City tourist rides may cease

Press, 3 December 1985, Page 8

City tourist rides may cease

Tourists wanting to see central Christchurch by horse and carriage may have little luck after Friday.

Mr John Lyon, who has been running guided horse-and-carriage tours of the city for several years, will finish work on Friday. His buisness, Revival Rides, has been for sale since October, but he has had no takers. ’ '

Mr Lyon plans to marry overseas next year. He wants to leave Christchurch in January and the business will be wound up this week if no buyer is found. He said it would be shame if the horses and carriage had to be sold separately, because he had built up a good business during the last three years which-provided a “reasonable sg'.t of living.”

It had taken a year to get approval from the Christchurch City Council to begin the rides, Each year he had expanded the business. As the tourism industry was booming in New Zealand, Mr Lyon said, he was disappointed that no-one had seen the potential. About 75 per cent of his passengers were overseas tourists although

taken people to weddings and for romantic trips in the evenings. Recently he had taken Santa Claus to various city shopping malls.

If no buyer is found for the business, Mr Lyon hopes to find homes for his two standardbred horses, Major and Doctor. He said he would like them to be used for something such as harness work.