This Info Pack has been designed to help educators plan and coordinate field trips to Christchurch, for students focusing on key aspects of Tourism or Hospitality in their studies. Information has been provided about available and discounted accommodation and food options for groups, as well as interactive sessions at operational business and activity sites. Sessions include a combination of talks from industry professionals, on current and relevant business and tourism topics, as well as discounted activity options, for those looking to combine practical learning opportunities with time spent in an operational environment. More information on Education and Training options in your region can be found at www.tourism.net.nz

Activity and Talk Options

Velocity Karts

Harnessing the Canterbury wind, under the guidance of trained staff, guests will be sailing in no time. Velocity Karts have a range of equipment to suit all conditions and confidence levels and also offer electric Drift Karting and Human Foosball to complete the range of sustainable experiences.

Talk Topics:

• The Blo Kart; a unique, Kiwi invention with a zero-carbon footprint. Setting up, reading the wind, sailing and racing
• Building a start-up and reputation from scratch; establishing a business in the middle of an earthquake ravaged zone, marketing on a shoestring and overcoming challenges
• Delighting the customer
• Teamwork, health and safety
• Providing an adventure type activity for guests with accessibility requirements and disadvantaged sector
• Decision-making in dynamic conditions
• Sustainability of company

Activity Option:

• Blo Kart land sailing
• Electric Drift Karts
• Human Foosball

Timings: Sessions start at midday. Allow at least 2hrs

Location: Opposite 499 Pages Road, Bexley Reserve, Bexley, Christchurch

Opening Hours: Summer: Mon – Sun. Winter: Thu – Mon. Velocity Karts will open at other times for groups of 10+

Contact: Ian Brown; Owner - [email protected] / 0278356248

Cost: $30pp or $24pp for groups of 10+

Other: Super easy and safe, for ages 8+. Tandem option available. Blo Karts are easily sailed by people with disabilities. Tables available for BYO picnic lunch and take-out pizza available nearby. Full safety equipment provided and RAMs available. Covered shoes must be worn on Karts

Christchurch Attractions

Christchurch Attractions is locally owned and operated and offer Gondola and Tram rides, Punting on the Avon and Botanic Gardens.

Activity Option:

• Gondola: ride to the summit of the Port Hills and experience stunning views of the city and Lyttleton Harbour. At the summit station, explore the waking tracks or learn about the history of the area on the Time Tunnel Ride – entry free with gondola ticket.
• Punting on the Avon(no wheelchair access)
• Tram: all-day hop-on hop-off tickets allow you to visit central city sights at your leisure
• Botanic Gardens: Te Māra Huaota o Waipapa translates as the Botanical Gardens of Waipapa (Waipapa being the name of the area along the Ōtākaro–Avon River where the Gardens are located).

Timings:

• Gondola- 1hr (15min drive from central city)
• Tram City Tour- 50min for 1 loop
• Punting on the Avon - 45min (30mins on the water)
• Botanic Gardens – as long as you like

Location:

• Gondola: 10 Bridle Path Rd, Heathcote Valley
• Tram: Office at the Tram Shop, 109 Worcester Street, Cathedral Junction
• Punting on the Avon: Antigua Boat Sheds, 2 Cambridge Terrace
• Botanic Gardens: Hagley Park, Riccarton Avenue

Opening Hours:

• Gondola: 10am – 4pm, Daily, except Christmas Day
• Tram: Oct – Mar 9am - 5pm, April - Sep 10am - 4pm, Daily
• Punting on the Avon: April – Sep 10am - 4pm, Oct – Mar 9am - 4.30pm, Daily. Closed Public Holidays
• Botanic Gardens: 7:30am – 6:30pm, Daily. Conservatories 10am – 4pm, Daily

Contact: Christy Martin, [email protected]

Cost: Email Christy for group deal prices and packages. Botanic Gardens FOC

Other: RAMs available on request. Email Christy for wheelchair accessible Tram Timetable. Gondola can accommodate manual wheelchairs up to 600mm wide. Red Rock Café at top of Gondola. Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre and Ilex Café open 9am – 4pm, daily

International Antarctic Centre

The International Antarctic Centre transports a slice of this astounding continent to Christchurch, with a range of immersive experiences that allow everyday visitors to see, touch, feel and fall in love with Antarctica, all carefully developed to offer adrenalin, inspiration, education and entertainment.

Talk Topics: Choose from a combination of Space, Science, Nature, Environments, Geology and Astro Tourism

Activity Options: IAC offer a range of Antarctic Academy Programmes for students involving activities and learning, including:

• Penguin Feeding
• Penguin Rescue Backstage Pass
• Hägglund Field Trip
• Storm Experience Dome
• 4D Theatre – Smallfoot and Ice Voyage experiences
• Aurora Tours and Astronomy
• Husky Encounter
• The Climate Canary video (9min video plays from 9am in the Generation Antarctica)

Timings:

• Penguin Feeding: 10.30am and 3.30pm
• Storm Experience: 9:30am, 11am, 11:30am, 12pm, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3pm, 4pm
• 4D Smallfoot Experience: 10:15am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm
• 4D Ice Experience Voyage: on the hour, every hour from 11am – 4pm
• Hägglund Field Trip: all day trip 9:20am – 4:20pm
• Husky Encounter: all day trip 9:30am – 4:30pm (including 1hr lunch break)

Location: 38 Orchard Road, Harewood, Christchurch Airport

Opening Hours: 9am - 4.30pm, Daily

Contact: Education Team - [email protected] / 03 357 0519

Cost: General Admission $25pp for Tourism Students$29pp for Students, $49pp for Adults, includes: Hägglund Field Trip, Husky Zone, Storm Dome, Penguin Rescue, HD and 4D Theatre. Backstage Penguin Pass additional cost.

*Contact Education Team for group prices and details on how long to allow for activities

Other: Onsite Café open daily 9am - 4:30pm. IAC is wheelchair accessible throughout with lifts to access meeting rooms on the mezzanine floor and Penguin viewing area. Travelling in the Hägglund requires that guests are able to board and disembark unassisted.

He Puna Taimoana – New Brighton Hot Pools

Hot saltwater pools right by the sea on the New Brighton foreshore. 5 different pools at 5 different temperatures.

Talk Topics:

• Customer Experience
• Health and Safety
• Business overview including the energy efficient way the pools are heated

Activity Options: Daytime pool entry or after hours pool entry (for groups of 50+)

Timings:4 sessions/day: 10am – 12pm, 12:30pm – 2:30pm, 3pm – 5pm, 5:30pm – 7:30pm

*Talk can be provided in between swim sessions

Location: 195 Marine Parade, New Brighton

Opening Hours: 10am - 8pm, Daily

Contact: Merryn Skipper; Team Leader - [email protected]

Cost: Discounted resident rate $14pp

Other: Café onsite open until 4pm. Catering available for groups, please contact Megan for information. No minimum group size.

Department of Conservation

Visit the Ōtautahi/Christchurch Visitor Centre for information on what the region has to offer. Rangers have first-hand, in-depth local knowledge about conservation places and activities.

Activity Options: Christchurch area has a variety of easy walks to experience landscapes such as beaches, stream, lake and wetlands. The website has information on numerous options including Awaroa/Godley Head, Banks Peninsula, Ōtamatiua/Quail Island Recreation Reserve and Ōtukaikino Wildlife Management Reserve.

Topics: Talks on the following can be arranged, upon request: Conservation, Sustainability, Local Flora and Fauna, Tramping and Hiking

Timings:25 – 30min presentation + discussion time

Location: Christchurch / Otautahi Visitor Centre, 28 Worcester Boulevard, City Centre (inside the Arts Centre)

Opening Hours: 9am – 4:30pm (Dec – Feb), 9am – 4pm (Mar – Nov) Daily

Contact:[email protected] / 03 379 4082

Cost: FOC

Christchurch NZ

Christchurch NZ is the city’s sustainable economic development and city profile agency. They are the Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO) responsible for coordinating, facilitating, motivating and developing the marketing of Christchurch. Their purpose is to stimulate sustainable economic growth for a more prosperous Christchurch. CHCHNZ’s core priorities are to grow jobs, improve the economic, social and environmental competitiveness of Christchurch businesses and promote Christchurch nationally and globally to people who want to do business, invest, study and live in the incredible city. CHCHNZ work domestically and internationally to enhance the city’s strong reputation as a basecamp for exploration and innovation. They bring together partnerships to deliver multi-generational community benefit. These partnerships across business, community, iwi and government (local and central) and are informed by evidence-based economic insights. CHCHNZ are assisted with funding from Christchurch City Council and a wide range of external partners and sponsors.

Topics: Please contact CHCHNZ directly to request a talk

Timings: Presentation + discussion dependent on group size and business availability

Location: BNZ Centre, Level 3, 101 Cashel Street, Christchurch

Opening Hours: 9am – 5pm, Mon - Fri

Contact: James Brickland; Trade Partnerships Executive - [email protected] / 03 379 5575

Cost: FOC

Orana Wildlife Park

Set over 40ha, Orana Wildlife Park is home to over 1000 animals and is all about getting up close and personal with the animals. Trained wildlife guides help build the visitor experience and there’s a complimentary Safari Shuttle park tour with commentary.

Talk Topics: The experienced Education Team Orana can custom build education programmes to suit learning outcomes specified by teachers.

Activity Options:(included in general admission price)

• Hand feed the Giraffes:12pm and 3pm
• See NZ’s only Gorillas
• Safari Shuttle: 25 mins for one loop of the park
• Daily walkabout tour with a Guide
• Lion Encounter:2:30pm. 20 tickets available daily (additional cost $69.50pp)

Timings: Allow at least 2hrs (3 - 5hrs normal visit time). Animal feeding and talk timings can be found here.

Location: 793 McLeans Island Road, Christchurch

Opening Hours: 10am - 5pm, Daily. Last entry 4pm. Closed Christmas Day

Contact: Sarah Hogan; Education and Engagement Manager - 03 357 9109 ext. 828 / [email protected] 

Cost:1 adult FOC with every 10 paying students, no min. group size

• Year 1 – 10: $10
• Year 11 – 13: $12
• Accompanying Adults: $18

Other: A full organizational pack including RAMS is supplied with each booking. Priestley’s Cuisine onsite Cafe has extensive selection of food and can provide a range of catered options. Lunch packs can be pre-purchased. To enquire about food options contact Sarah.

Christchurch Adventure Park

The Adventure Park is set on 358ha of privately owned land and opened after a 9-month build on 16 December 2016. Featuring NZ’s longest chairlift, the 1.8km ride was specifically designed to carry riders and their bikes but also accommodates sightseers and guests starting out on their Zipline Tour. The Park hosts mountain bike trails ranging from beginner through to advanced and a mix of wide flow tracks and technical single track. The Zipline Tour features 4 dual ziplines that include NZ’s highest at 150m and longest, at 1.1km’s. Unfortunately, 8 weeks after opening, a nearby wildfire caused extensive damage to the Park and a large forestry operation had to be undertaken to make the forest safe, before the team could even start to rebuild. The Park was closed for 10 months and reopened on 5 December 2017.

Talk Topics:

• The Rebuild
• Sustainability
• Tourists visiting the Park

Activity Options:

• Mountain Biking and Pump Track
• Sightseeing ride the chairlift to the top of the Park
• Walking Trails: FOC
• Zipline

Location: 225 Worsley’s Road, Christchurch

Opening Hours: Weekdays 11am - 7pm, Weekends 9am - 5pm

Contact: [email protected] / 0508 247 478

Cost: Please contact the team for group pricing deals and equipment hire for groups of 10+

Other: Adventure Park Café onsite can cater to groups and free meeting room available for bookings. Bike hire and protective equipment offered onsite.

Rendezvous Hotel Christchurch

Faisal Sayed, GM is passionate about supporting tomorrow’s Tourism Workforce and can provide a tour of the hotel, combined with commentary about the hospitality industry and his own experiences working in Tourism.

Talk Topics: Faisal’s career in the Hotel Industry started as a cleaner and he is now the General Manager. An inspiring individual who is keen to speak about the how the Hotel operates and the opportunities that exist for those new to the workforce. His team can show students through the different areas of the hotel and give them an idea of the different roles that make up the various hotel departments.

Timings: Contact Faisal to arrange a time to suit

Location:166 Gloucester Street, City Centre (next to Christchurch Tramway)

Contact: Faisal Sayed; GM - [email protected] / 03 943 3888

Cost: FOC

Other: Botanic Gardens, Hagley Park, Canterbury Museum, and Cardboard Cathedral all within walking distance. The Hotel has an onsite Restaurant, contact Faisel to enquire about group dining options.

Food and Talk Options

Riverside Market

Riverside Market is an indoor trading market, in the heart of the city, with many different eateries including: Riverside Cantina, Sweet Revenge, Dosa Kitchen, Noodle Monk, Herba Gourmet, Kaiser Brew Garden, Empire Chicken, AHA Wildlife Bakery, El Quincho, The Creperie, Dimitri’s Greek Food, Pure Pulp, Cluck Cluck Slurp, Seoul Tiger, Malaysia Delights, Hanoi Alley, Kathmandu Momo House, Ramen Ria and Midnight Shanghai.

Best For: Lunch or Dinner

Location: Corner Lichfield Street and Oxford Terrace, City Centre

Opening Hours: 9am - 6pm daily. All traders open by 10am

Contact: Rachel Gould, GM - [email protected]

Cost: Variety of prices offered at individual outlets

Ben and Jerry’s Scoop Shop

Menu: Ice Cream, Sundaes and Shakes

Best For: Morning or Afternoon Tea

Location: 100 Oxford Terrace, Riverside, City Centre (beside the Bridge of Remembrance)

Opening Hours: Mon - Thur 11am - 9pm, Fri and Sat 10am - 10.30pm, Sun 10am - 9pm

Contact: Mark Copplestone; Owner - 03 3652865 / [email protected]

Cost: Prices start from $5.90, regular scoop $7.90. Pay for one scoop, get second for free.

Other: There are picnic tables and a shaded grass areas. Mark is happy to talk about the ice cream business (start-up process, brand reputation, global recognition, owning a franchise); email him to arrange a time.

Diner 66

Menu: American food – pancakes, burgers, fried chicken, shakes and fries

Best For: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Location: 88 Victoria Street, City Centre

Opening Hours:. 8am - 9pm, Daily

Contact: Coll McKay; Business Manager / [email protected]

Cost: Mains approx. $20

EntX Entertainment Central Eateries

Menu: EntX offers a range of flavours from around the world. With a dozen choices of eateries and lots of seating options, this is a great option to please everyone. Eateries include: Joe’s Garage, Leemo (Drinks and Treats), Hanoi Old Quarter, Nando’s, Shanghai Dumplings, Pad Thai Pan, Roll and Bowl (Sushi and Poke Bowls), Two Fat Indians, Ottoman Turkish Kebabs, Mexicali Fresh, Khmer Angkor (Cambodian), Boba Bear (Teas and Deserts).

Best For: Lunch and Dinner

Location: Corner of Lichfield and Columbo Streets, Christchurch (opposite the Bus Terminal)

Opening Hours: 7.30am - 10pm, Daily

Contact: Alisa Hansen; Facilities Manager - 021 197 4956 /[email protected]

Cost: Mains approx. $10-20

Other: EntX Cinemas are upstairs for groups wishing to add a movie option

Accommodation and Talk Options

Hotel Give (Formerly YMCA Christchurch)

Accommodation Type:

• Backpacker dorm rooms (full linen provided)
• Standard private rooms (single/twin/double/triple. Linen and towels provided)
• Deluxe private rooms (single/twin/double/triple with ensuite, fridge, TV and tea and coffee making facilities. Linen and towels provided)
• Family Deluxe rooms and a 1 bedroom apartment along with our 2 bedroom apartments
  
• 2 bedroom apartments with full kitchen, bathroom, lounge and dining room with TV

Topics: Innovation, Marketing, Sales and Alex's extensive Tourism career

Location:12 Hereford Street, Christchurch (next to the Botanical Gardens and Arts Centre)

Contact: Alex Berkemer; COO – 03 366 0689 / [email protected]

Cost: Please contact Alex for current group booking rates

Other: Dining options include our Bean at the Y café and Duo restaurant which are both onsite. We also have an onsite fitness centre, guest laundry and kitchen facilities. Wifi is free for our hotel guests and café customers

JUCY Snooze

JUCY pods are a private space in a shared room, able to be completely enclosed. There are 8 pods/room and each comes with bed linen, storage net, charging stations and temperature control. All Pod rooms are located near shared bathroom facilities and common area.

• Family Pod Room: $165p/n, sleeps 8
• Extra Pods: $23p/n sleep 1

Location:5 Peter Leeming Road, Christchurch Airport

Contact: Tuane Olivier; [email protected] OR Juan Barrera; Jucy Snooze Manager -[email protected]

Cost: Contact Juan for current group booking rates

Other: Onsite compact kitchenette. JUCY Snooze is a 10 min walk from the Airport and has a supermarket, restaurants and cafes a short stroll away at Spitfire Square.

Cracroft Guiding Centre

GirlGuiding NZ - Ngā Kōhine Whakamahiri o Aotearoa venue for camps and activities. This multipurpose facility is situated on a 1.4ha property bordering the Cashmere stream, with accommodation, equipment and abseiling/climbing onsite.

Accommodation Type:

• The Lodge: 3-bedroom lodge which sleeps up to 12. 3 bunk beds and 1 queen bed. Fold-out beds available for use. Full kitchen and bathroom facilities and parking for 3 vehicles.
• The Barn: sleeps up to 48 pax. Large main hall, bunk beds upstairs and foldaway beds to use up and downstairs. Fully equipped kitchen with fridge/freezer, electric oven, microwave, sterilizer, kitchenware, cutlery, crockery and pots and pans. Dining room includes 13 trestle tables. Bathroom facilities consist of 6 toilets, 2 with disabled access and 6 showers. Parking is available onsite.

*Cleaning equipment provided, to leave the accommodation as found.

Location:151 Cashmere Road, Cashmere, Christchurch

Contact: Stacey Skill - 027 543 5693 /[email protected]

Cost: The Barn $20pp/night. Minimum charge $200/night. Contact Stacey for other rates

Other: Close to shopping centre, supermarket, cafes and food outlets. Cracroft has onsite camping, picnic tables, fire pit, climbing wall and abseiling tower, rope swing and the following, available for hire:

• Edna Hanafin Meeting Room
• Equipment: 150 chairs, 17 trestle tables, portable whiteboard, blankets and pillows
• Projector $15
• Bath towels $34
• Kayaks $75 for 9 for 1 day
• A selection of big outdoor games(snakes and ladders, parachute, pick up sticks, sacks, grass skis, hula hoops confidence course, water course, mini golf) $15
• BBQ $20

*Contact Stacey for more details, availability and prices for abseiling/climbing

Christchurch Top10 Holiday Park

Accommodation Type:

• Motel rooms: 1 and 2 bedroom (sleep up to 5)
• Units: multi-bedroom and studio options (sleep up to 11)
• Cabins: sleep up to 7
• Powered sites
• Campsites

Location:39 Meadow Street, Papanui, Christchurch

Contact: Sarah; Groups Manager - 03 3529176 / [email protected] OR Alie; Reception manager - [email protected]

Cost: Contact Sarah to discuss needs and costs; Top10 offer special rates to group bookings and generous cancellation policies

Other: Top10 can provide an information booklet and RAMs. Contact Alie to organise a talk giving an overview of the Holiday Park. Onsite facilities include: indoor swimming pool with hydro slide, BBQ area, games area, jumping pillow, laundry, communal kitchen, mini store, spa/sauna, TV room and free Wi-Fi.