Spaceships in Christchurch (South Island)

Haere Mai Ōtautahi - Welcome to Christchurch. Christchurch is the perfect place to start your road trip on the South Island of New Zealand. The Spaceships campervan hire Christchurch depot is located only 2.2 kilometres from the airport.

Christchurch depot address

160 Orchard Road
Harewood
Christchurch 8051

Phone: freephone/toll-free 0800 772 237 for reservations and enquiries or phone (+64) 03 358 7384 to talk with the Christchurch Depot directly. 

Email: please use the online contact form to shoot your message at the speed of light to our customer service inbox

Transfer to Spaceships Christchurch depot: more info about how to get to our depot aka all the info about the transfer to the depot (free or paid transfers).

Price & availability of campervans in Christchurch: create a quote online & book it at the best price available (discounts & deals will be applied automatically). No hidden costs. The price you see is the price you'll pay.

Opening hours of Spaceships depot in Christchurch

• Opening Hours aka Business Hours: 
  • Winter (May - September): Monday - Friday (5 days a week) from 9am to 5pm. 
  • Summer (October - April): Monday - Sunday (7 days a week) from 9am to 5pm
• Closed on the following public holidays: 25 December and 1 January
• Picking up & dropping off: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year! This is a self-service, unmanned, automated service according to the after-hours process. You will receive the pick-up instructions 1 day before your scheduled day of arrival! See for more info about this free service.
• All pick-ups are self-service with staff being on-site to help out during business hours. Please make sure you have finished all steps of the Online Check-in Process, no matter the time you arrive at the depot. The check-in must be completed at least 1 business day before the scheduled day of pick-up. If you are picking up outside of office hours (after-hours), it'll be an automated yet unmanned pick-up process.
• To do before arrival: Always make sure to watch the How To Use Your Spaceship videos before arrival.

Useful info when starting your #SpaceshipsRoadTrip in Christchurch

Starting your road trip in Christchurch is easy. The Spaceships Christchurch is located next to the airport, on car / campervan rental boulevard. This is the place where all rental companies are located, easy to reach from the airport arrivals hall. It's easy to roll from the airport straight into your campervan. However, we do recommend relaxing first before driving for a long time on your road trip, especially if you've just come from the other side of the world. Safety first, Space Travellers.

Accommodation in Christchurch

It is highly recommended to start your road trip after a good night's sleep. If you've come off a long international flight it is best to have a good night's sleep before starting to drive. The Spaceships Christchurch depot is located on airport terrain and is only 2.2km from the arrivals hall. There are heaps of affordable accommodation options in Christchurch. The following hotels or hostels are the closest ones to the airport and thus the Spaceships depot... (they are listed from lowest price to a slightly higher price).

1. Lylo Christchurch - Kick off your New Zealand adventure the moment you land at Christchurch Airport with LyLo - just a 5 to 10-minute walk away, offering modern pods, private rooms, and an epic social hangout for the ultimate travel experience.
2. Sudima Christchurch Airport - Just five minutes from Christchurch Airport, Sudima offers award-winning 4.5-star comfort with a restaurant, bar, gym, conference rooms, high-speed internet, and a 24/7 shuttle – perfect for a seamless start of your trip.
3. Novotel Christchurch Airport - Located right outside Christchurch Airport's terminals, the 4.5-star Novotel offers 200 stylish rooms, on-site dining with stunning views of the Southern Alps, flexible conference facilities, and a high-tech fitness center for a premium stay.

Or see all Christchurch accommodation & deals if you, for example, prefer to stay in the city centre to stay a few days to experience what the Garden City has to offer.

Petrol stations nearby

At Spaceships, we like to keep things as easy as possible. The same goes for the fuel level of your campervan: fuel level out is fuel level in. You just have to return the vehicle with the same fuel level it had when you picked it up. For example, if the tank on pick-up is half-full, you return the campervan with a half tank of fuel. Unfortunately, we can't tell you the level of fuel your campervan will have when you pick it up, but it is definitely enough to start your road trip.

You can fuel up at the petrol stations nearby.

• BP (fuel, wash bay & vacuum): 661 Russley Road, SH1, Christchurch 8051 (300 metres from the Spaceships depot)
• NPD Wairakei (just fuel): 449 Wairakei Road, Burnside, Christchurch 8053 (3 km from the Spaceships depot)
• Caltex Bishopdale (just fuel): 318 Harewood Road, Bishopdale, Christchurch 8053 (3.3 km from the Spaceships depot)
• BP (fuel, wash bay & vacuum): 1 Memorial Avenue, Ilam, Christchurch 8053 (7.1 km from the Spaceships depot)

Supermarkets nearby

Stocking up on fresh produce and staple groceries is easy as these supermarkets are close to the Spaceships Christchurch depot. Please make sure you don't leave your bags or valuable items in plain sight when shopping for groceries, just like you would do in any city around the world.

• Countdown Christchurch Airport: 530/546A Memorial Avenue, Harewood, Christchurch 8053 (2 km from the Spaceships depot)
• New World Bishopdale: Cnr Farrington Avenue & Harewood Road Bishopdale Mall, Bishopdale, Christchurch 8053 (3.4 km from the Spaceships depot)
• Pak 'n Save Northlands: Northlands Shopping Centre Main North Road, Northcote, Christchurch 8053 (6.3 km from the Spaceships depot)

Dump stations near the Christchurch depot

When returning your Self-Contained Spaceships campervan, the toilet must be emptied and cleaned, even if you have added the Speedy Return Pack to your booking. The toilet cassette must be emptied at a dump station. These are the closest ones to the Christchurch depot:

• Free dump station at BP Marshland, 432 Marshland Road, Marshland, Christchurch 8083, New Zealand (10 km from the Spaceships depot)
• Paid dumpstation ($20 to be paid at reception) at North South Holiday Park Christchurch, 530 Sawyers Arms Road, Harewood, Christchurch 8051, New Zealand (2km from the Spaceships depot. Please note: PAY AT RECEPTION FIRST!

Transfer to our Christchurch depot

Getting from Christchurch Airport to the Spaceships depot is super easy. Our Christchurch depot is approximately a 10-minute ride from the airport arrivals hall (20 minutes by foot). Check out this detailed list of transfer options you can choose from when you have Transfer Credit to spend (when your booking is for 28 days or more and is made on or after 1 July 2024) or if you didn't qualify for Transfer Credit.

The free transfer option where the Spaceships Crew would book/arrange your transfer to the depot has ended on 30 June 2024. If your booking mentions free transfer, you've booked before that end date and will still get the free transfer arranged by us (more info).

What to bring at pick-up to the Christchurch depot?

Picking up a Spaceships campervan is an easy and fun process. You don't need to bring much to the depot. Just make sure you have your original national driving licence on you. See for more info about the pick-up process, what to bring and how we made the pick-up process easy and fun. Sneak preview: free coffee, free WiFi and free arcade games. It's fun being and staying a bit longer at our Christchurch depot.

Why hire a Spaceships campervan in Christchurch?

Our customised campervans are perfect for discovering the South Island. You're allowed to drive on gravel roads, so you can go wherever you want to. To make your New Zealand road trip easy we have two guidebooks for you. These guidebooks (250 pages each) will help you to discover New Zealand's remote and untouched places. You'll get them for free with your Spaceships hire. Combine them with the free Spaceships smartphone app and you'll have the best road trip ever.

Holiday Parks, ho(s)tels & campsites in Christchurch area

Want to have an easy start of your South Island road trip and don't want to drive for too long on your first day? Have a good night's rest at one of these holiday parks. Or check out the free Spaceships app for Android & Apple devices for free & low-cost campgrounds in the area. Book your Christchurch accommodation online at the best rates available in the market. Or check out these favourites...

Christchurch TOP 10 Holiday Park (formerly Meadow Park Holiday Park)

• Address: 39 Meadow Street, Christchurch
• Phone: 03-352 9176
• Distance from Spaceships Christchurch depot: 7 km

Commodore Airport Hotel

• Address: 449 Memorial Ave, Burnside, Christchurch 8053
• Phone: 03-358 8129
• Distance from Spaceships Christchurch: 2.5 km

Bealey Quarter - formerly known as All-Stars Inn (hostel)

• Address: 263 Bealey Ave, Edgeware, Christchurch 8013
• Phone: 03-366 6007
• Distance from Spaceships Christchurch: 8 km
• Good to know: heaps of free parking

And if you're well-rested and want to go to a campsite in the Christchurch area then these are great campsites for your first stop on your road trip.

Rakaia Gorge Camping Ground

• Address: 6686 Arundel Rakaia Gorge Rd, Mount Hutt 7782
• Distance from Spaceships Christchurch: 80 km
• Rate: $10 per person per night
• Good to know: excellent facilities like hot showers; amazing views over Rakaia Gorge

DOC Waihi Gorge campsite

• Address: Woodbury 7991, New Zealand
• Distance from Spaceships depot: 145 km
• Good to know: budget DOC campsite ($8 per person per night) with heaps of space for non-self-contained & self-contained campervans

Or check out our info about finding campsites in Christchurch (area) for more camping suggestions.