A warm welcome to spring  2026 and to U3A Ōpāwaho, the newest U3A (University of the Third Age) in Canterbury.  In February this year, we celebrated our first anniversary and we are proud of our achievements since we began.  
We are part of an international network with several thousand U3A groups across multiple countries throughout the world. Our aim is to promote life-long learning in a positive environment where we can make new friends, study new topics and share our experiences. 
We meet at 10am on the second Tuesday of each month at St Marks Anglican Church, Opawa Road, Christchurch to enjoy a coffee, collect our name tags and meet up with friends.  Our guest speaker starts at 10.30am. 
We cover a wide range of interests and activities - everything from cycling to movies, wine appreciation to gardening, writing your memoir/family history, discussing the latest novel or appreciating fine wines, digital photography or the complexities of artificial intelligence.  You will find these and other interest groups in the following pages. They are updated on a regular basis.
If you would like to join our U3A, the process is easy. Just email us at u3aopawaho@gmail.com with your name and email details so that we can can contact you and explain what we do, where we meet and our interest groups. 
The 16th century English writer, poet and essayist Samuel Johnson wrote: ‘Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.’ It is as true today as it was then.     
Opposite: A heron's mirror image - photo taken by Walking Group convenor Sue Clark at Ferrymead Park Lake