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River Avon, Christchurch

© www.newzealand.com / Hiroshi Nameda

++1300
Christchurch Local time

Weather in Christchurch
Occ Light Rain
1
6
°C
United States of America

Travel to Christchurch

Flying to Christchurch

Airlines offering flights to Christchurch from the UK include British Airways, Emirates, Air New Zealand, Virgin Blue and Lufthansa. Direct flights to Christchurch from the UK are not available.

Travel by road

Summary:

New Zealand is an ideal country to explore by car, as the scenery is spectacular. Most roads are State Highways (‘SH'). All other roads are known, although not officially, as ‘B' roads.

To drive in New Zealand, you will need a valid national driving licence, for up to 12 months. The legal driving age is 18 years, and the minimum age for hiring a car is 21. Insurance is not mandatory but recommended. Traffic drives on the left and seat belts are mandatory.

The New Zealand Automobile Association (www.aa.co.nz) provides information on road conditions (tel: 0900 33 222) and general information (tel: 0800 500 444) and has a reciprocal agreement with the British AA, whereby visiting drivers can get free maps.

Emergency breakdown service:

NZ AA (tel: 0800 500 222).

Routes:

The main road to Christchurch is SH1. It bypasses the city, though, so from the north (Picton and Kaikoura), follow SH74 for the city centre. From the south (Dunedin and Queenstown), follow SH73 for the city centre and Lyttelton Harbour.

Driving times:

From Dunedin - 5 hours; from Queenstown - 6 hours 15 minutes; from Invercargill - 7 hours 30 minutes; from Picton - 4 hours 15 minutes.

Coaches:

Intercity Coachline Service (tel: (03) 365 1113; www.intercitycoach.co.nz) runs throughout New Zealand. Discounts are available for Youth Hostel members and VIP cardholders. Backpackers also use the Kiwi Experience (tel: (09) 366 9830; www.kiwiexperience.com) and the Magic Bus (tel: (09) 358 5600; www.magicbus.co.nz), which sell a variety of passes including accommodation in hostels.

Travel by rail

Services:

The Christchurch Railway Station is on Clarence Street, in Addington. Regular shuttles run from the station to the city. The Scenic Rail Pass provides access to the entire Tranz Scenic Rail Network, and is a great way to explore New Zealand.

Operators:

Tranz Scenic (tel: (04) 495 0775 or 0800 872 467/TRAINS; www.tranzscenic.co.nz) operates train services to and from Christchurch including the TranzAlpine (to/from Greymouth via Arthur's Pass), one of the world's great scenic train journeys, and the TranzCoastal (to/from Picton via Blenheim and Kaikoura).

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