YHA Member Weekends
Member Weekends were established to provide an opportunity for members to engage with National Board and senior staff.
Weekends are organised throughout the year, with a minimum of three weekends held each year, spread across both the North and South Islands. Member Weekends are open to all domestic members of YHA New Zealand.
These weekend events provide a fun weekend away with other members from around New Zealand and the opportunity to meet with YHA's National Board and senior staff.
Member Weekends usually include:
- Discounted accommodation for those who stay at the hostel on both Friday and Saturday nights.
- Breakfast which is provided on Saturday and Sunday, and a BBQ on Saturday evening. All other meals over the weekend are self-catering.
- The local Branch hosts the weekend and suggests suitable activities. Sometimes these are offered at a discount to members. The Branch also assists with the catering arrangements.
- Over the weekend there is a Forum which is hosted by representatives of the National Board and attended by senior staff. The purpose of the Forum is for the Board to engage and develop a positive relationship with Branches and members. This helps to ensure that members are up-to-date with current developments within the Association, and that the Board has the opportunity to hear and consider member perspectives.
Throughout 2013 we will hold the following members weekends:
Friday 3rd May - Sunday 5th May 2013 - Kaikoura
Friday 1st November - Sunday 3rd November 2013 - Auckland (Incorporting the AGM)
It is proposed that a third weekend will be organised to coincide with an event that will attract a younger and newer membership to these weekends. A suitable event will be investigated by the new Sales and Marketing Manager.
Kaikoura Members' Weekend 3 - 5 May 2013
These events provide a fun weekend away with other members from around New Zealand and the opportunity to meet with YHA's National Board and senior staff. Member Weekends are open to all domestic members of YHA New Zealand.
This weekend will be hosted by the Christchurch Branch. The Hostel Manager, Kuini Broughton is currently organising some great activities for members, these will be along an eco-theme and are only available because of Kuini's great network connections. More info to follow once we have fine-tuned the timetable for the weekend.
Steve Wakefield, the Deputy Chair of the National Board will host a National Board Forum. At the forum, members have the opportunity to discuss current topics with Board members and YHA staff and hear up-to-date information on current developments within YHA.
Accommodation is available at YHA Kaikoura and is offered at 50% discount to those who stay both Friday and Saturday nights (for domestic YHA members).
To take advantage of this great offer, contact the hostel directly to book your bed. Remember to mention the members' weekend in order to qualify for this discount.
To promote fellowship amongst those attending this weekend, the following group meals will be provided at no costs; Saturday and Sunday breakfast and the evening meal on Saturday. All other catering will be at your own arrangement. There are some amazing places in Kaikoura to eat out, and the seafood in this town is amazing!
What can you do while in Kaikoura?
Few places in the world can boast of such natural wonders as those offered by land and sea in Kaikoura. The seaside settlement is the most northern district in the Canterbury region located on the east coast of the South Island (an ideal location for both north and south bound travellers). 2.5 hours' drive from Christchurch, 1.5 hours from Blenheim and only 2 hours from Picton - the gateway to the North Island. Kaikoura is a pretty special place to visit and offers a vast range of activities, including:
- Numerous artists live in this part of the world and many have set up studios.
- The Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway provides several options from a 5 minute to a 3 hour walk. DoC has produced a great brochure that lists all these walks.
- Check out the seals, hostel staff can point you in the right direction.
- A new marine aquarium has opened in Kaikoura.
- Fyffe House is the last tangible remains of the Waiopuka Whaling Station, and has seen Kaikoura grow from a whaling station to a farming and fishing community and port, then to today's whale watching centre.
- Kaikoura District Museum & Archives - Come and visit the history of the District, which includes Maori artifacts, whaling, fishing, farming, saw milling, social history, marine fossils, geology, photographs, archives and all the memorabilia that makes Kaikoura what it is today.
- There are numerous other activities available depending on your budget so check out http://www.kaikoura.co.nz/ for details of all activities.
What do you need to do now?
If you are interested in attending this great weekend away you need to:
1. Contact the hostel and book your room.
Phone: 03 319 5931 or email yhakaikr@yha.co.nz
2. Email the National Secretary to register for the weekend.
We hope to see as many members at this weekend as possible - wouldn't it be great if we filled the hostel. To avoid disappointment get in quick!
Throughout 2012 we held the following members weekends:
20-22 April - YHA Whangarei
Click here to read the story about this successful weekend.