south which is a new town being devloped at the moment, but there are other areas that are nice.....

Try woodend. Peaceful place. But quite a while to christchurch and petrol is going up so eck!! Well or live in chch and look for a place near schools for yor kids. Halswell is good cause theres halswell primary and another school called canterbury christian college near by at aidenfield.

good luck!

Anywhere outside Christchurch within 30 minutes drive to the city is good, so long as there are schools, churches and shopping malls nearby.

well some suburbs avonhead,cashmere(expensive),fendalton(e... a big mall),ilam,bryndwr,merivale(expensive),b... brighton,redcliffs,bishopdale,redwood

west is good
south is above average
north is good
east isnt that good

im living back in napier now, but while i was in chch, i lived in shirley, richmond, woolston, cashmere, pretty much all over the show, and i loved every place i was in. i think that you can make a place a home and be happy where you are. there was one place i would never live in and that was aranui...to rough for me. the place i was living at in woolston, was awesome. nice culdesac area, little park near by, nice quiet street, friendly neighbours. you just need to feel comfortable where you are living too.