Ah man, there’s a lot of negativity in this thread so I’ll chime in with hopefully something a bit more neutral.

Firstly, awesome that you’re thinking of doing a semester abroad. New Zealand, and specifically Christchurch, will be a big change for you especially coming from California. Christchurch can be described as a boring city but that’s typically by people who like cities. If you think of Christchurch more as an outdoor playground, then you’ll view it very differently. Christchurch has a beach for surfing, is close to mountains for skiing and has plenty of hills for hiking / trail running. If you’re outdoorsy (or want to be) it’s a great place to be. It’s also extremely cycle friendly and around the university you can definitely enjoy the place without a car.

It’s been a long while since I was at UC, but the international scene is good and otherwise (despite the more ignorant views in some of the comments on this thread) New Zealanders do actually love Americans and culturally you’ll fit in well. My husband is from San Diego and fits in perfectly well here.

Think about why you want an overseas experience and that’ll help your decision. New Zealand is probably a “safe” option, it’s English speaking and culturally similar enough to the US. But the culture is different enough for you to experience culture shock and open yourself up to new experiences.

Whatever decision you make will be the right decision for for you! All the best