500 days till kick-off! - Rugby World Cup 2011

Yes! We are now down to 500 days till Rugby World Cup 2011.


Tickets went on sale today so get yours now here! Both team and venue pool packs available – so you can either stay put in one place and watch a variety or chase your favourite team around the country! What’s more, getting these packs allows you to apply to buy tickets for the quarter finals – semi finals and the final.

Here at Stadium Christchurch (AMI Stadium), only a short bus ride and walk away – you can get there in about 40 minutes – from CentrePoint on Colombo Motel, we've got Argentina v England 10 Sept., Australia v Italy 11 Sept., England v Europe 1 18 Sept., Argentina v Scotland 25 Sept, and Australia v Europe 2 1 Oct.  We will be there enjoying the atmosphere and some great rugby - as long as we get the tickets we applied for!


As can be expected, the finals tickets are up there in price but the pool matches offer prices that are more than reasonable and give everyone a chance to join the festival fun – and see some spirited rugby as well.

Cat Stevens and Gordon Ramsey together in Christchurch!

NOT, but nearly. They have both announced recently that they will be in Christchurch, both for the first time, and only just over a week apart.


These 2 megastar shows are not to be missed, book your motel accommodation at the closest luxury motel to the Christchurch city centre to be sure not to miss out!


Cat Stevens (singer song writer who was very popular in the early 70’s) - will be at the Westpac Arena on 2 July! This is his first NZ tour and the only other place he’s playing is Auckland so get your tickets and accommodation organised.


Gordon Ramsey (celebrity chef) will be in town on 23 June. Tickets start at $245 per person – food, foul language etc. included. Details are here.

Westpac Arena is just a short taxi ride away from CentrePoint on Colombo Motel and you can easily be back in town after the show to enjoy the rest of the evening!

2 hour drive to Sumner

2 hour drive.



When you have about 2 spare hours and want to see a great part of Christchurch try this circular route - all you need is a car (sorry the buses don’t go this far) for the round trip to visit the seaside township of Sumner and Lyttleton.



View Larger Map

It’s just a short 25 minute drive from CentrePoint on Colombo Motel to Sumner – an idyllic seaside area that has been popular with locals for many years. In days gone by the tram system transported families here every Saturday and Sunday for wonderful seaside adventures! Stop for a walk on the beach and a coffee at one of the local cafes. 
 

Also have a look at the Cacti which are similar to the ones in front of our office!

This is also where the Grand Tour, bookable at CentrePoint on Colombo Motel, stops for lunch.

Next, drive over Evans Pass to the Port of Lyttleton. You can stop for as long as you like and explore the past of this historical area.

After that it’s just a short drive back through the tunnel to Christchurch or a slightly longer but very nice drive around the inner bays to Dyers Pass and back over to the start of Colombo Street. (map shows the tunnel route).


More information about the route and what to enjoy is available on theday you decide to do it!

A seasonal change in Christchurch?

Nature is hard to predict, as a certain wayward volcano reminded us recently!

Here in Christchurch we’ve had a mixed bag of weather so far this year but today there has been a change - it’s cold and raining!


After a cloudy and cool January and February, March and April was surprisingly warm with lots of sun but very little rain – a true Indian Summer and yesterday Christchurch had 27 degrees!

(beautiful weather - @Sunmer yesterday)

But it all changed today, strangely enough, with the start of winter sport. As if on queue, the weather turned and the thousands of sports people and supporters in Hagely Park, just 10 minutes walk from CentrePoint on Colombo Motel, and all over Christchurch went home wet and cold!


So what’s in store for us now? According to the long range forecast, the dry, warm and sunny weather should continue till the end of June! Book your motel accommodation now and enjoy a most wonderful autumn! July will bring a change with southerly winds and rain here on the East Coast – but the potential for heavy snow falls on the ski slopes!


Now is the time to plan your skiing holiday and you can book your ski holiday accommodation now and take advantage of our Early Bird Combo deals which are available for online bookings in June, July and August of longer than 2 consecutive nights made before the end of April!

The long and winding road is finally finished!

Visitors to New Zealand will be familiar with our wonderful (?) roads. They are narrow, have many curves, very few guard rails (unnecessary things, they just ruin any photos of our beautiful scenery!) and many speed cameras!

Well, today we are greeted with the wonderful news that our main road, “State Highway 1” is finally complete! The question is – does this prove that we are indeed a 3rd. world country or that we are indeed the youngest county on earth! (maybe a mixture of both!)

Yesterday, the last 100 metres of the road to Cape Reinga (that’s the very top of the North Island) was sealed. This means that rental cars can now get there and drivers can also travel the whole length of the country on a comfortable(?), sealed road – that’s 2022 kilometres of sealed road – with many curves, very few guard rails and many speed cameras!

Driving the whole 2022 kilometres will be a great way to see New Zealand from north to south and when passing through Christchurch, stay at the closest luxury motel to the city centre – CentrePoint on Colombo motel!!