[settersred]

Well guys, as hard as I tryed, I could not secure a camper for the day we arrive 10/4/07.

We was going to pick up the camper at Christchurch and drive to friends at Rangiora, where we could put up in their garden for a few days. Instead I now need to find somewhere to stay for the first few days.

Has anyone got any ideas on where to stay and the best sightseeing to do around the area, without transport and with 3 kids? I know that we will have the jet lag to deal with and a couple of days doing nothing would do us good, but I feel I don't want to waste a single day.

[Tia Maria]

If you do stay near the airport, then the International Antarctic Centre is only a couple of minutes away.

If I remember rightly you can even follow blue footprints on the ground from the airport to it:

www.iceberg.co.nz

Cheers

Tia

[vixxann]

Well guys, as hard as I tryed, I could not secure a camper for the day we arrive 10/4/07.


Just wondered if you had tried these guys...
http://www.fetchcampervanhirenewzealand.co.nz/
We have booked our camper through them - going with a Backpacker 6 berth
when I looked directly at Backpackers website it was cheaper to book it through Fetch! they were REALLY helpful AND we have got extra discount when we booked a hire car through them too.

Incidentally we will have dropped our camper off at Christchurch on 5/4/07 after bringing it down from Auckland and touring North Island for 11 days. We then switch for a hire car and are basing ourselves in C'church for a week.

Good luck with the camper or accomodation if you go that route ;)

[Moorf]

You'll have no problems getting around, there are lots of bus services from the airport in to town... and yes, the Antarctic Centre is right at the airport.

[Andy-Dee]

We have booked a '2 bed chalet' ' for want of a better description at the Top Ten site in CCH, we figured it was the best option with kids in tow and very reasonably priced.
D

[Malay-Coopers]

If my memeory serves me well, except for the Antartic Center there isn't much to do by the airport. There are lovely beaches and very good walks along the foothill between ChCh and the ocean. The Gardens downtown are great too.

[veronica]

If its more than overnight then I wouldn't bother staying at the airport area. get closer to the city where theres more to see and do., and don't discount backpackers.

The reason you may be having trouble with campers (indeed with any accommodation) is because the University games are on about then and there are masses of uni students down here to compete. with them of course there will also be parents girl/boyfriends etc. A lot of the backpackers are booked out for then but a few smaller ones havent taken group student bookings (us included).

[nippa&pippa]

Settersred, I live in burnside areas, right next to airport! just around the corner from place where you hire camper, breakaway/nomads. There are lots of motels down the road from my house and breakaway. There is antarctic centre at the airport as others mentioned. You also could try willowbank, orana wildlife park (all got private bus services) and there is mini golf place in pirate type few door from breakaway. City centre via bus 19, A, 3, 10, 17 and 14 is take 15mins from burnside. $2.50 per person each way and $1.80 for child.
So feel free what you want me to help you within this areas, even if you want to know motels etc....:nice1

[nippa&pippa]

Right, i would offer you stay at mine but got my parents and sister staying!

Here:

Look in www.wotif.com, then click NewZealand, South island, christchurch airport to give you all motels near airport...if you leave it till 28 days before you go, you will get cheap deal :nice1 If i am right that your camper is breakaway, then the name of road where camper is, is roydvale ave, there are few motels on that road...

If want to stay in city centre (that what we did, before went back to airport few days later to picked up camper) we stayed at http://www.questchristchurch.co.nz/ This is right in the middle of chch!! easy walk to places like kiwi house, tramway by your doorstep!! and many free shuttle start in square. You get more better chance of visiting places.

If want to stay half way of city centre/airport and in quiet areas, riccartons, try this www.ashleighcourtmotel.co.nz owned by very friendly family.

Only one things i want you think about....all of them are self-catering..that mean you need to do food shopping on arrival... or maybe you should think of staying in hotel to save the problem of getting food for evening? just a ideas...

[Tia Maria]

We stayed here, near the airport:

www.commodore.net.nz

Because we could get a room with a kitchenette and it had a swimming pool. But it was a little dated so I would only suggest it if you can get a good deal on WotIf.

Nippa & Pippa wrote:

Only one things i want you think about....all of them are self-catering..that mean you need to do food shopping on arrival... or maybe you should think of staying in hotel to save the problem of getting food for evening? just a ideas...

This is a good point, as we'd picked a place with a kitchenette so we could self cater if we wanted, especially as the kids were demanding food at 2am (the hotel does have a restaurant, but its not 24hrs). There really wasn't much in the way of shops near us, so do pick up whatever you can at the airport.

Alternatively just book into somewhere with a shuttle service, they pick you up when you arrive and often allow you to use it to go to various tourist attractions (particularly the International Antarctic Centre as they can drop you off on the way to picking up others from the airport.)

We didn't have a car in Christchurch and found the public transport to be fine. We used a combination of shuttles, buses and taxis.

Cheers

Tia

PS Its really strange going into the snow room at the Antarctic Centre, when its boiling hot outside!