BY AIR Air NZ services are fully operational from Auckland Upper South Island and Wellington to Blenheim and Nelson with additional services from Christchurch to Nelson. Touring Routes www.airnewzealand.co.nz Sounds Air has daily direct services 24/05/17 between Christchurch and Marlborough and a new temporary service Marlborough – Kaikoura – Christchurch and return. www.soundsair.com SH 1 is closed to through BY FERRY All ferry services with traffic between Blenheim Interislander and and Christchurch. Bluebridge sailings are fully operational. The road is open between Blenheim and Clarence, but is down to one BY BUS lane in multiple places, therefore extra care is needed. InterCity has a daily bus For vehicles travelling from the top of the south (Picton) to Christchurch, there service in each direction are three routes to consider. (Roads will be busy so patience is required with between Christchurch and Picton, travel congestion expected in areas around townships.) and Christchurch and Nelson, with a connecting service between Nelson and 1. Picton-Blenheim (SH 1) – St Arnaud-Murchison (SH 63/SH 6) – Picton. www.intercity.co.nz Lewis Pass-Hanmer Springs (SH 65/SH 7 & 7a) – Christchurch (SH 7/SH 1). The return coach service between TRAVEL TIME • allow a minimum of 7½ hours. Limited accommodation at Christchurch & Kaikoura is now running again. Service 8728 will depart St Arnaud and Murchison. More availability at Hanmer Springs. Christchurch at 7:00am, arriving in The bridge across the Wye River on SH63 is temporarily closed, and vehicles Kaikoura at 9:40am. Service 8727 will must cross the river through a ford. NZTA traffic mangers will be on-site until depart Kaikoura at 3:50pm & arrive in the bridge re-opens to ensure all traffic crosses safely. Christchurch at 6:25pm. Buses will also 2. Picton-Nelson (SH 1/SH 62/SH 6) – Murchison-Lewis Pass (SH 6/SH 65) stop at towns and communities along – Hanmer Springs (SH 7 & 7a) – Christchurch (SH 7/SH 1). the route, including Cheviot & Amberley. TRAVEL TIME • allow a minimum of 8½ hours. Limited accommodation at The timings make it possible to do Whale St Arnaud and Murchison. More availability at Hanmer Springs. Watch and Dolphin/Encounter day trips 3. Picton-Murchison (SH 1/SH 62/SH 63/SH 6) – Greymouth (SH 69/SH 7) or on most days & also allow for visitors Nelson-Murchison-Greymouth (SH 6/SH 69/ SH 7) – Christchurch via staying overnight & catching the service Arthur’s Pass (SH 73). back to Christchurch the following day. TRAVEL TIME • allow a minimum of 10 hours. Allow time in your itinerary for an overnight stay. KAIKOURA MARINA Itineraries could include travelling south to Franz Josef from Greymouth and “New legislation fast tracked (29 Nov 2016) continuing on to Wanaka and Queenstown. today will allow the South Bay Marina to be dredged so tourism and commercial fishing t is important you do not drive when you are tired. Fatigue affects drivers’ operators can use the marina on all tides. reactions, ability to concentrate and risk judgement. Stopping and getting a good This will be extremely helpful for operators Inight’s sleep is the only cure, along with taking regular breaks. to get back to a business as usual status as If you are arriving on a ferry from the North Island and planning to drive an quickly as possible.” alternate route from Piction to Christchurch because SH 1 is closed, you Glenn Ormsby, Destination may not wish to travel the entire route, with a minimum average travel Kaikoura time of 7.5 hours, in one go. Accommodation will need to be booked in advance. South Bay Marina has been operating at minimal capacity due The above routes are suitable for motorhomes, and vehicles towing to changes in high tide & low tide caravans, boats and trailers, but have some narrow sections, multiple accessibility. The region’s two major one-way bridges and, in places, have limited cellphone coverage. marine vessel companies, Whalewatch There are many places to stop en route and some excellent sights Kaikoura & Encounter Kaikoura are and attractions. Along the Picton to Christchurch alternate route (shown working closely with central government in blue on the map), there are rest stops available with fuel, food and & relevant parties to resolve this matter toilet facilities at Blenheim, Renwick, St Arnaud, Murchison, Springs Junction and within a few weeks. For up-to-date Culverden. information, visit www.kaikoura.co.nz. GO Collingwood BAY otaranui akaka bel Tasman rench ass ational ark (Anaru) Marahau TASMAN Kahurangi Motueka BAY ational ark ortage erry ellnn Karaea Maua NELSONaelock KARAMEA PICTON BAY ichond 6 1 enwick Seddonille 6 6 BLENHEIM ector t Richmond 63 THE OLD GHOST orest ark Buller orge ROAD TRAIL Wairau 67 Swing Bridge Seddon 6 alley Wye ier bridge ape ampbell Westort 63 use ord to cross yell MURCHISON St Arnaud Ward Inangahua 6 aruia alls 69 ictoria Shenandoah 1 orest Kekerengu unakaiki eeton ark elson 65 akes aparoa Maruia Molesworth ational Clarence ational 7 ark ark ST AMES CYCLE TRAIL Mangaaunu 7 Maruia Srings Blackball Srings ewis ass unction HANMER KAIKOURA eketa Hanmer SPRINGS 70 7 orest ark oose Bay GREYMOUTH Conway lat Kuara Waiau ake Sumner oad Closed okitika 73 7 orest ark Culerden oad en AENAIE E Waiau River rthurs ass eorary oad Closure tira ational ark Cheiot until ay Cycle rail Arthurs ass 7 1 Cae estaurant raigieburn oilets orest Waiara Accoodation ark Aberley Carark ord angiora G 73 1 etrol Station Waimakariri River icnic Area Kaiaoi ot Srings and Mineral ools Darfield Alpine Pacific Triangle Touring Route Methen CHRISTCHURCH Wineries 1 yttelton Mt Soers 77 incoln akaia 75 eeston Akaroa Rakaia River ASHBURTON eraldine Upper South Island 79 euka Touring Routes Rangitata River 24/05/17 TIMARU 1 GO Collingwood BAY otaranui WHALEWATCH KAIKOURA akaka bel Tasman As of Monday 2nd January 2017, Whale will change. Some days three tours will be rench ass Watch Kaikoura have commenced possible; other days they may do two tours. ational ark (Anaru) Marahau commercial whale watching trips again! Each Wednesday, Whale Watch Kaikoura will TASMAN The work on the marina is still to take place be releasing the following Monday – Sunday Kahurangi Motueka BAY but the interim work done on the slipway tour schedule factoring in changing tide ational ark ortage enables operations again. After a series of times. erry ellnn MORE INFORMATION Karaea Maua successful trials of a modified trailer unit, NELSONaelock Please note that available tour times KARAMEA PICTON the vessel Tohorā will be launching in the may differ from the tour times originally BAY Kaikōura Marina. This is much like how advertised. For an update on the tour times ichond 6 1 passengers were loaded in the old days of available, please contact the Customer whale watching. They also hope to have a Service team directly either by email on enwick AA CENTRES Seddonille 6 6 BLENHEIM second vessel available as soon as possible. [email protected] or phone +64 ector t Richmond 63 CHRISTCHURCH THE OLD GHOST Tours will operate around the high tide 3 319 6767 or free phone 0800 655 121 • 358 Flaxton Rd, Rangiora • Ph: +64 3 313 6944 Buller orge ROAD TRAIL orest ark Wairau time. Taking into consideration the tide (within NZ) and they will be able to help 126 Riccarton Rd, Riccarton +64 3 964 5530 67 Swing Bridge alley Seddon • • Ph: 6 114 Marshland Rd, Shirley +64 3 386 1090 ape ampbell times, each day the tour check-in times you with your enquiry. • • Ph: Wye ier bridge • Cnr Brougham & Buchan Sts, Sydenham Westort 63 use ord to cross yell MURCHISON • Ph: +64 3 964 5570 St Arnaud Ward • BLENHEIM Inangahua ROUTES TO KAIKOURA 23 Maxwell Rd • Ph: +64 3 578 3399 6 aruia alls 69 ictoria 1 • NELSON Shenandoah 45 Halifax St • Ph: +64 3 548 8339 orest • The Kaikoura Inland Route 70 is open • SH1, south of Kaikoura, elson Kekerengu i-SITE VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRES unakaiki eeton ark 65 for 24/7 access to all traffic. This is re-opened to two-way traffic on 21 akes subject to any major aftershocks December with night-time restrictions • BLENHEIM i-SITE aparoa Maruia Molesworth 8 Sinclair St Blenheim • +64 3 577 8080 ational or extreme weather events. There until all slip faces have been stabilised Ph: ational Clarence Email: [email protected] 7 ark will be speed restrictions and traffic and we can get traffic signals installed ark ST AMES www.marlboroughnz.com CYCLE TRAIL control in place on the route as work along a 1km coastal section of the 7 Mangaaunu • PICTON i-SITE Maruia is continuing on many sections of the route where we have single-lane Srings The Foreshore, Picton • Ph: +64 3 520 3113 Blackball Srings ewis ass road. Please allow extra time and take access only. Access is during daylight Email: [email protected] unction HANMER KAIKOURA extra care for your own safety and the hours, 6am to 8pm. The last vehicles www.marlboroughnz.com eketa Hanmer SPRINGS 70 safety of those working on the road. will be admitted to travel along SH1 • HAVELOCK i-SITE 7 oose Bay south from Peketa at 7.30pm. Vehicles GREYMOUTH orest ark • Please check the following website for Main St, Havelock • Ph: +64 3 575 2161 Conway lat travelling from Christchurch are Email: [email protected] the latest updates on the inland road Kuara advised to leave the city by 5.30pm to www.marlboroughnz.com (route 70): www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic- Waiau ensure they get through to Kaikoura • MOTUEKA i-SITE ake Sumner 7 oad Closed and-travel-information/ okitika 73 before the road closes at Oaro at 20 Wallace St, Motueka • Ph: +64 3 528 6543 orest ark Culerden oad en AENAIE E travel-information-for-canterbury- rthurs ass Waiau River 7.15pm.