About us
Blue Skies is a dynamic facility offering a range of different accommodation types suitable for all groups. We have various activities on site that are easy to manage and implement into any programme. Blue Skies is also located only 15 minutes north of Christchurch in park like grounds, giving the camp a rural setting and feel without the costly expense of travel. Blue Skies has four different facilities allowing great flexibility of use. There is a facility to suit every group from a smaller Business Conference, to School Camps, Church Groups, Training Retreats and even Family and Corporate Picnics. In total we can accommodate 195 people, and that does not include the spacious grounds for Tents, Camping, Caravans and Campervans.
A brief History
Blue Skies is owned and operated on behalf of The New Zealand Scout Association, available for use by all persons and organisations. The site was purchased in 1965 and developed over the years as a training facility. The Main Complex (Ron Moore Memorial Lodge) was constructed in the late 1960's in time for the 1969 5th National Scout Jamboree which was held in Kaiapoi at Blue Skies.
Over the following years the swimming pool and grounds were developed, with The Dougall Love Conference Centre built during the 1980's. In the 1990's the Youth Lodge was constructed in stages and the back paddock, "Loffhagen Field" purchased.
Today the facilities are still used by Scouting New Zealand as a training facility and are available to all community organisations, including Schools, Churches, Sports and Youth Groups. The Conference Centre is used by businesses including Government Departments, taking advantage of our close proximity to Christchurch utilizing our excellent facilities and grounds.
As part of the Conference Centre, The National Scout Museum was established during the 1980's and officially opened in 1994. It is open to the public on Sunday afternoons between 1.00pm - 4.00pm and by prior arrangement is available to groups and individuals at prearranged times. The Museum contains an extensive range of displays from Scouting's early beginnings by Lord Baden Powell in England 1907 through its development in New Zealand from 1908 to present day, covering all aspects of Scouting.
Historical Gallery
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| Pages from an appeal booklet, seeking funding for the building of the Main Complex on the site (Mid 1960's) |
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Aerial Photograph of the original Blue Skies Campground, before purchased by Scouting Canterbury NZ (Est early 1960's) |
A Blue Skies postcard (est early 1970's) |
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| An appeal brochure for the Conference Centre (1983) |
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| A comparison photo looking at the Main Complex from the Abseiling Tower, first photo dated in the early 1990's and the second in 2009. The A-frame just visible behind all the trees. |
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| Youth Lodge Stage 1 completed in August 1996 and the start of stage 2 (Units and bunkrooms) in November 1997, the hall was then extended in May 2002, final bunkroom extension completed in October 2005, and another proposed extension to the hall is to happen in 2010 |
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| An R.N.Z.A.F. Iroquois helicopter dumps water from a monsoon bucket into the Blue Skies pool during a Fire Brigade training weekend held at Blue Skies in 1988. | Cub Day at Blue Skies (est early 1990's) |
