New Zealand 2024 | Information
Kia Ora to Aotearoa!
'KiwiVille' is our third favourite nation to tour; a place we would love to tour every two years. Of course what specatators want is usually the polar opposite to administrators', but let's digress.
Here a few helpful points, primarily oriented to those that have never visited NZ or travelled with us, or haven't yet arrived in NZ.
We appreciate you may be 'in country' or be an experienced traveller to NZ, but the information that follows includes ground entry conditions, where we are refreshing the night before each test, and after play each day.
It is important to remind you that unlike every other nation we visit, New Zealand 2024 is not a tour by our usual practice.
NZ is the quintessential 'do it yourself' destination, hence all we provide is match tickets, and nothing else.
Your time in NZ is your time.
On This Page:
- Communications
- Money
- Arriving In Wellington
- Cricket In Wellington
- Pre-Wellington Test Match
- Arriving In Christchurch
- Cricket In Christchurch
- Pre-Christchurch Test Match
- Tour Shirts
On arrival into NZ I will buy a local SIM card for data use only, giving access to email and Whatsapp messaging.
My Australian SIM card WILL NOT be in my phone.
If you call my Australian mobile, this will go straight to voicemail. Any voicemail will not be heard, and any text message will only be received once back in Australia.
If you need to call or message: Whatsapp!
If you choose not to have data or Whatsapp or both on your phone (if you have a phone), you will need to borrow someone else's to contact me.
New Zealand was the first nation I toured where I never needed local currency. From the year 2000 it was card payment everywhere, even for a paper to read of Australia's cricket glory the day before.
In short, you don't need to change money. ATM's are about, though not plentiful.
Each to their own, but do know that both venues are cashless!
If not roaming with your OZ mobile, before you leave the airport grab a SIM card from One.
There may be other networks such as Vodafone, 2Degrees, or Spark, but One is the only network 'promoted' on the Wellington Airport website.
From the airport take a taxi, Uber, SuperShuttle (door-to-door), or Airport Express public bus that runs 35mins to Wellington Railway Station.
Depending on where your hotel is;
- Airport Express is NZ$10pp (debit/credit tap & go)
- Super Shuttle is NZ$18 for one and NZ$6 for each additional passenger, on the same booking.
- Uber to Basin Reserve is NZ$20
Some useful websites:
- Wellington Airport
- Wellington Airport Bus
- SuperShuttle (pre-book)
- New Zealand Tourism
- Back To The Top
If you are enjoying the Test Match with a general admission ticket, we strongly recommend bringing or buying a collapsible camp chair.
We have bought ours from Bunnings Wellington Central for collection on arrival.
Disappointingly, there are size restrictions for chairs, detailed in the Basin Reserve Entry Conditions, due to 'capacity limitations within the venue'.
We contacted NZC about the restrictions citing two people on a blanket use more space than two people on chairs that stand higher than the current 30cm limit. We have yet to receive a reply.
My chair sits 40cm from the ground and I am taking this.
Each to their own.
There are limited seats around the boundary and on the red brick steps beneath Wakefield Memorial, on the left of the picture below. Bring a pillow or blanket and get in early to claim a spot.
To answer people's question, if your ticket is general admission, you sit where you prefer, but late arrival won't leave you with great choice.
We are not meeting anywhere or reserving places for others. We get in when the gates open to claim our favourite spot on the grassy knoll in the image below.
The sun sets to the right, as you look at the image.
On Wednesday Feb 28, please join us at Cambridge Hotel, just 500m from the Basin Reserve.
I will be there from 6pm.
We have been imbibing at the Cambridge since our first New Zealand tour in 2000, and indeed look forward to returning.
Unlike other tours where we select a different nightly destination, NZ24 is vastly different as we have more than 300 in Wellington.
Straight after play we will go to the Cambridge each day where Isaac and his team will look after us. It would be great for you to slide on in on your way home.
If flying in for Christchurch only, and not roaming with your OZ mobile, before you leave the airport grab a local SIM card from Spark.
There may be other networks such as Vodafone, 2Degrees, or One, but Spark is the only network 'promoted' on the Christchurch Airport website.
From the airport take a taxi, Uber, SuperShuttle (door-to-door), or public bus that runs via Riccarton to Christchurch Bus Interchange on Lichfield Street.
Depending on where your hotel is;
- Public Bus #3 is NZ$4 bought from driver
- Super Shuttle is NZ$25 for one and NZ$5 for each additional passenger, on the same booking
- Uber to Hagley Oval is NZ$28
- Uber to central Christchurch NZ$33
Some useful links:
- Christchurch Airport
- Christchurch Airport Bus
- SuperShuttle (pre-book)
- New Zealand Tourism
- Back To The Top
Excluding hospitality, every ticket is general admission and we strongly recommend bringing or buying a collapsible camp chair.
We are bringing ours from Wellington, but you can buy yours from Bunnings Riccarton or any other outdoor store for collection on arrival into Christchurch.
Unlike Basin Reserve there are no size restrictions as per the Hagley Oval Entry Conditions.
Conversely, you can take your thermos into Wellington, but not Christchurch. Same two teams, two different entry conditions. #Madness
As your ticket is general admission, you sit where you prefer. We are not meeting anywhere or reserving places for others. We get in when Gate A opens to set up at the top of the grassy knoll in the images below.
The sun sets to the left of the animated image.
On Thursday March 7, please join us at Casa Publica, on the cool New Regent St.
I will be there from 6pm.
As per Wellington, we won't have a different nightly destination even though only 200 of us will be Christchurch.
Straight after play each day we will go to Pegasus Arms, our go to after Australia's first ever test at Hagley Oval in 2016.
This is the closest pub to the ground, when walking back into the city.
If you bought our very cool New Zealand 2024 Tour Shirts, you can collect these before the test match at the pub, otherwise come and find me at the game in the locations detailed above.
On the subject of clothes, bring your woolies as it can get bitterly, biblically cold even in this tail end of summer.
Thanks everyone, see you there!
Luke
Whatsapp ONLY: +61402222217