Visitors can arrive in Canterbury by road, rail, or by flying into Christchurch International Airport, then explore the area easily with plenty of transport options.
By Road
Driving
State Highway 1 connects Christchurch and the rest of the South Island and also links to State Highway 7 and 73 from the West Coast and State Highway 77 from Mt Cook.
Approx drive time and distances to other areas:
|
|
Km
|
Miles
|
Approx Drive Time
|
|
Christchurch to Akaroa
|
83
|
51
|
1 hour 30 mins
|
|
Christchurch to Hamner Springs
|
135
|
84
|
1 hour 30 mins
|
|
Christchurch to Kaikoura
|
183
|
114
|
2 hours 50 mins
|
|
Christchurch to Greymouth (via Arthurs Pass)
|
258
|
160
|
3 hours 10 mins
|
|
Christchurch to Mount Cook (via SH1)
|
331
|
206
|
4 hours 55 mins
|
|
Christchurch to Picton
|
336
|
209
|
5 hours
|
|
Christchurch to Dunedin
|
362
|
225
|
5 hours
|
Coach/Bus
Your clients can get around the South Island by coach with InterCity Coachlines or a number of other suppliers.
Driving Routes
Take the Alpine Pacific Triangle route to take in Canterbury’s most popular attractions, including Hamner Springs, Waipara Valley and Kaikoura, or take Inland Scenic Route 72 to get off the beaten track and witness the Southern Alps like never before.
By Air
Christchurch airport is the gateway to Canterbury and the South Island, taking both international and domestic flights.
International airlines flying into Christchurch include:
Air New Zealand
Jetstar
Qantas
Emirates
Singapore Airlines
Virgin Australia
Domestic airlines include:
Air New Zealand
Jetstar
Approx flying time to other cities:
|
|
Approx Flying Time
|
|
Christchurch to Wellington
|
45 mins
|
|
Christchurch to Queenstown
|
1 hour
|
|
Christchurch to Auckland
|
1 hour 20 mins
|
|
Christchurch to Rotorua
|
1 hour 45 mins
|
Getting to and from the airport
The airport is approximately 20 minutes from Christchurch city centre.
There are various transport options available to the city centre including taxis (approx $25-30), airport shuttle (first person $24, $5 per person thereafter) and buses ($8).
By Rail
If your clients want to go outside of Christchurch by rail they can jump on the TranzAlpine, one of the best train journeys in the world, or Coastal Pacific. The railway station is 10 minutes from the city centre.
Getting Around Christchurch and Canterbury
Getting around the town and city centres is easy by foot, however, hire cars are also available in Christchurch and Timaru, as well as motorhomes.
Christchurch offers a bus service throughout the region, or by simply getting on and off the tram, your clients can tour the inner city at their will.