Only 4 nights on S. Island. Christchurch as base. What do we do????
 

We will be arriving into Christchurch on May 7th and leaving for Australia on May 11. Can anyone give me the "must see"s in the short time we have, please.
THanks, Dee Dee

I would fly to Queenstown and spend your time there and in Fiordland. The area around Christchurch does not compare to the southwestern part of the south island IMHO.

With Christchurch as your base you could do the Transalpine train over Arthur's Pass, drive to Kaikoura to do some whale watching and see some vineyards along the way or travel to Akaroa on the Banks Pennisula. Also I'm told you can arrange a flight to see Mt Cook and the glaciers. It really depends on what you want to do while you're in the South Island.

How far of a drive to Queenstown is it.?
Pawley, liz and tim, thanks. The train actually sounds fun. Any lodging suggestions?

Check out this link:
http://tinyurl.com/eh2jw

We very much enjoyed our stay at Browns Boutique Hotel in Queenstown.

If you decide to spend a day in Christchurch, you might do a hot air balloon ride. We went with "Up, Up and Away" I believe and it was fabulous. We lifted off just before dawn and watched the sun rise, the mountains in the distance and all the incredible countryside around us. It was an amazing experience - and we had a blast in the farmer's field once we landed, putting away the balloon, watching the cows eyeball us and drinking champagne. In any event, enjoy NZ!

Debusa, we flew into Christchurch but, didn't stay there. We toured the Botanic Garden and the Art Center then drove to Akaroa (one of my favorite spots). It 's about an hour and half drive and there are day tours from Christchurch as well. When we go back to NZ we've already decided we would like a little more time there. But, it is well located for lots of side trips.

You might consider one night (or 2) at Wilderness Lodge in Arthur's Pass. They will pick you up at the train station if you take the Transalpine train from Christchurch. A wonderful low key way to enjoy that part of the mountains.
If you drive to Akaroa, which I also recommend, you can stop at Little River Cafe and Art Gallery for lunch. Akaroa has lots of cafe's, but we enjoyed Harbour 71 and the Pepper Tree.

BillJ-We plan on driving from Lake Tekapo to Akaroa, have lunch, walk around the town then stay in Christchurch. Is it possible to see most of Akaroa in a 3-4 hours? Did you take the cruise?

We will only have one full day in Christchurch. We will be staying at the Worcester B&B, next to the Botanic Gardens. Other than the gardens, are there any "must-sees"?

Gidday debusa, Judy et al.

it's been years since I've been home, all my rellies say ChCh has changed since then, but among some memories are the museum, art gallery next door, International Antarctic Centre, and a trip to the "Sign of the Kiwi" or "Sign of the Takahe" overlooking ChCh on the "Port Hills".

A visit/scenic drive to Lyttelton and around the harbour visiting the smaller settlements would be good, as is a visit over the Port Hills to Akaroa.

A quick search on Google shows half and full day tours which look like they'd give you a "taste" of ChCh, then you could certainly head south as suggested by other posts

Although as an expat, I have to say, you haven't allowed enough time (but no-one does it seems!) to explore the South Island, so a great excuse to make a return trip ;)

Depends on your interestes as well, whale watching? (Kaikora) bird watching? (Oamaru and Dunedin) for penguins and kiwis, Fine wine? (Malborough and Nelson), Adrenalin/thrills? Just ask anybody! You get the drift ....

Here are a couple of web sites that might help (usual disclaimer, I have no association with mentioned web sites/persons and do not necessarily imply endorsement of or support for an individual or organisation etc)

http://www.wallabytravel.com/bcnz/index.php?id=294

http://www.tourbookings.com.au/christchurch.shtml (nice looking ChCh sightseeing itin., if I do say so myself.)

http://www.ecotours.co.nz/

http://www.oztravel.com.au/ (search on Canterbury)

JudyADenver: Yes, 3-4 hours is enough. We did not take the harbour cruises/tours. It will be a nice visit. Lots of cafes around the main wharf for lunch, etc.
We stayed at The Classic Villa in Christchurch, right next door to the Worcester B&B. Outstanding location. The Botanic gardens are good, and you can get a good lunch at the Curators Cafe near the fountain. The Canterbury Museum is also right there and is good for a couple of hours. Across the street from your B&B is the Arts Center, and old college campus turned into a terrific collection of shops and cafes. Also, the Trolley stops right in front of your B&B for a ride around town centre; $12 good for 2 days. You can get on and off at will. Complete circuit took about 20 minutes as I recall.
There are good restaurants right there at the Arts Center: Annie's and Dux de Lux are both highly regarded.
Worcester is a perfect location for a short time in town.
You'll enjoy.

Wow, what great ideas we get from this site! THanks to all. A B&B is not really an option, so what about a nice hotel. ?? No one seems to be real keen on any one in particular. ? THanks
Dee Dee

"A B&B is not really an option."

Just curious, why?

The B&B works well for single or doubles, but my sis and I are travelling and hotel rooms with two queens or double beds would work great, where as B & B's would require us both having our own rooms. That can get quite pricey, especially in New Zealand.

I have run across a wide range of bed arrangements in B&B's although I am sure that it is mostly one bed per room, or twins. But I did see that the Windsor lists Quad Rooms, which I assume is doubles or queens. Their website is windsorhotel.co.nz and they reply to emails. The have shared bath facilities but there are about one for every two rooms and they are kept very clean. Great location. There is a small dog onsite.

I can vouch for Mlgb's recommendation of the Windsor Hotel - stayed there 3 weeks ago. There are about 40 rooms with different bed configurations. It's kept very clean and is in an excellent location. The hosts are very helpful and the breakfasts are fab!!!