Getting there:

Sleeping:

Christchurch has a huge amount of accommodation from campsites, cabins, motels, hotels, B&B’s. The Edgehill B&B is right near the shuttle pick-up in Bowenvale Ave. If you're after something in the city check out the 5 star hostel Stonehurst. Bookings can be made directly or through the Information Centre in the centre of the city. If you’re staying for more than a few days check out Bookabach – an internet based booking service for holiday homes – often fully equipped with BBQ, bedding etc. For last minute hotel deals try Wotif.

Eating:

There are loads of cafes, takeaways and restaurants. Check out the Lone Star for massive meals. Burger Fuel for top notch burgers and kumara (sweet potato) fries is due to open in christchurch soon, in the mean time check out Burger Wisconsin not far from the shuttle pick-up. To eat in, there are lots of big supermarkets to pick from scattered around the city.

Bars and Clubs:

There are plenty of options to keep you busy in the evening. Check out the Dux De Lux for beers and gingle ale brewed onsite and nightly entertainment, the Twisted Hop for a taste of Christchurch's microbrewed ales in Sol Square. Check out the gig guide to find out what's on.

Bike Shops:

The closest bike shop to the shuttle pick-up is Basic Bikes (Santa Cruz stockists)- with two of the cities best mechanics. There are a bunch of full service bikes shops in the CBD, Bike HQ on Colombo St has the biggest range of Freeride/DH gear. John Bull Cycles are the Specialized dealer, Bicycle Business are the Trek dealer, Cycle Trading are a the Giant dealer. Grind Bikes are worth checking out for their unusal collection of bikes and clothing. Dr Bike has a mobile service truck and will come to your hotel to service your bike.

Internet:

There are a many internet cafes in the city, the Sydenham public library has a few internet terminals, Starbucks and most hotels have wireless hotspots. Vodafone and Telecom NZ are the two phone networks in NZ with good coverage throughout the city.

Bike Map:

The CCC christchurch trail map is available free here. Printed maps are available from the bike shops. It’s worth asking the bike shop to draw on any new trails built since the map print. The shuttle map is available here.

Car Hire:

If you’re rding a trail bike you can bike around the flat city, if you're riding a DH rig and don't want to ride the 3km on the flat to the shuttle pick-up you'll need a car. You can hire a car from a dozen or so companies. The only one that includes a towball mounted bike rack is Pegasus Rentals, they will also pick-up and drop-off at the airport.

Other Activities:

There is a fantastic arts centre in the city near the Dux de lux pub, you can spend an hour or two wandering around there. There's awesome Indoor Rock climbing at the YMCA. If you get out of the city into the southern alps there are the ski-fields of Mt Hutt and Port Heights, Mt Olympus, Cheeseman, Broken River, Craigeburn, and Temple Basin. In the summer at Mt Hutt DHNZ run shuttle days and guided heli-rides