Getting there
Flights
Christchurch has a busy international airport which is serviced by all the major Southern Hemisphere airways. Christchurch is also well connected with direct domestic flights from Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Rotorua, Palmerston North, Queenstown and Dunedin international airports.
For flight bookings, it is recommended you start with:
- Air New Zealand
- Qantas
- Pacific Blue (budget fares)
- Jet Star (budget fares)
Biosecurity
Most visitors to New Zealand arrive by commercial air travel. On arrival all international passengers are required to complete a New Zealand Passenger Arrival Card which is presented with their passport at Passport Control prior to baggage reclaim. The New Zealand Passenger Arrival Card has questions that relate to biosecurity, customs and immigration matters.
New Zealand operates strict biosecurity procedures at airports and passengers are asked to declare all items in their possession described on the card. Such items include food of any kind, animals or animal products, plants or plant products, and other risk items. You are also asked to declare whether, in the past 30 days while outside New Zealand, you have been in contact with any animals, to a farm, abattoir, meat packing house, forest or hiking, camping, hunting in rural areas or parkland.
A theme for those arriving for a visit is - if in doubt, declare it.
Currency exchange
Exchange of foreign currency can be done at the airport, your hotel, or local banks. Almost all retailers accept major credit cards.