Australian PCO Famil

Christchurch offers a variety of exciting nightlife, adventure (comparable to Queenstown), conference venues and hotels. The city is well equipped to accommodate small and large groups and the quality of the hotels and convention facilities are state of the art....just one of the fantastic client comments.

The Experience 

The group of Australian PCOs with CINZ Australia flew in from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on Friday afternoon in early autumn for a long weekend showcasing Christchurch city and surrounds. Voted the world's best garden city, Christchurch is flanked by harbours, plains, mountains and the Pacific Ocean - just three hours flying time from east coast Australia.

Blue Star Taxis Executive Fleet whisked the group in style from Christchurch International Airport on the 15 minute trip into the central city and their accommodation at Hotel Grand Chancellor, the largest in-hotel conference facility in the South Island. Drinks and dinner at nearby SOL Square, was a chance to experience the centre of entertainment in Christchurch, nestled amongst historic buildings and lanes in the industrial heart of old Christchurch. Here 10 very different restaurants offer a unique twist for an incentive or conference evening dine-around.

Early Saturday morning the group boarded the Tranz Alpine train at Christchurch Railway Station to sample one of the world's great railway journeys, west across the plains. Hassle-free Tours met the group enroute for an afternoon high country experience through the Canterbury High Country, and a 4WD adventure across Mt Torlesse station, a 10,000 acre working sheep and cattle farm in the spectacular foothills of the Southern Alps. Reaching the Waimakariri Gorge they boarded the famous Hamilton jet boat for an exciting 30 minute jet boat ride on one of New Zealand's most spectacular rivers with Alpine Jet.

Returning to Christchurch via Melton Estate gave the group a chance to soak up the atmosphere of this new convention venue and the picturesque 12 acre vineyard just 20 minutes south-west of the city.

Evening brought dinner at Crowne Plaza Christchurch's Yamagen Japanese Restaurant. The group sat at the teppan bar for delicacies cooked in front of them, before enjoying dessert in the hotel's glass-roofed central Atrium.

Sunday's first stop was Sign of the Takahe, an extraordinary castle-like heritage building at the top of the Cashmere Hills, now home to a restaurant and funky bar and café and dazzling views of the city.

Two of Christchurch's unusual and distinctive pre-themed venues were the next stops on the itinerary - Air Force Museum and the International Antarctic Centre.

Offering six different venue options for up to 650 dining or 900 enjoying cocktails, the Air Force Museum has recently expanded and upgraded several of its exhibits. The group was quick to spot the touch of glamour, nostalgia or just 'plane' fun this venue would lend an event.

Next stop was the International Antarctic Centre, another venue with significant themeing opportunities which offers an inside look at life on the frozen continent.

Located next the Christchurch Airport, the Antarctic Centre can host up to 250 dining and also has excellent marquee sites. Changing pace, the next stop took the group into the quintessential Christchurch garden experience, entering the stunning gardens and historic Mona Vale Homestead.

A delicious lunch alfresco under the huge chestnut tree beside the Avon River gave the group a chance to relax before heading to the central city (just five minutes away) to The Great Hall at the Arts Centre, a 140 year old neo-Gothic building part of the original University of Canterbury. The five acre heritage site is now a flourishing arts centre featuring art galleries, craft studios, cafes and bars, through which the historic Christchurch trams pass.

A tram took the group to Victoria Square and a chance to familiarise themselves with the magical setting at the Town Hall for Performing Arts, adjacent to Christchurch's purpose-built Convention Centre.

Special Touches

Crowne Plaza's room tour coincided with the celebration of Earth Hour. Armed with glow sticks to enhance the minimal lighting in each room, host Lisa Diamond-Anthony regaled the group with anecdotes involving famous guests.

Keeping with the celebrity theme, the group was lead down to the cosy boiler room decorated with fairy lights and a Walk of Fame on a red carpet, with each guest's name starring.  More stories ensued over plum wine, cheeses and chocolate-covered strawberries.

The group was delighted by how the hotel's whole team got behind the famil and clearly understood its importance, how wow had been created without a lot of expenditure, and how Earth Hour had been maximised.

At the International Antarctic Centre the unsuspecting group was enticed into a snowstorm at -18 degrees before emerging to meet Austin, a Little Blue penguin who lives in the centre's state-of-the-art penguin encounter. Austin led the group down to the underground viewing area - which doubles as a breakfast and evening dining venue for smaller groups - before everyone clambered onto the all-terrain amphibian Hagglund vehicles for a cross-country experience. 

Being picked up by limousine and delivered to the five-star elegance of Millennium Hotel Christchurch for a delightful final night in one of the hotel's newly decorated luxury suites.  A memorable four-course Taste of New Zealand dinner themed spectacularly with floral design by Patricia Proctor was topped off with superb local produce and wines.

Client comments

Spectacular scenery from all modes of transport. It's definitely worthwhile escaping the city centre and exploring more of the Canterbury plains. It's such a diverse destination that lends itself to a variety of groups.

Once I experienced more of the surrounding regions and some of the hidden gems in Christchurch - Mona Vale, Antarctic Centre it has really shown itself to be versatile, adaptive and overall tailorable to any convention or incentive.

Christchurch offers a variety of exciting nightlife, adventure (comparable to Queenstown), conference venues and hotels. The city is well equipped to accommodate small and large groups and the quality of the hotels and convention facilities are state of the art.

The snow storm experience at the Antarctic Centre is a great ice breaker for the start of an incentive dinner or to kick start a conference. The Haggland ride was also one of a kind and the closest you would get to the real thing in the Southern Hemisphere. The venue would come up a treat as an offsite dinner venue.

Kristyn Liddelow, KLo innovations, Queensland.

It is clear that a great deal of care and attention went in to showing us the best that Christchurch has to offer, and I must say, my first trip to New Zealand has surpassed all of my expectations! I had a fantastic time and look forward to returning again soon.

Melanie Peck, The Management Group.

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