Wouldn't say that about Christchurch being better looking - and I say this as somebody who just got off the plane from there, and who spent a few days in Wellington over the weekend. It's flat as a fucking pancake, so for scenic value Wellington's hills and harbour win by a mile. Go up Mount Vic and you get treated to a much better looking city than if you go up the Port Hills and look back to Christchurch.
Christchurch certainly shits on everywhere else in New Zealand for great parkland though. The new ground at Hagley Park is possibly the best cricket venue in the country, maybe behind the Basin since the latter has all the tradition.