Popular special-package, holiday-period bus tours

Press, 9 December 1983, Page 35 (Supplement)

Popular special-package, holiday-period bus tours

Among the popular services offered by the Christchurch Transport Board during the school holiday period are special package deals incorporating bus, fares as well as admission to Willowbank and Orana Park Wildlife reserves.

Although these two tours operate for the holiday period only, other tours and services offered by the board — such as the Hills and Harbour, and City and Suburbs tours — always prove very popular during school holidays. And with the C.T.B. running a regular commuter service out in the country between Southbridge and Rangiora, there is a wealth of rural attractions to enjoy with no travel or parking problems. Operating from December 16 to January 31, 1984, the tours to Orana Park and Willowbank represent very good value for money; The all-in price for Willowbank is $2.60 for children ($5.15 adults) while for Orana Park the charges are $3.35 ($6.70). Buses to both destinations leave Victoria Square at 12.30 p.m. daily, returning to the city by 3.30 p.m. The time of the departure allows travellers the choice of taking a picnic lunch or having an early lunch before leaving.

Returning home at 3.30 p.m. means those catching other buses for their homeward journey can still be within the half fare (off peak) period. The board’s Hills and Harbour tour is proving increasingly popular at school holiday times as a means for parents to show their children more of their city.

It also allows local people to show something of Christchurch to school-aged friends or relations of the family from out of town. The tour lasts three hours and includes a 40 minute launch trip around Lyttelton Harbour.

The City and Suburbs tour, also tailor made as an introduction to the city for out-of-towners, takes two hours and includes all the features that have made Christchurch one of the more popular tourist destinations.

Using the rural network, there are a large number of holiday attractions to keep both youngsters and adults occupied. Rangiora, the largest town in North Canterbury, offers unhurried and friendly shopping and a variety of recreational opportunities such as golf and swimming. Serving a prosperous agricultural area, the town also has a number of interesting primary industries such as sawmilling and flourmilling

which are well worth a look. A little further south Kaiapoi is well endowed with natural features which make it a popular spot for families during school holiday periods. Attractions include rowing and fishing on the river, the Scott Rose Garden, Morgan Williams Reserve, Darnley Square, museum, tennis courts and heated swimming pool complete with picnic facilities. South of Christchurch, Prebbleton offers many sel-dom-publicised attractions including an excellent domain, the largest Monterey pinetree outside California and the Anglican church which is steeped in history. In Lincoln, a wide variety of shopping is available and picnic lunches for mum and the kids can be enjoyed in the peace and quiet of the town’s Liffy Domain which is wooded and has a stream running though it. Leeston, towards the end of the southern leg of the bus route, has all the facilities for an enjoyable day out in the country. The scenic Anderson Gardens provide a popular picnic spot and Chamberlain’s Ford, 10km north of the town and near the bus route, is a well known picnic and barbeque area. • It can cost as little as $1.20 (off Peak) for the trip from

Christchurch to either Rangiora or Southbridge, the two extremities of the C.T.B.’s rural service.

The timetables are well planned and provide a regular service to all rural destinations.

To make things easier for the prospective traveller, the C.T.B. recently introduced a special timetable-route-fare enquiry number (794-600) and has stocked its Information Kiosk in Cathedral Square with all the relevant information.

The C.T.B. recently began a new week-end bus service to beaches north of Christchurch during the summer, such as Kairaki and

Waikuku. These popular beaches were previously serviced only during weekdays. And there are two seaside suburbs within Christchurch served regularly by the Board’s commuter network — New Brighton and Sumner.

For those earmarking New Brighton for a day trip, there is a special brochure called “New Brighton and back by bus” which provides comprehensive timetables of all services to and from the suburb. The brochure also includes details of the Seaside Special service which runs between Hoon Hay, Bishopdale and New Brighton. The brochure is available

free of charge from shops in New Brighton and the Information Kiosk in the Square.

Q.E. II Park, Christchurch International Airport and Ferrymead are just a few of the other popular school holiday venues within Christchurch which are served by the “big reds.” Making the proposition of bue travel at holiday times especially attractive is the Board’s half fare scheme which allows adults to travel at child rates during off peak times — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and after 6 p.m. on weekdays, and at all times on weekends and public holidays.