Sites Added 

Vodafone Rental New Zealand
Nationwide company which rents mobile phones. Office at Christchurch Airport. Details of phones, services and charges available.
City Flyer
Timetable for the bus service which runs between Christchurch International Airport (Domestic and International Terminals) and the Central City.
Governor's Bay Hotel
Hotel in Governors Bay which offers accomodation and function catering.Information about the restaurant and bar, plus history of hotel.
Experience Canterbury
Company offers a range of guided kayaking tours on Akaroa Harbour.

Recent News and Events

World Buskers Festival
One of the highlights of the Christchurch summer  which sees the public squares and malls of the city become the stage for talented performers from all over the world. The 11th annual New Zealand Community Trust WORLD BUSKERS FESTIVAL began on January 15 and ran for 10 days.
Cycling in  Canterbury survey
Environment Canterbury is surveying longer distance cyclists to assist with the planning of a regional network of cycle routes in Canterbury.
Largest cruise ship to visit Lyttelton begins the 2003/2004 cruising season
The biggest cruise ship ever to sail to New Zealand – P&O Cruises’ new NZ$1.1 billion mega-liner, Star Princess – arrived in Lyttelton on December 5th, kicking off the 2003 / 04 cruise ship season for Canterbury. Thirteen different cruise ships will visit Lyttelton 25 times this season, including the return of the ‘grand old lady’ of the seas the QE2 on 9th February 2004.
Strategic tourism plan seen as essential
A call for a Christchurch and Canterbury Strategic Tourism Plan so that tourism development in the region can take place more strategically and in tandem with social, economic and environmental performance, is at the heart of a major report on tourism in Christchurch and Akaroa, released in the city this week.

Viewpoint

Opinions and discussion on ....  Green Globe and Sustainable Tourism

NZ  has a long way to go to ensure sustainability in tourism

New Zealand has a long way to go to ensure tourist businesses and destinations are truly sustainable, a leading academic tourist expert said today. New Zealanders needed to be careful they did not develop a pious or arrogant stand when it came to sustainable tourism, Lincoln University professor of tourism David Simmons said today.    Mr Simmons made the comments at the opening of the first international Green Globe conference which began in Kaikoura today.More than 130 local government officials, community representatives, tourism and sustainable operators, researchers and business people are attending the inaugural three-day conference. Delegates from England, Iceland, South Africa, Fiji, USA, Jamaica, Barbados, Peru, New Zealand, India, Hong Kong and Australia are taking part.

In welcoming delegates from around the world, Prof Simmons said New Zealanders had much to learn and some important things to share with other destinations around the world.  ``We have gained some early advantage from the Green Globe system, but we have a long way to go in ensuring our tourism businesses and destinations are truly sustainable.’’   `With our strong environmental ethic in New Zealand we should be in a position to lead the world in sustainable tourism, but that is an enormous challenge given the ongoing growth of the sector, and its diffuse nature.’’   Since he began teaching tourism at Lincoln University in 1983 there has been a five-fold increase in international tourist arrivals into New Zealand from 400,000 to a record 2.1 million last year. Kaikoura became the first tourist resort in New Zealand – and only the second community in the world - to earn Green Globe status in 2002. Green Globe is the world’s only global tourism certification programme.

Wednesday, 3 March 2004, 9:18 am
Press Release: Word of Mouth Media

 

 

Buried Treasures

Spotlight on some localeye resources ...

Air Adventure

Air Adventure is a localeye category which lists links to an exciting range of ways of having fun and adventure in the air. Ballooning over the Canterbury Plains with the snow covering Southern Alps in the background, bungying off the  bridge at Thrill Seekers Canyon, taking a scenic flight by small plane or helicopter, paragliding off the Port Hills, parachuting, even cruising above Christchurch in a vintage DC3....Canterbury offers it all.