I've been wanting to go to the Antarctic Centre for ages (mainly because my 5 year old son keeps pestering me about seeing penguins) but the exorbitant (in my opinion, anyway) cost has always made me balk.
BUT! For the month of June 2008 the centre is offering half price admission for local residents, which makes the prospect of a day out much more affordable.
Just take along some proof of your local resident status (power bills with your address, library card, etc) and make the most of the offer. I'll be going along later this month and giving my opinion.
(And just for future reference, the Antarctic Centre's website has a page on it specifically for local special deals - yes, they do have them occasionally!)
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Christchurch Activities - an overview
Things to do in and around Christchurch are endless, and the beauty of it is they are all easily accessible from the central city. Many attractions offer bus shuttle services which leave from the Christchurch Visitor Information Centre – could it be any easier?
The city’s major attraction is the Christchurch Gondola, which is located high in the Port Hills, with the awesome views overlooking Christchurch, Banks Peninsula and the massive expanse of the Canterbury Plains. On a crisp, clear winter morning you can take in the impressive spectacle of the mighty Southern Alps as they rise steeply to contrast their snowy white peaks against the lush patterns of the plains.
A great trek for the energetic thrillseekers is to go mountain biking and paragliding from the top of Mount Cavendish. Take a mountain bike trip from the summit and wind your way all the way downhill. From the top of Mt Cavendish you can also go paragliding which will take you soaring in to land on the white sandy Sumner beach. New Zealand is renowned for making tourists more adventurous. If you have no experience paragliding don’t let this hold you back. Tandem paragliding flights offer the best view of Christchurch and it will be an experience you will never forget. Paragliding is safe for all ages and requires absolutely no experience as your instructor will be in full control of your wing - all you have to do is hang in the harness and enjoy the view!
For the less adventurous walking along the rim of the Port Hills or down to the town of Lyttelton which is a little over a half an hour's stroll from the summit and it's all downhill. Or you could simply sit and admire the views whilst dining in the Gondola's cafe or fully licensed restaurant.
Just a short hop from the base of the Christchurch Gondola is the Ferrymead Historical Park. The park is a re-creation of a New Zealand town as it would have existed during the middle of last century. It was at this park that the recently re-established trams in downtown Christchurch were restored to the point where they could once again be used for public use. There is always a lot of restoration work going on at Ferrymead Historical Park and you may be able to catch sight of some of this in the workshops of the park.
Accommodation in Christchurch is plentiful for all tastes and budgets, including a range of hostels, hotels, motels, holiday parks, and lodges.
GUEST POST, submitted by David from http://www.kiwiaccommodation.com/
The city’s major attraction is the Christchurch Gondola, which is located high in the Port Hills, with the awesome views overlooking Christchurch, Banks Peninsula and the massive expanse of the Canterbury Plains. On a crisp, clear winter morning you can take in the impressive spectacle of the mighty Southern Alps as they rise steeply to contrast their snowy white peaks against the lush patterns of the plains.
A great trek for the energetic thrillseekers is to go mountain biking and paragliding from the top of Mount Cavendish. Take a mountain bike trip from the summit and wind your way all the way downhill. From the top of Mt Cavendish you can also go paragliding which will take you soaring in to land on the white sandy Sumner beach. New Zealand is renowned for making tourists more adventurous. If you have no experience paragliding don’t let this hold you back. Tandem paragliding flights offer the best view of Christchurch and it will be an experience you will never forget. Paragliding is safe for all ages and requires absolutely no experience as your instructor will be in full control of your wing - all you have to do is hang in the harness and enjoy the view!
For the less adventurous walking along the rim of the Port Hills or down to the town of Lyttelton which is a little over a half an hour's stroll from the summit and it's all downhill. Or you could simply sit and admire the views whilst dining in the Gondola's cafe or fully licensed restaurant.
Just a short hop from the base of the Christchurch Gondola is the Ferrymead Historical Park. The park is a re-creation of a New Zealand town as it would have existed during the middle of last century. It was at this park that the recently re-established trams in downtown Christchurch were restored to the point where they could once again be used for public use. There is always a lot of restoration work going on at Ferrymead Historical Park and you may be able to catch sight of some of this in the workshops of the park.
Accommodation in Christchurch is plentiful for all tastes and budgets, including a range of hostels, hotels, motels, holiday parks, and lodges.
GUEST POST, submitted by David from http://www.kiwiaccommodation.com/
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Barnett Park Cave walk
If you're into walking and you're after a pleasant short walk then Barnett Park might be what you're after.
It's in Redcliffs, on the main road. There's a playground at the start, so you can bribe the kids with Happy Times once they complete the walk.
The walk supposedly takes about an hour and forty minutes, in a round trip.
I've attempted it twice.
The first time was with my husband and two kids, aged 3 and 5. The five year old was fine. The three year old found it tough going and made life a misery for us all.
We managed to make it up two thirds of the track, the goal of the big cave lurking tantalisingly just a short distance away, but no. After more than an hour we had to stop for good and turn back. Damn.
The second time I tried the track I went with a friend. I didn't realise just how uber-fit she was, and just how uber-unfit I was. We set off at a cracking pace, and within two minutes into the uphill leg I was wheezing like an asthmatic. Not good.
We continued, with rest breaks every hundred metres or so for poor old me. Rather embarrassing.
We finally made it up to the cave - what a great cave (wheeeeze!)! What a great view (wheeeze!)! I'm sure that fitter people would have appreciated it more than I did.
The downhill leg was much easier.
We managed to complete the round trip in about an hour, which is still pretty good, but gosh, it was hard.
Watch for sheep poo - it's everywhere. Watch for the little side track about two thirds of the way up - it takes you to a secret (or not so secret, judging by all the rock climbing carabiners on the rock faces) cave, which is quite cool to be in and makes up for those not being quite fit enough to make it to the main cave.
The little side cave.So there you have it. Barnett Park walk. A pleasant morning out for the fitter ones amongst us, a torturous trek with a nice view at the top for the rest of us.
The Maize Maze
Now this is something different to do in Christchurch.
It's basically a big ol' cornfield, that's been turned into a maze. You pay your money, you get a score card, you then spend a couple of hours going crazy in the maze trying to find all the clues (and so winning a free lollipop!).
We spent three hours at the Maize Maze recently. It was a lovely sunny day (take bottled water!) and it was a very pleasant way to spend the afternoon.
The maze this year is carved in the shape of a dragon. Amazing. Do what we didn't do and check out the aerial photo before you head into the maze - it'll make things easier.
Apparently they do a different design each year. Pretty amaizing actually!
I was worried at first, panicking that I would be turning up to some grumpy farmer's back door, and that he'd not accept eftpos, but hey. Turns out there was a proper reception, with cash register, with eftpos facilities, and a wee shop too.
The staff were friendly - while we were waiting for our friends we chatted away to them about the maze. Apparently it takes most people an hour to find all the clues (we took nearly two hours) and the maze only operates from January til the end of April (as, duh, it's a corn field. It's the corn season. They actually harvest the corn at the end of the season and sell it.)
After we finished up the maze and were sucking away on our free lollipops, we spent a happy hour playing with all the other games that were included in the cover charge. There was petanque, several mind games, puzzles, mazes, hoop tosses, all sorts of things. It kept us entertained for more than an hour, so that was good.
My only complaint about the whole afternoon was with my lazy four year old daughter, who MOANED and WHINGED and WHINED after the first half hour. "I'm tired!" "I want to go the toilet!" "I'm sick of walking through this maze! Can we go home now?"
But the other kids with us (aged 4 and 5) were superstars and loved every minute of it, although I suspect that the maze is suited to older kids, or at least younger kids with good fitness and stamina.
The whole thing cost us (1 adult, 2 children, aged 4 and 5) $21.50, but check out the website for up to date prices.
Oh, and they also do something called "Urban Paintball" year round. Dunno what that's like - maybe I'll check it out later in the year (it's extra to the maze).
The Maize Maze (and Urban Paintball)
451 Halswell Junction Road, Halswell, Christchurch
It's basically a big ol' cornfield, that's been turned into a maze. You pay your money, you get a score card, you then spend a couple of hours going crazy in the maze trying to find all the clues (and so winning a free lollipop!).
We spent three hours at the Maize Maze recently. It was a lovely sunny day (take bottled water!) and it was a very pleasant way to spend the afternoon.
The maze this year is carved in the shape of a dragon. Amazing. Do what we didn't do and check out the aerial photo before you head into the maze - it'll make things easier.
Apparently they do a different design each year. Pretty amaizing actually!
I was worried at first, panicking that I would be turning up to some grumpy farmer's back door, and that he'd not accept eftpos, but hey. Turns out there was a proper reception, with cash register, with eftpos facilities, and a wee shop too.
The staff were friendly - while we were waiting for our friends we chatted away to them about the maze. Apparently it takes most people an hour to find all the clues (we took nearly two hours) and the maze only operates from January til the end of April (as, duh, it's a corn field. It's the corn season. They actually harvest the corn at the end of the season and sell it.)
After we finished up the maze and were sucking away on our free lollipops, we spent a happy hour playing with all the other games that were included in the cover charge. There was petanque, several mind games, puzzles, mazes, hoop tosses, all sorts of things. It kept us entertained for more than an hour, so that was good.
My only complaint about the whole afternoon was with my lazy four year old daughter, who MOANED and WHINGED and WHINED after the first half hour. "I'm tired!" "I want to go the toilet!" "I'm sick of walking through this maze! Can we go home now?"
But the other kids with us (aged 4 and 5) were superstars and loved every minute of it, although I suspect that the maze is suited to older kids, or at least younger kids with good fitness and stamina.
"I'm lost!"
Oh, and they also do something called "Urban Paintball" year round. Dunno what that's like - maybe I'll check it out later in the year (it's extra to the maze).
The Maize Maze (and Urban Paintball)
451 Halswell Junction Road, Halswell, Christchurch
Monday, March 31, 2008
Summertimes
Well, summer in Christchurch is finally crawling to its end, and so does Summertimes.
"What is Summertimes?" I hear you ask. Well, it's just a whole bunch of events, festivals, concerts, yada yada yada, that happen in summer. The Christchurch City Council markets them all together as Summertimes.
Some of the stuff is a bit... *yawn*... boring. But most of it is great.
We have certain events that we go to EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR.
One of them is the World Busker's Festival.
Fantastic stuff! Free entertainment! Hilarious antics! Special shows just for the kids, as well as special night-time shows JUST for the adults (heh heh heh...).
Of course, as I said, it's free... but remember that they're buskers - this is what they do for a living. The council pays for their airfares and accommodation (altogether now! Y! M! C! A!) but they have to beg off the audience for their paychecks. (We're a bit stingy in our household but the kids do love to throw a couple of coins in the busker's hat - it's all part of the experience.)
So, the Busking Festival is a must-see. It happens every year in Christchurch in mid-January. Check out the website for more details.
What else? Oh, there's a myriad of other things to do and see. We used to go to the Teddy Bear's Picnic until the year we lost our 2 year old son in the 10,000 strong crowd. It was a tense 25 minutes, I tell you. Teddy bears or not, we've never been again.
The Culture Galore festival at Ray Blank Park is always another must-see in our household, both for the extraordinary array of cultures exhibiting (who knew that so many different nationalities resided in whiter-than-white ol' Christchurch???) and the fact that Ray Blank Park is only a block from Grandma's house. But seriously - the kids had a great time, and when you have a Free Bouncy Castle and Free Face Painting on offer (amongst other Free Stuff), what more could you ask for?
And finally, the other Fave Festival is the Chinese Lantern Festival, held every Chinese New Year in Victoria Square. This year it was a bit of a wash-out, but last year's event was spectacular. One word 0f warning though - hold on to your children's hands VERY TIGHTLY. Better still - carry them. The crowds were so dense that I was seriously worried that we would be crushed or suffocated. (Maybe in this respect the rained out event was better after all.)
These are just a few of the many things on offer in Christchurch during the summer. Take a look at the Summertimes website to check them out.
And if you're just wondering "What's on this week in Christchurch?" then have a squizz at the Be There website. Plenty of things to see and do. You can even get a weekly newsletter emailed to you to let you know what's happening so that you don't miss a thing.
Have fun!
"What is Summertimes?" I hear you ask. Well, it's just a whole bunch of events, festivals, concerts, yada yada yada, that happen in summer. The Christchurch City Council markets them all together as Summertimes.
Some of the stuff is a bit... *yawn*... boring. But most of it is great.
We have certain events that we go to EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR.
One of them is the World Busker's Festival.
Fantastic stuff! Free entertainment! Hilarious antics! Special shows just for the kids, as well as special night-time shows JUST for the adults (heh heh heh...).
Of course, as I said, it's free... but remember that they're buskers - this is what they do for a living. The council pays for their airfares and accommodation (altogether now! Y! M! C! A!) but they have to beg off the audience for their paychecks. (We're a bit stingy in our household but the kids do love to throw a couple of coins in the busker's hat - it's all part of the experience.)
So, the Busking Festival is a must-see. It happens every year in Christchurch in mid-January. Check out the website for more details.
What else? Oh, there's a myriad of other things to do and see. We used to go to the Teddy Bear's Picnic until the year we lost our 2 year old son in the 10,000 strong crowd. It was a tense 25 minutes, I tell you. Teddy bears or not, we've never been again.
The Culture Galore festival at Ray Blank Park is always another must-see in our household, both for the extraordinary array of cultures exhibiting (who knew that so many different nationalities resided in whiter-than-white ol' Christchurch???) and the fact that Ray Blank Park is only a block from Grandma's house. But seriously - the kids had a great time, and when you have a Free Bouncy Castle and Free Face Painting on offer (amongst other Free Stuff), what more could you ask for?
And finally, the other Fave Festival is the Chinese Lantern Festival, held every Chinese New Year in Victoria Square. This year it was a bit of a wash-out, but last year's event was spectacular. One word 0f warning though - hold on to your children's hands VERY TIGHTLY. Better still - carry them. The crowds were so dense that I was seriously worried that we would be crushed or suffocated. (Maybe in this respect the rained out event was better after all.)
These are just a few of the many things on offer in Christchurch during the summer. Take a look at the Summertimes website to check them out.
And if you're just wondering "What's on this week in Christchurch?" then have a squizz at the Be There website. Plenty of things to see and do. You can even get a weekly newsletter emailed to you to let you know what's happening so that you don't miss a thing.
Have fun!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
The library!
Some people might think that the thing I'm about to suggest is about as exciting as watching paint dry, and for them that may just be the case. (I'm also surprised that these people can read are reading this at all, but there you have it.)
We LOVE visiting the library. Myself and the kids visit at least weekly. We have a card each, each cardholder is able to take out up to 20 items a time, and so we're usually walking out of the local library each week laden down with 60 books/DVDs/posters/videos in several carrier bags.
If you have preschoolers then the Storytime sessions are a great source of free entertainment for an hour each week. For parents who're bored stiff and know no other parents, they're also a great way to meet new people. (I should know - nearly all of my best friends were collected at the library).
Once a month the Storytime hour is taken over by a Music and Movement hour - again, totally free and great fun for the little ones.
If your little ones are REALLY little ones (i.e. under 2) then there's also Babytimes - these are monthly sessions and even sometimes end with a laid-on morning tea, with the emphasis on the parents getting to know each other.
I *heart* our libraries!
Christchurch has a huge number of libraries, and just about every suburb has easy access to one. Some are in stunning locations - I have spent many a relaxing half hour reading magazines while sitting on the sea-view seats looking out over the Pacific Ocean at the New Brighton Library.
Libraries are no longer all about books - on a rainy day you'll find plenty of people playing computer games, surfing the net, reading magazines, and even playing Playstation games (only in some libraries!). You can borrow movies (kids' ones are free!), posters, CD roms, talking books, puzzles and more.
If you have preschoolers, and are at a loose end, then try to find a Storytime session. Relaxing, easy, back to basics stuff.
Library locations in Christchurch:
Central, Bishopdale, Halswell, Fendalton, Hornby, Linwood, Lyttelton, New Brighton, Papanui, Parklands, Redwood, Shirley, South, Spreydon, Sumner, Upper Riccarton.
For Storytimes session details visit here.
We LOVE visiting the library. Myself and the kids visit at least weekly. We have a card each, each cardholder is able to take out up to 20 items a time, and so we're usually walking out of the local library each week laden down with 60 books/DVDs/posters/videos in several carrier bags.
If you have preschoolers then the Storytime sessions are a great source of free entertainment for an hour each week. For parents who're bored stiff and know no other parents, they're also a great way to meet new people. (I should know - nearly all of my best friends were collected at the library).
Once a month the Storytime hour is taken over by a Music and Movement hour - again, totally free and great fun for the little ones.
If your little ones are REALLY little ones (i.e. under 2) then there's also Babytimes - these are monthly sessions and even sometimes end with a laid-on morning tea, with the emphasis on the parents getting to know each other.
I *heart* our libraries!
Christchurch has a huge number of libraries, and just about every suburb has easy access to one. Some are in stunning locations - I have spent many a relaxing half hour reading magazines while sitting on the sea-view seats looking out over the Pacific Ocean at the New Brighton Library.
Libraries are no longer all about books - on a rainy day you'll find plenty of people playing computer games, surfing the net, reading magazines, and even playing Playstation games (only in some libraries!). You can borrow movies (kids' ones are free!), posters, CD roms, talking books, puzzles and more.
If you have preschoolers, and are at a loose end, then try to find a Storytime session. Relaxing, easy, back to basics stuff.
Library locations in Christchurch:
Central, Bishopdale, Halswell, Fendalton, Hornby, Linwood, Lyttelton, New Brighton, Papanui, Parklands, Redwood, Shirley, South, Spreydon, Sumner, Upper Riccarton.
For Storytimes session details visit here.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Waitangi at Willowbank
You all know that I love Willowbank. It's a great day out for the family, in my humble opinion.
Well, for those of you too stingy to fork out to see for yourself, head along down to Husseys Road on Waitangi Day (February 6th) - every year Willowbank offers free entry between 10am and 3pm.
I've never been along myself on that day as I hear it can get a bit crowded (and with my ANNUAL PASS -did I mention what great value that is yet? - I can go whenever I like anyway) but there is apparently entertainment and it's a good day out.
So there you go.
Well, for those of you too stingy to fork out to see for yourself, head along down to Husseys Road on Waitangi Day (February 6th) - every year Willowbank offers free entry between 10am and 3pm.
I've never been along myself on that day as I hear it can get a bit crowded (and with my ANNUAL PASS -did I mention what great value that is yet? - I can go whenever I like anyway) but there is apparently entertainment and it's a good day out.
So there you go.
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