Punting On The Avon (Antigua Boat Sheds) — Attraction in Christchurch

I have been here before, great experience last time, so I took my mom come back again. Since we are travelling in the peak season so I purchased the tickets online in advance. On their website there are two options of punting, I booked one has “favourite” besides it, and follow the instructions in my email to call the number to book the time for the punting. Called three days on different times and only been answered on the third day. Provided my booking reference number and the lady on the phone booked me for 4 pm tour. However we were 10 mins before 4pm at the address in my email and no one was there. Called the number again and another lady told me we booked the tour at another address. It is close but we cannot make it before 4 pm. The lady on the phone was very crucial saying if I miss my boat there is nothing she can do about it, no refund or no flexibility to arrange us on another tour. We have to ran to the spot try to communicate with her, my mom is 60 years old and have to run all the way. When we were there finally arranged us on the 4:20 pm tour. Not sure why the lady is so difficult to communicate over the phone and not flexible at all. Also I booked at another spot but when I called in advance and provided the booking reference they didn’t tell me it is for a different location. All in all, very...

Very disappointing customer service.

I had booked a punting trip a few months in advance and was looking forward to sharing the experience with my parents who were over from Europe. Unfortunately, we arrived 4 minutes after our scheduled time, to see a full boat departing the wharf. We were advised by the unhelpful staff member that all trips departed promptly and that the next available boat was in 6 hour’s time. As we were only in town for a few hours, this was not an option for us. When we enquired, we were tersely advised that per the T&C no refunds or transfers were possible. Given that our seats were sold to people who had walked-in, it seemed unreasonable that a refund was not offered.

We were then told that we should have been at the boat shed 10 mins before the trip to secure our spots, to ensure they were not sold to people walking up on the day. This detail was not mentioned in the booking confirmation or any subsequent emails from the operator.

If we had known the timings were so strict, we certainly would have called ahead to advise we were running a few minutes late. No attempt was made by the operator to check if we were on our way/intended to keep...

We came to New Zealand chasing thrills and adventure… so when the boss announced we were going punting, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. This was not what I signed up for. But I’m so glad I didn’t object.

Punting on the Avon turned out to be the exact kind of calm I didn’t realise I was craving. Gently gliding along the river, surrounded by tranquil scenery and the soft sounds of flowing water, was incredibly soothing.

Our punter, Nathaniel, was fantastic - his commentary was engaging and full of interesting facts, and he navigated the boat like a total pro. He also patiently answered all my questions - even the weird ones. He gave us great tips, including what to do near the Christchurch Gondola and pointed us towards Lyttelton, a sleepy little port town we’d have missed otherwise. THANKS NATHANIEL!

A truly memorable and unexpectedly magical part of our trip. Highly recommend it to anyone visiting Christchurch - whether you're seeking adventur or just a...