The Garden City is getting better and better with new fashion retail stores, bars, and restaurants opening up. The latest fashion will be on the streets of Christchurch after the opening of the new H&M store in Cashel St. This is the first H&M store in the South Island and will have the Homeware brand,…

The school holidays are here and we have some great deals for entertaining the kids. Kids travel for FREE on the Gondola and Tramway, whilst we have a discounted family rate for the jet boat in Hanmer.   Gondola Rides Valid from Saturday 4 July to Sunday 19 July 2017 the Gondola is offering up to three…

If you’ve ever wanted to organise a team building experience with a difference, look no further than Hanmer Springs Attractions (formerly Thrillseekers Adventures). Escape to our natural alpine playground at Hanmer Springs, just 90 minutes north of Christchurch, and enjoy your pick of our exciting outdoor group activities with a Corporate Thrills Package. Outdoor fun perfect for groups…

As one of the top attractions for visitors to Christchurch, the Gondola is extremely popular with tourists and locals alike. However there’s more to the Gondola than meets the eye. Our mountain-top function rooms provide a unique venue for a range of events, including wedding receptions, conferences, business events, gala dinners, and parties. Offering spectacular scenic views across Christchurch…

School holidays are always a busy time for kids and parents! If you’re looking for some fun things to do in Christchurch and Canterbury these winter school holidays that won’t break your budget, join us at Welcome Aboard where we have some great things planned. Our annual Kids Go Free offer at the Christchurch Gondola…

We decided that summer was the perfect time to hold a photo competition at our Welcome Aboard attractions – and with much mention of selfies lately, we couldn’t think of a better type of photo! Our Summer Selfie Competition began in mid-January and ran through until the end of February. Our Welcome Aboard office staff…

After many years of planning, our Christchurch Tram track extension was officially opened last week on 12 February. Our staff (especially our drivers) were all looking very gleeful, as the opening had been a very long time coming after it was originally planned for 2011! The Prime Minister, the Right Honourable John Key, stopped by…

A river cruise by canoe, less ruffled than a jet boat ride and not as rollicking or drenching as a white water raft dash, is the newest tourist activity available at Hanmer Springs Attractions (formerly Thrillseekers Adventures) near Hanmer Springs. Hanmer Springs Canoes offers a six-hour self-propelled downstream canoe trip on the famed North Canterbury Waiau River,…

Welcome Aboard has nailed the ultimate product for visitors to Christchurch. Our new Christchurch Pass is being launched for the approaching summer season, and solves the ‘what shall we do?’ dilemma for visitors by combining the four most sought-after Christchurch attractions in one ticket: Christchurch Tram – a one day ticket to travel on Christchurch’s heritage…

We tracked down Kylie Ehrich who wrote an inspiring letter to The Press last week expressing delight at seeing the trams running on the complete city loop. She called in on us earlier this week, when we took some photographs on tram No. 178 and presented her with a complimentary Annual Pass for unlimited rides on…

The full Christchurch Tram city loop re-opened on Tuesday November 11. The beginning of Canterbury’s famed Cup and Show week, it was indeed a delight to watch the historic trams continue beyond the end of Worcester Boulevard, turning right into Rolleston Avenue and passing Canterbury Museum. Trams then turned into Armagh Street, passing Cranmer Square and crossing…

Christchurch Tramway nailed a prized Heritage Tourism Award, announced at the Vero Canterbury Heritage Awards ceremony held in the brilliantly-rebuilt Knox Presbyterian Church last week. The Tramway had previously entered in the Heritage Tourism Award prior to the earthquakes, only to be beaten by the DC3-Pionair entry. On that occasion they had to accept second…

Christchurch Heritage Week 2014 (17 – 27 October) is an opportunity to connect with our past, appreciate the present, and ponder the future. Welcome Aboard’s attractions are ideally relevant to celebrating Christchurch’s heritage. Our historic city trams and Botanic Gardens tour will be to the fore on Sunday 19 October, dubbed ‘A day of family…

Tune into More FM 92.1 and be in to win a Welcome Aboard Annual Pass as one of the radio station’s promotions. The much valued pass provides unlimited rides on Christchurch Tram and Christchurch Gondola for one year. It also offers discounts on other company attractions. Welcome Aboard is giving a lot away but believes,…

Retirement village patrons have been jolting their memories of Christchurch’s central city. Welcome Aboard’s Christchurch Tramway has been hosting A Trip Down Memory Lane tours for local retirement complexes, with the most recent comprising 11 residents of Fendalton Retirement Village. There was no doubt that they enjoyed the experience: their smiles and comments said it…

TRENZ (Tourism Rendezvous New Zealand), having inaugurated its first conference event in 1985, has become the largest international showcase for the New Zealand travel industry. TRENZ typically attracts around 300 travel and tourism buyers from about 30 countries. Welcome Aboard Christchurch sales and marketing manager Blair Hartland has just returned from this year’s event feeling…

Ever wondered who makes those lifeline cords essential for bungy jumpers? I was lucky enough to visit a long attic storage room at Thrillseekers Adventures in Hanmer Springs as staffer Graham Nicholson was two hours into fabricating a new bungy cord. He said it would be finished in another four. Rain splashes against the windows….

Inspirational new Visitor Centre an interesting new Gardens Tour stop Welcome Aboard’s popular Christchurch Botanic Gardens Tour has got even better. The reason? It now stops outside the stunning new Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre. Designed to appear like a large airy glasshouse, the Visitor Centre is certainly compatible with its garden surrounds. Design of the $16.4 million…

They arrive, one tall and one short. Both wear flowing cloaks and face masks. The Spiderman-like duo do not soar self-propelled to the heights of Mount Cavendish. They step aboard a Christchurch Gondola cabin and glide up the wire.  The taller one checks in as the mysterious Flat Man, and the small guy as five-year-old…

China is set to become a significant source of visitors to Christchurch and New Zealand. I recall early Chinese visitors on the trams. Initially they lacked a little of the sophistication of the Japanese visitors we had become acquainted with. I was therefore impressed by the speed at which visitors from China became a new…

Emma Cunningham has taken over management of the Christchurch Gondola’s popular Red Rock Café. I caught up with Emma on her third day on the job and found her upbeat about the café’s future. “I was here before. I am now back in the driver’s seat,” enthuses Emma. While confirming Red Rock Café has been…

Welcome Aboard’s Annual Pass for locals has got to be the greatest deal going for Christchurch says Tramway Operations Manager John Smith. Sales have been gathering momentum, particularly following the re-start of the city’s heritage trams. So what is the deal? Annual Pass cost: $55 for an individual adult and $119 for a family comprising two…

Among the pleasures of being a punter on the Avon is sharing in special anniversaries, says Adrian Ramsay. Last Saturday – the third anniversary of Christchurch’s destructive earthquake that took 185 lives – two people had pre-booked a punt ride from Antigua Boatsheds departing at 12:30 pm. They wished for their river experience to coincide…

A tramway colleague told me his visitors from Britain had been advised to give Christchurch a miss, with there being nothing to do in the earthquake-wrecked city. Sadly, the story is not an isolated tale. Too many international tourist booking agencies still believe Christchurch is a disaster zone. This is despite prestigious Lonely Planet guide…

After all the earthquake woes Christchurch is buzzing. Our city was chosen by Lonely Planet as a city to visit in 2013. This year the New York Times has come to the party, choosing us as their number two spot for cities to visit during 2014. Resilience, clever reuse of rubble space, greening and new…