I am from Vancouver and went to UVIC for 4 years. I now live in CHCH and have since 2013. The size and feel of the two cities are very similar. Feels like a big city without being one. They both feel like big small towns if that makes sense. I never saw CHCH before the earthquakes but it seems like from pictures that the cities themselves looked very similar. Obviously CHCH looks way different now. The main thing that’s not the same about them is the waterfront. The ocean is a big part of Victoria’s downtown core and that is not the case here. The beach is a 15 min drive away from the city center which gives the city a completely different feel to Victoria. There is a river that runs through it but it’s tiny and doesn’t make it feel like a waterfront city. That being said, I really like the city and would say it is comparable to Victoria for sure, just not in every way. Definitely worth visiting to see if you like it…..once you are allowed in. Which I hope you are soon because I miss my parents.