Bay Harbour: November 30, 2016

Wednesday November 30 2016
News
Quake affects tourist numbers
BAY HARBOUR
In Brief
PAGE 3
• By Annabelle Dick
AKAROA’S tourism industry
has been up and down as
a result of this month’s 7.8
magnitude earthquake.
A number of businesses have
experienced a drop in numbers
as visitors cancel trips to Akaroa
fearing more earthquakes in
Canterbury.
But some have seen an increase
in bookings as business
has stalled in Canterbury’s other
tourist-friendly coastal town
Kaikoura.
Akaroa has become the main
hub for marine animal encounters
in the region following the
North Canterbury earthquakes.
Kaikoura’s tourism industry is
in disarray while the region is in
a state of emergency.
Hanmer
Springs has
seen a large decrease
in visitor
numbers due to
its proximity to
the epicentre.
Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura
and Whale Watch Kaikoura are
closed until further notice due
to extensive damage caused to
the township.
Christchurch i-SITE has been
referring tourists, planning
to go to Kaikoura, to Akaroa
instead.
Black Cat Cruises, which
offers dolphin watching and
swimming experiences, has had
to increase capacity due to the
demand.
“People that were planning on
going to Kaikoura are now coming
to Akaroa. We’re launching
one of our boats a little
earlier than planned,” sales and
marketing manager Natasha
Lombart (left) said.
The company usually runs
three boats in a season and
introduces a fourth just before
Christmas – but the extra fleet
has been launched two weeks
early.
“There is a demand for our
swim service from Kaikoura
passengers. The boats take up
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to 99 passengers, but with the
dolphin swim we can only take
up to 12,” Miss Lombart said.
Black Cat Cruises didn’t
know how much business had
increased by, as it usually sees
a rise over the summer period
regardless.
“It’s good we can provide this
service close by in Canterbury
but at the same time no one
wants to benefit from something
like this.”
Meanwhile, Akaroa Criterion
Motel owner Felicity Taylor
owner said she hasn’t seen as
many benefits following the
tragedy in Kaikoura.
“We’ve had some bookings
from people who were meant
to go to Kaikoura and their
BOOMING: Black Cat Cruises
has launched a fourth vessel
to keep up with demand for
services.
agents have recommend they
come here. At the same time
we’ve had lots of cancellations
as well from people nervous to
come here because of the earthquakes,”
Mrs Taylor said.
Bully Hayes duty manager
Tong Hou said the eatery has
had customers who’ve come
to Akaroa as an alternative to
Kaikoura.
But they’ve also seen a drop
in numbers as trips have been
cancelled due to State Highway
1 being closed along the top half
of South Island’s coastline.
“It hasn’t been that much busier
– the day after the earthquake
we had cancellations from tourist
groups who were due to come
here from the north.”
CENTRE SET TO OPEN
THe Heathcote Valley
Community Centre is set to
open in two weeks. The centre
will also include a volunteer
library and has been built on
the Bridle Path Rd site of the
former community centre. The
previous centre and library
were demolished following the
February 22, 2011, earthquake.
Work began on site at the end
of June this year to create a
new facility which will have
several meeting areas, a kitchen,
bathroom facilities along with
a large deck. The centre will be
opened at 5.30pm on December
14.
PLAQUE UNVEILING
A plaque will be unveiled tomorrow
to honour Collett’s Corner
in Lyttelton. Collett’s Chemist,
opened by D.E.L Collett, sat on
the corner of London St and
Oxford St and was often referred
to as Collett’s Corner. The
pharmacy treated ship crewmen
with concocted remedies.
The plaque unveiling will mark
105 years since the chemist
opened on December 1, 1911.
Mr Collett’s granddaughter Ann
Toomey and Banks Peninsula
Community Board chairwoman
Christine Wilson will mark the
now-vacant corner with a plaque
funded by the city council.
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