Woluf

Hi all, thanks for the info already given to me in Jhouse_101's thread, now I've got my own questions and don't want to take over his...

I fly out on 24th of June and will arrive on 26th to start work as a Graduate QS.

Does anyone know if I will be able to watch the Lions games on NZ TV or can anyone recommend a good sports bar near to Bealey Avenue that will be showing the games.

I haven't decided if I'll get a car yet, thinking of getting a push bike, is it safe to ride them on the roads? And what are taxi/bus fares like?

Any help is much appreciated, thanks!

Jan n Neil

You will need a car bro you can run an old banger fairly cheap here there is a pub on the corner of Bealey/papanui it used to be called the carlton and i think theres a Speights pub down there as well. Not sure about bus fares but the cabs are expensive it,s 25 K from our house to town and thats 85 bux in a cab more than double what you would pay in the UK

Neil

Mark Smith

Speights ale house on Bealey have plenty of games on (also have a website and loyalty card). The Carlton country club on the corner has gone and is now a building site - new bar opening sept/oct. No.4 in Merivale might be worth a look, not sure if Revival bar on Victoria street have sports.

chippy64

If you are going to travel by bus, then get a Metro card. It reduces fares from $3.20 to $2.30, with a maximum of $4.60 per day, regardless how many buses you use that day or $23.00 per week. That is for travelling around ChCh City. It is more to travel to the Airport or out to places such as Kaipoi, Rangiora or Rolleston. You can also use your card to travel on the ferry from Lyttleton to Diamond Harbour
http://www.metroinfo.co.nz/Pages/default.aspx

chc4me

Lots of people bike around Christchurch, particularly students and those living close to town/their work. Re: The Lions, as others have said, there are plenty of bars that will show the rugby and Lions games which play on pay tv (Sky). As the Lins are playing Australia, some bars might turn the sound off and have live music instead. With this in mind, perhaps the Irishman Bar on St Aspah Or Pomeroys on Kilmore Street would be your best options. Probably a $15 taxi ride from where you will be staying. My wifes birthday that night otherwise i would join you!

Snap Shot

The No.5 Bus goes to Southshore, New Brighton. There's a bar there called Salt on the Pier. Get there for happy hour. Beer and a plate of fried things for 10 dollars.

The bars more centrally located might be easier to get to.

Buses and bus fares seemed ok. You get a two hour ticket if you ask for a return, i.e. it expires within 2 hours. So when you return, you buy another 2 hour ticket. Didn't make any sense to me either, but that's just the way they do it.

We didn't take a taxi when we lived in Christchurch. We had a rental car for the first few weeks, then we handed it back to save costs. We either walked or took the bus after that. The day we left Christchurch we got a supershuttle airport bus to take us to the last helicopter out of Vietnam, um I mean Christchurch airport for our departing flight.

Woluf

Thanks everyone for the advice, much appreciated!

Had to start packing my case and realising how little I can actually fit into a 30kg baggage allowance...Maybe I'll be leaving my Xbox behind haha!

Also can anyone recommend a good mobile phone network as I'll need a new sim card as soon as I get there. I'm currently with Vodafone, is they're coverage very good in Christchurch or are there better alternatives?

Thanks again,
Alyn

Smatthews

Hi Alyn,

Is a 30kg allowance the most allowed? I was hoping the Compony would be willing to pay for an extra allowance.

Smatthews

Sorry, also your visa was granted how long did they take to book the flights? I'm expecting my visa back by the end of the week!

Woluf

Hi Smatthews, yes I've emailed them and they will pay for an extra 5kg so it could go up to 35kg if I pay for it, then they will reimburse me once I get there. I was hoping they would have paid for more too!

They booked my flight as soon as I told them I had the visa, they need 3 weeks notice though so 3 weeks from when you let them know I'd say.

chippy64

Vodafone is fine in ChCh - they have just rolled out 4G coverage in some parts, whatever that is! .
Other ones are 2degrees and telecom. They all have maps to show you what you can access.

Tom1983

If you want to suffer plenty of near misses, get cut off by drivers who decide to overtake you so quickly to turn left 30m down the road and get horned at every 3 seconds then feel free to get a push bike

You'd be more safer streaking in the middle of the road then having a push bike

The cheapest network I've found is 2 degrees as I was on Vodafone in the first year. None are very good in the rural locations at the moment so hope you don't get stuck on a pass stretch . I think all are trying to improve their network to expand across the whole of NZ but that can be difficult in valley mountain areas

Mark Smith

Funny but sadly true.

biggiesmallz

can i ask what airline are they flying you with and what class, if you think its too much info you dnt have to respond. i just want to know how much luggage i can take

Stormer999

Hi Woluf,
Wifey and I cycle into the city regularly and she cycles to the Canterbury Lab opposite the Hospital daily.....quite safe and no probs. Use the city cycle map http://resources.ccc.govt.nz/files/C...chCycleMap.pdf
and the routes are bike friendly and along big wide roads. I quite regularly wobble back from the watering hole........ City bus travel is excellent.