The Best Weekend Getaways for Students in Christchurch

A city that lies in Canterbury, near the center of the east coast of the South Island is known as Christchurch. The city bestows panoramic views of the Christchurch Botanic Garden, also predominant of the green expanse of the Hagley Park. Not just home to prestigious universities the city also houses some of the best weekend getaway sites that are worth a visit by students to enjoy some good moments of leisure. Here are a few of these places of interest mentioned below.

The Garden City

Well-known for offering budget-friendly student accommodation Christchurch, the city is home to the Garden City or in other words, a great place for those interested in plants with the best that botany has to offer. The garden has many cherishable scenic beauties and is a great place for weekend hangouts. Students who are pursuing plant biology can very well get more information and study references and also gain a lot of practical knowledge.

The Breathtaking Banks Peninsula 

For those who want to acquaint themselves and come closer to marine life, can take a trip to Banks Peninsula in Christchurch, to explore what lies beneath the waters, including the world’s rarest and smallest dolphins. This is an ideal weekend destination for students to come across endangered species of Dolphin known as Hector’s dolphin and the white-flippered penguins. Additionally, other places like the towns of Lyttelton and Akaroa are also situated nearby, hence, providing opportunities to explore these towns as well.

Quake City 

This is a great place for seismology students and those interested to get insights into the occurrence of disaster and to what extent it can transform a city’s true identity. The Museum is, therefore, known as ‘Quake City’, exhibiting Canterbury Museum’s most recent permanent fixture and covering all facets of the seismic forces that have affected Christchurch in recent past. Students can have a lifetime of experience to go deeply into the scientific reason behind earthquakes.

The aforementioned weekend destination in Christchurch are the best places for students to explore the city and unwind on the weekends. University Living, the global student housing platform, offers 100% verified student accommodation Christchurch, to move in and explore their new city of dwelling.

What are the Viable Public Transport System Available for Students in Auckland

Auckland is a major city of New Zealand’s North Island and also home to the largest transport hub, the Britomart Transport Centre and having a public transport consisting of three modes of city buses, train service, and ferries. These services are jointly coordinated by Auckland Transport under the AT Metro brand. Here are some details pertaining to easy public transport options available for students for easy commute.

Buses

The bus service in Auckland is jointly coordinated and contracted under the ownership of Auckland Transport and a number of private companies as well. The service is credited to cater to around 70% of public transport trips in Auckland. The service plies around 6 AM to midnight with a weekend service on Fridays and Saturdays that operate buses after midnight including the Northern Express services that run until 3:00 AM. There are four link services namely, CityLink, InnerLink, OuterLink, and TamakiLink identified by their distinct red, green, amber and blue color respectively. International students can use Skybus services to commute between Auckland Airport, the Auckland CBD and Albany. Students must opt for student accommodation Auckland near prominent zones with accessibility to public bus services.

Train Services 

Auckland has the urban train services operating under the ownership of AT brand by Transdev Auckland, while the stations are owned by Auckland Transport. The tracks are owned and maintained by KiwiRail. As a result of improvements like reintroduction of the Sunday train service in 2005, upgrading the core rail network, electrification of the rail network, reconstruction of the Otahuhu railway station and the new Manukau bus station, there has been a rapid growth in ridership, earlier being 1 million annual boardings in 1994 with a rise of over 20 million in 2017. There are four commuter rail lines- the Eastern line, Southern line including the line operating the Papakura–Puhekohe shuttle, the Western line, and the Onehunga line. The services are extensive ensuring easy commute to students as most of the stations are within easy access from the student accommodation available in Auckland.

Ferries 

Auckland public transport also includes the very economical ferries operating from The Auckland Ferry Terminal situated in downtown Auckland on Quay Street. There are two terminals - The North Shore terminals and East Auckland terminals also including the third one which is Waitematā Harbour's western terminals. Those wanting to go for weekend trips can avail the ferry service to the islands of the Hauraki Gulf and also to Waiheke Island and less frequent services to Motutapu Island, Great Barrier Island, and Rangitoto Island.

With these modes of transport available, Auckland is witness to a considerable increase in ridership in Auckland. University Living offers 100% verified student accommodation in Auckland and also additional guidance on how to make a more informed decision on the accommodation choice.

What are the Convenient Modes of Public Transport for Students to Avail in Southampton

Known for the famous Titanic voyage that started its journey from this city, Southampton is also a major UK port with good transport links with the rest of the country. This is really beneficial for students pursuing higher degrees in the prestigious universities of the city. Southampton is home to a unique network of Unilink buses to several Southampton campuses and amazing train network with stations near popular student accommodations and also ferry service that ensure students get ample scope to explore the city in leisure.

Uni-link Buses 

The city of Southampton operates the award winning Uni-link bus service. Popular student accommodation Southampton are all within easy access to this service that operates to all Southampton campuses, the city center, general hospital, rail stations, ferries, and Southampton airport.

Rail Network 

Southampton has an extensive railway, operating the passenger services as part of the national rail system. All trains start from Southampton Central train station with routes to several neighbouring regions like Salisbury, Cardiff, Portsmouth, Weymouth, and Bournemouth, to name a few. It takes around 1 hour 30 minutes to travel to London with train services starting from Southampton Central train station. University students can take the Uni-link U1 bus service to reach both Southampton Central stations and Southampton Airport Parkway. The Winchester campus is also a 15 minute walk from the train station.

Ferry Service 

Southampton also has a ferry service operating under the ownership of Red Funnel with regular ferry connections between Southampton and the Isle of Wight. Students willing to explore the city a little differently, can take Unilink buses or Bluestar that operates from the mainland and likewise by Southern Vectis on the Island. There are two ferry services that operate on the terminus at Town Quay which is a car ferry service and a fast catamaran passenger service on a ferry. These services provide links to East Cowes and Cowes and on the Isle of Wight. The third ferry service operates to Hythe which is situated on the other side of Southampton Water.

The above mentioned public transport options to the university campuses make commuting for morning lectures easy for students. They have more time for additional studies and also save a lot on transport expenses. Apart from searching for affordable student accommodation Southampton, easy connectivity to the public transport system is yet another reason why students opt to study in this city. University living, a global student marketplace, offers 100% verified properties, ensuring easy connectivity to the Southampton public transport system.