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Getting around Christchurch

Public transport: 

All local buses in Christchurch operate out of the Bus Exchange, on Colombo and Lichfield Streets. The main operator is Red Bus Limited (tel: (03) 379 4260 or 0800 733 287/REDBUS; www.redbus.co.nz). Metro (tel: (03) 366 8855; www.metroinfo.org.nz) coordinates the passenger transport network and provides information on fares, passes (including the Metrocard), timetables and routes.

There is also a free central-city electric shuttle (bright yellow); its pickup points are designated by bright-yellow street towers. The shuttle travels between the Casino, Town Hall, Victoria Square, Cathedral Square, City Mall, South City, Smiths City, and Hoyts 8 on Moorehouse Avenue every 10-15 minutes.

The Christchurch Tramway (tel: (03) 366 7830; www.tram.co.nz) allows you a hop-on, hop-off journey around the city centre in restored vintage trams.

After hours, the Midnight Express Service leaves on four major suburban routes on the hour between midnight and 0400. Just look out for the distinctive purple buses.

Taxis: 

Blue Star Taxis (tel: (03) 379 9799; www.bluestartaxis.org.nz) has Christchurch's largest taxi fleet.

Car hire: 

Car hire companies in Christchurch include Avis (tel: (03) 379 6133; www.avis.co.nz), Budget (tel: (03) 366 0072; www.budget.co.nz), Hertz (tel: (03) 366 0549; www.hertz.co.nz), Europcar (tel: (03) 366 5574: www.europcar.co.nz) and Thrifty (tel: (03) 374 2357; www.thrifty.co.nz). All have offices in town (on Lichfield Street) and at the airport.

Local operators such as Kea Campers (tel: (03) 359 2820 or 0800 520 052; www.keacampers.com) and Maui (tel: (03) 358 4159 or 0800 651 080; www.maui-rentals.com) hire motor homes and campervans. This is a popular way to travel around New Zealand.

Bicycle hire: 

Because Christchurch is so flat, it really lends itself to cycling. This is the preferred mode of transportation for many of the city's students, and there are quite a few cycling lanes. You can hire bikes from Natural High Adrenalin Dealers, Unit 3, 14 Kennaway Road (tel: (03) 982 2966; www.naturalhigh.co.nz) or have them delivered to your door by City Cycle Hire (tel: (03) 339 4020 or 0800 343 848; www.cyclehire-tours.co.nz). Many local buses have bike racks for cyclists.

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