Canterbury / West Coast

Objectives of this module

• Explain the key selling points of the Christchurch-Canterbury and West Coast regions.
• Build an itinerary including key highlights of the regions.
• Identify the key tourism centres in these regions.
• Link these regions with other parts of New Zealand.

Key selling points

• Self drivers’ paradise: diverse scenery from the west coast to east coast.
• All year round whale watching.
• Easy accessibility to glaciers.
• The story of pounamu, New Zealand greenstone.
• Six of New Zealand’s thirteen national parks.

Story

According to Maori legend, Aoraki and his three brothers were the sons of Rakinui, the Sky Father. They were on a voyage around Papatuanuku, the Earth Mother, when their canoe was stranded after striking a reef in the ocean. Aoraki and his brothers climbed onto the top their canoe. The cold south wind froze them, and turned them into stone. Their canoe became New Zealand's South Island, which was then called Te Waka o Aoraki. Aoraki, the tallest of the brothers, became the highest peak (also known as Mt Cook). His brothers and crew became the other mountains of the Southern Alps.

Quick overview

• Key international arrival point into the South Island- Christchurch
• The Southern Alps divide the two regions.
• Approximately 3.4 hours drive between Christchurch and Greymouth.

Working through the Module

• The module should take you approximately 3 hours. Suggested timings have been recommended for each of the sections.
• Look out for important points, listed below, as you read through the module:

		Tasks that you can do as you work through the module to increase your knowledge. These are highly recommended, as they will help you successfully complete the module test.
		Information that will help you up-sell product and demonstrate to your client that you are an expert in selling New Zealand.
		Highlights within the regions

Compulsory Task

The compulsory task is designed to test your learning and reinforce your skills.

As you work through the module use the information you gather to build an itinerary using the following criteria.

• Mode of transport: Rental car
• Time available - land: 10 days
• Starting point: Christchurch
• Ending point: Christchurch
• Client Profile: A couple in their sixties of average fitness who enjoy sightseeing. They have ten days in the South Island and wish to take in the key attractions of the Canterbury and West Coast regions.

Using the information in this module and referring to the regional website www.southernlakes.org build a suitable self-drive itinerary for the couple. You may wish to include several days out of the ten in some of the neighbouring regions, i.e. Southern Lakes (Queenstown, Wanaka) or Dunedin and Coastal Otago.

Take into consideration, travel times between centres and include suggested activities and attractions that fit your clients’ profiles. When you have completed the itinerary check Section Four to see how your itinerary compares or go onto the Tourism New Zealand website to look at suggested itineraries in their Driving Routes section.

Use this module, websites, and any other resources you have in your workplace to include as much pre-bookable product as you can.

Websites

There will be references to the Tourism New Zealand website (www.newzealand.com) in this document and regional websites. Take time to get familiar with these websites, as they are a vital source of information.

Sections within the Module

There are five sections to this module:

Section 1:
Christchurch and Canterbury

Section 2:
West Coast

Section 3:
Annual Events: events can be used to add value to a trip to New Zealand or alternatively a starting point for a holiday.

Section 4:
Suggested itineraries

Section 5:
Short Test : you must submit this to successfully complete the module.