Christchurch - Queenstown night bus

[ninjapuppet]

Alot of cheap flights from sydney to christchurch arrive at a crazy time after midnight, which usually shouldnt be a problem.
The problem, is that most outgoing flights to places like wanaka and queenstown leave really early in the morning like 6am, making a nice hotel/motel stay + $100 return taxi fare uneconomical if you're only staying for a few hours. Many backpackers in Christchurch only accept checkins before 9pm.

Hence many people choose to just sleep at the airport. This has been fine on all previous trips but on my recent nz trip, security were ushering people away from the arrivals area at 3am, making everyone move to the domestic and there would be a security lady getting people up if anyone was found lying down on the chairs.

Such a pain in the Butt , howerver I did spot a new overnight bus service that has recently started, offering Christchurch to wanaka / Queenstown, departing 1:30am arriving at destination the morning! I stupidly lost the brochure and now cant find it on google.

was hoping if anyone knows of this company?

[Bluegum Mic]

Be very interested to see if you find it as I could easily sneak away late Friday, walk a few days then back. Hmmm nice find (if can be found again

[icemancometh]

That'd be handy but you'd be hard pressed to sleep that well on the bus and you'd miss all the views along the way! Which would be a shame esp in winter

You'd have even more sleep debt to catch up on.

I didn't get hassled in July when I was last sleeping in CC Airport although there was airport staff around. I don't see a problem with sleeping there esp when I've got all my outdoor gear on me

I've been doing the sleep at CC Airport for years and it's like the transit between Australia and NZ...kinda weird to sometimes fly straight to QT and suddenly be at the base of the Remarks like 5 hours after you leave Sydney !

[Rob A]

Emirates have had prices as good as Jetstar recently, and they leave sydney at a reasonable hour.

[kymboy]

There are shuttles that run to various hotels near the airport and in the city after the late flights arrive and you can check into the YHA late - I've done it but they knew I was coming so you don't need to spend anywhere near $100 taxi fare if you're overnighting in CC.
There's a great daytime bus from CC city to Queenstown. Not sure why you'd want catch an overnight bus and arrive feeling like crap from lack of sleep at 7 am.
Doesn't it make more sense to fly direct to Qtown instead of going with a cheap fare to CC then having to add extra bucks for a night's accom plus food, shuttle, internal flight to Qtown, not to mention all the hiking/fishing/skiing time you waste trying to save a couple of dollars.
And +1 for Emirates. I recently booked a one way flight from CC back to Sydney and they were cheaper than Jetstar and Virgin

[wayno]

cheap flights get posted here every day, they change every day, you'll see flights going around the country for the tens of dollars... i got return flights from auckland to queenstown for $140 you'll obviously get cheaper from chch when its going, also cheap trans tasman flights...

http://grabaseat.co.nz/
grabaseat.com.au

[ninjapuppet]

Doesn't it make more sense to fly direct to Qtown instead of going with a cheap fare to CC then having to add extra bucks for a night's accom plus food, shuttle, internal flight to Qtown, not to mention all the hiking/fishing/skiing time you waste trying to save a couple of dollars.
And +1 for Emirates. I recently booked a one way flight from CC back to Sydney and they were cheaper than Jetstar and Virgin

There are many reasons a night bus service would be a good idea. A night bus can drop you off in wanaka or Mt cook early Saturday morning, while flying direct to Q'Town on a Saturday will still require another bus to wanaka and hence the whole Saturday is wasted.

Leaving after work on a Friday afternoon, arriving at final destination Saturday morning makes good sense. Better than having to take half a Friday off and loosing half a days income.

If anyone is heading to Christchurch soon, it'd be good if that night bus brochure details could be posted here.

[roysta]

There isn't one

[ninjapuppet]

There isn't one

There is one, and the website is: http://www.shuttles4u.co.nz/
ph 364 8880
cost is $65 pp
Departs airport at 1:00am
arrives Qtown at 7:45am - Ready to be transferred onto another bus to your destination, rather than flying direct to Q'town at midday or something and having to wait for the next day's shuttle.

but you can get dropped off in Mt Cook or other places along the way if you so wish. Sleeping on a bus, is absolute luxury for me compared to some mountaineering trips where I may have to sleep scrunched up in a subzero crevasse or hanging belay.

And regarding the Airport's no-sleep policy, I phoned them up and it just came into effect start of this year. Having said this, I still saw people managing to squeeze in a few hours of sleep at the airport. Policy is at the bottom of the page:
http://www.christchurchairport.co.nz/AirportInformation/PassengerInformation/ArrivalsTransitAndConnections/

[Rob A]

Theres Nightrider or something to Dunedin as well.
Trouble is they tend to all leave Christchurch at 1pm (13:00) arrive at Queenstown or Dunedin round eight pm ish turn around and return to Christchurch after midnight.
Im not sure either do a reciprocal into Christchurch after midnight?
Put the $65 towards other than jetstar and go backpackers at Queenstown.

[tomh]

Christchurch Airport's 'spending a little time at the airport' policy makes interesting reading, especially the 'You may not erect a tent' bit.
They are right, the time I tried it, bent all my tent pegs trying to get them in.

[Lindsay]

Is this new no sleeping policy just *&%$#! mindedness on the part of the airport management or have some people been abusing the privilege of sleeping overnight I wonder.

[roysta]

There isn't one.
This bus leaves Christchurch at 13:00 (1pm) arriving Queenstown 19:45 (7.45pm)

[ninjapuppet]

There isn't one.
This bus leaves Christchurch at 13:00 (1pm) arriving Queenstown 19:45 (7.45pm)

ah crud. I must be reading things cross eyed.
The lady at the iSite counter also read it incorrectly as she was talking to me about it.
In this case, there is no real huge advantage of this bus service over the existing services like naked, atomic, etc...

Back to the drawing board it is then...

[wayno]

unless she was confusing the knightrider bus to dunedin, but that leaves at 4pm

http://www.knightrider.co.nz/timetables.html

[icemancometh]

why no sleeping now? not really a security issue unless they're worried of earthquakes at night and that such...

Just went through some 24hr airports in Asia which seem to work fine and have no problem selling you stuff in the middle of the night or offering cheap massage chairs to eat up your spare change

[juney]

Heading to Christchurch next Friday to walk Cascade Saddle. I am wondering if anyone has tried to sleep at the airport since the beginning of the year when the new no sleeping rules came in. Wondering if they are enforcing it. Otherwise, the cheapest option seems to be staying at Airport Lodge, for about $100 and they do a free pickup. Any tips on other options for getting to Wanaka would be much appreciated as I have spent ages on the net with no standout solution.
Thanks

[Azza]

They've been rebuilding the Christchurch airport for a while now. That might have something to do with it.
I stay at one of the motels near the airport just about every time I go over since I'm always on the late flight.
There is a caravan park 5 minutes up the road from the airport that is pretty cheap.

You can pick up dirt cheap car hire in NZ - $30-40 per day.. although you've probably left it a bit late to get a good deal.
Many of them do after hours pick up.

[Rob A]

Juney, try the backpackers. The only ones re opened are clean and tidy with good facilities.
Dorset street is the most convenient to the buses, the park and whatever is left outside the redzone.
Dont jsut rock up in C'church and expect to get anything, its fully booked. As in 100% occupancy. Book on line before you go.
Everyone I met knew they couldnt sleep at the airport. Though over on the other thread Cameron reckons its still happening.
Wanaka is a very easy bus ride too.

[Bluegum Mic]

I've stayed at the airways motel and it was great. Right near the airport. Happy to pick you up drop off 24hours a day. They stock the mini fridge in the reception with a range of beverages so you can help yourself to a beer or two. Rooms are great. My only complaint was the strange alarm clock at 3.30am that threw me off the bed and on to the floor (I believe it was a magnitude 5

[juney]

Thanks Azza, Rob and Mic. I looked into all suggestions and ended up booking Dorset House . They organised me an airport shuttle for 20NZ$, and it's very close to the Naked Bus city pickup point in the morning. It's $15 cheaper to get the bus to Wanaka from the city rather than the airport, so it all works out pretty well. Ha, crazy that I can spend so much on my gear and not care, yet when it comes to accommodation and transfers its a different story.

[chchairport]

Hello from Christchurch Airport.

You're right, we do actively discourage people sleeping or lying on the floor here. We have an international airport to run, so we ask anyone spending a few hours with us to respect that. We insist people sit in chairs, so we can easily see where everyone is in case we need to evacuate. We expect visitors to respect our requests, so we can keep everyone safe and happy - and our terminal clean and acceptable to everyone coming here.

Our staff will help you find accommodation if you need to sleep or spend a bit more time in Christchurch.

Cheers

[Rob A]

$15 cheaper to get the bus to Wanaka from the city rather than the airport

It's the airport tax, amonst other things. If when going to the airport, you hop off at the roundabout immediately before the airport, its three bucks fifty from Christchurch compared to seven and a half or nearly ten or whatever.
While C'church has copped a hammering the people reopening or restarting are a pretty decent bunch and worth a chat and spendng your bucks with. The city still has a lot going for it, with the park, museum, galleries, rowing Avon, watching cricket how it i supposed to be seen, or just finding coffee, meal, or a container pub. I couldnt say how may times Ive stayed in, but airport accommodation is now pretty low on the radar for me. OK I know its changed, take the time, its an amazing place.
Queenstown spot a kiwi? Ehhhhhhhh.

[icemancometh]

i think this is the bus

only a few months a year
http://shuttles4u.co.nz/about.htm