Location & Activities
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From the Airport: about 30 minutes
- Exit the airport on Memorial Ave.
- Take 2nd left onto Russley Rd.
- Go straight (it will become Johns Rd.)
- Go right onto Sawyers Arms Rd.
(as you follow it it will become Northcote Rd, Queen Elizabeth II Rd, and Travis Rd.)
- Turn right onto Bower Ave.
- Take first left onto Palmers Rd, follow curve, we are on the left #137.
You can park on the street, or pull up the driveway.
To City Center: 15-20 minutes
There is a bus to the city just outside the Guesthouse-by bus it takes 30 minutes.
- Turn left out of Guesthouse and follow Palmers Rd.
- Turn right onto New Brighton Rd.
(as you follow it it will become Shirley Rd. and then Warrington St.)
- You can take a left at either Barbadoes, Madras, or Sherbrook St. to arrive in the city center.
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 New Brighton Beach:
New Brighton Beach can be found 12km from city centre. Surfing either side of the pier, New Brighton has various breaks with peaky lefts and rights. Picks up any swell northeast to south. Works best on a south or south east swell. Expect a bit of drift. For easy access out back paddle under the pier in a slow moving rip. Great wave for all surfers. Caution: Gets crowded with surfers and swimmers and beware of fishing lines near the pier.
Surf webcam and swell chart and 7 day forecast for Hamner and Brighton:
http://www.surf2surf.com/reports/index.php?loc=CH
South shore:
To get to south shore head south of New Brighton down Marine Parade and turn left on to Rockinghorse Road until you get to the end. Hollow sucky right hands breaking into the estuary spit. Also offers beach break to the left of the spit with left and right hand peaks. Works best when 2-4ft. Similar break to New Brighton. Good for surfers of all levels.
Sumner Bar:
Situated in Sumner by Cave Rock, the bar offers some short intense rides with hollow barrels. With the right swell the bar can produce some howling long rides (mostly left handers). Long paddle out to the line up. Best on a large south swell rapping round the peninsula. Optimum size 3-5ft. Intermediate to Expert surfers only.
Taylor’s Mistake
Over the hill from Sumner, Taylor's produces powerful wedgy peaks with pitching take offs. Here you’ll find strong rips and a hard paddle when bigger. Expect long hold downs and pummelings. Needs north or northeast swell for it to get really good. Intermediate to expert surfers. Become seriously crowded on summer days optimum size 3-6ft
Waimairi Beach
Situated 5 minutes drive north of the New Brighton pier offering an uncrowded beach break with a selection of peaks. Best on the out going tide with SW or W winds and a clean south swell. Good for all levels of surfers.
North Wai
Find North Wai 1.4km north of the New Brighton pier this area of beach offers average waves depending on movement of sand and wind direction. With the right conditions it can develop some fun rides. Good for surfers of all levels.
Sport
 AMI Stadium
Formerly known as ‘Jade Stadium“ this is the heart and soul of Canterbury’s rugby team, the Crusaders. You can come down and support them during the Super 14 from February-June. The All Blacks can also be found there during their Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup Campains. During the summer the stadium cricket matches have also been known to attract large crowds. This is great way to experience the more passionate side of Christchurch locals!
Walking and Biking
New Brighton is a perennial summertime seaside favorite. If you aren’t up to facing the bright lights of the city, try a walk or bike ride through Brighton's dunes and along the 18km stretch of beach. You can stop and refuel at one of the many take-aways along the way. For the more adventurous we will be happy to help you rent out a bike from City Cycle Hire http://www.cyclehire-tours.co.nz/new-zealand/bike_rentals/ who will deliver your bike rental to our accommodation. For more information and maps on local and surrounding bike routes see http://www.cyclehire-tours.co.nz/ For guided walking tours that can run you anywhere from 2 hours to 2 days we are happy to recommend Walkaway tours at http://www.walkaway.co.nz/home.htm .
Ghost Tour
 If you are looking for something slightly different, give Christchurch’s original Ghost Tour a go! Join the infamous Dr. Aloysius Mort and his assistant for a night-time tour into the dark recesses of Christchurch’s Gothic Arts Centre where he will regale you with tales of the local ghosts haunting the building and unfortunate events that brought them there. The tour begins under the Clock Tower on Worcester Boulevard at the stroke of 8:30 pm. The lamp lit tour party weaves through buildings such as Rutherford's Den, the observatory, the old lecture theatre, and other areas not usually open to the public such as the Court Theatre props department. Tickets are available from the Court Theatre Box Office or the I-SITE centre in Cathedral Square. The initial season of Christchurch's Original Ghost Walk will end in early April 2008.
QEII Park
Stay at our guesthouse and discover QEII Park, an impressive multi-sport and leisure complex, featuring Australasia's largest aquatic facility. The themed leisure pool, opened in August 2002, is an unrivalled water fantasy world, fantastic for family entertainment. QEII Park was built specifically for the 1974 Commonwealth Games and is an icon of Christchurch and New Zealand. Today the facility caters to family recreation as well as elite sport performance and development. QEII is a 5 minute drive from our guesthouse. http://www.qeiipark.org.nz
Shopping
If you feel like venturing into the city for a little retail therapy, head to High St. located between Lichfield and St Asaph Sts. Unfortunately you won’t find any greenstone or sheepskin souvenirs but you may be pleasantly surprised by the boutiques filled with the latest from NZ’s young designers. If shopping isn’t in your budget, there are plenty cafes and galleries to whittle away one's time.
 A unique blend of historic charm and vibrant cosmopolitan city life, Christchurch is the gateway to skiing in New Zealand. With 8 ski areas within 2.5 hours drive of Christchurch International Airport, there’s something for everyone: commercial ski areas, club ski fields, skiing, snowboarding and even heli-skiing - the ultimate ski adventure!
Use the links below to select a ski field for more information.
December- March
SummerTimes: www.summertimes.co.nz
January
World Buskers Festival: www.worldbuskersfestival.com
February
Flowers and Romance Festival: www.festivalofflowers.co.nz
May
Savour: www.savournewzealand.com
June
www.nzski.com/
 July
Christchurch Arts Festival: www.artsfestival.co.nz
November
NZ Cup & Show Week www.nzcupandshow.nz
New Zealand Cup and Show Week is home to New Zealand's premier trotting and thoroughbred races all in one action packed week of racing. This runs from early November. Enquire about our ‘Cup Week’ special package deals today! Room or house rental available.
Christchurch, New Zealand has a superb selection of golf courses catering to all skill levels.
New Zealand is a golfing destination you must not miss. For more information check out our self drive golf package.
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