60th Anniversary Reunion 2026

The 60th Anniversary Reunion at Christchurch, Fri 9 - Sun 11 January 2026.

Following the programme are lists of those planning to attend, not attending, activities and accommodation options.

Also listed below the programme are the 2026 ACS Reunion Committee and the Reunion Account details.

2026 ACS 60th Anniversary Reunion Programme

Friday 9 Jan 2026 - Meet and Greet 59 attending

1700-2100. A Meet and Greet in the private Mezzanine Room reserved for our use at the Hornby Club. Adjourn to the bar after 2100.

Dress code: Smart casual.

Transport: For those without transport, the options are:

1. Uber
2. The Hornby Club has a shuttle for pick up and drop off. It's $5 pp, carries 11 and runs until bar closure at 2300. Bookings are not necessary, it's on request.

The liquor licensing laws require 1 “club member” for every 8 non-club attendees. 

(The club can be any of the approximately 5000 Clubs or RSA/RSLs across NZ and Australia.) 

Don't forget to bring your membership card. There are several non-members attending so please sign them in.

Bar facilities will be available until closure at 2300.

There will be a 20 minute, 100-photo 1966 ACS Activities slideshow on a large-screen TV scrolling throughout the evening. 

There will be a mic/PA system available if anybody wishes to make announcements, reminisce, tell BS stories, or entertain.

A light counter lunch will be served from around 1800. 

The Hornby Club - Click underlines to view maps (red pins mark the spots).
17 Carmen Rd,  Hornby or enter the carpark via the Warehouse carpark, 49 Chalmers St.
Ph: 03 349 9026
hornbywmc.co.nz

Saturday 10 Jan - Air Force Museum Tour 59 attending

1300: A guided tour of the Air Force Museum, Harvard Ave, Wigram, including the back-room exhibits, the workshops and areas not normally seen by the public. 

1255 Please be gathered as a group in the museum foyer.

Tour guides will then split the group into three or four smaller groups and running the tours at the same time, just starting at different places along the tour route.

Buffet Dinner 59 attending

Dress code: Jacket and tie. If a jacket is not feasible due to travel baggage restrictions, then a plain shirt and tie.

1730-2200 A buffet dinner at the Wigram Hotel Ballroom, Henry Wigram Drive at $75 per head. 

1730: Arrive at venue.

1800: Everyone seated.

Introduction, welcome and housekeeping by our MC, Barry Lennox.

Last Post read by Nigel Wood.

Buffet dinner.

Menu choices

1 x Cold side choice - A platter of smoked and cured meats

2 x Hot side choices - Chive buttered gourmet potatoes, or, Wok fried seasonal vegetables 

2 x Mains choices - Fresh market fish, fennel and leek creme, herb and prawn, or, Roast Beef striploin with wine jus and braised onion

2 x Dessert choices - Chocolate Cake with mousse, or, dried raspberry Pavlova with cut fruits and vanilla creme

Intermission / Comfort break.

Around 1900-1930: Show of hands for those wishing to attend another reunion.

1930: After dinner guest speaker: S/L John Brereton, Requirements Lead, Persistent Surveillance (Air), Capability Branch.

2030: Intermission / Comfort break.

Poem: Written and recited by Graham Smith.

Floor is open to anyone who wishes to tell stories.

Photos - get your cameras out.

2200: Bar & dining room closes.

Sunday 11 Jan - Optional activities

Sunday Morning Rangiora museum - 13 attending

0930 to 1100. On the outskirts of Rangiora, around 30 mins drive from Wigram, is the NZ Helicopter Heritage Museum (sign posted Matariki Forests Canterbury), billed as the largest collection of helicopters (24) in NZ. Opposite the Rangiora Police Station, at the intersection of Kingsford Smith Dr and Southern Cross Rd.

There have been some delays in opening the museum, however they will be happy to open it for us at no charge. 

It's not yet laid out as a museum, and there are no display boards nor organisation by theme or era until they move to its final home. 

There's one ex-RNZAF Wasp (NZ3801) there, and they are hoping to eventually collect a Huey, a Sioux and a Seasprite.

There's also a large collection of vintage, classic and veteran cars there, many of which date back to our youth, i.e.; VWs, Morry Minors, Fiat 500's Minis, etc.

For more details, here's a couple of resources:

A 32 min podcast can be viewed at:  https://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2025/05/wonz-323-andrew-brian-of-helicopter-heritage/

A website at:  https://www.aviationtoursnz.com/blog/new-zealand-helicopter-heritage-museum

It's an hour's drive to Ashburton. Those going to Ashburton will need to depart Rangiora around 11 to allow time for lunch on the way, 10.30 for drivers picking up passengers from Wigram Hotel.

Sunday Afternoon Ashburton Aviation Museum - 25 attending

1300 to 1500.  A visit to the Ashburton Aviation Museum. Pay your own $10 entry fee per person. 

Travel will be by personal cars, on a cost sharing basis between drivers and passengers. Drivers with spare seats and passenger needing a ride need to be at Wigram Hotel for a 11am departure to allow time for lunch on the way.

The museum is open 1-3, but if you are enthralled, they won’t throw you out on the dot of 3.

Transport arrangements for the Rangiora and Ashburton visits

Driver Seats Passengers Destination Driver Departing from

Nigel Wood 4 Ashburton Wigram Hotel

Jeff Mathews 3 Ashburton Wigram Hotel

John Cox 3 Ashburton Racecourse Hotel

Gordon Hay 2 Ashburton, Rangiora Wigram Hotel

Sunday Evening

Those staying on in Christchurch may be interested in attending the Hornby Club Sunday night buffet meal for $30 per head, or $40 including one drink. This is the senior rate. As an individual, you must be a club member to attend, but if going as a group 1 club member of any club or RSA can sign in up to 8 non-members. 

See https://hornbywmc.co. nz/meal-deals/sunday-buffet/

Other possible activities during your visit to Christchurch

If you have not been to Christchurch recently, much of the city, especially the centre few blocks are very different post the 2010/11 earthquakes. 

Some ideas include:

The almost finished “One New Zealand” Te Kaha stadium (due to complete Apr 2026).  It almost overwhelms central Christchurch. 

The new “Te Pae” conference centre.

The new library.

The new Art Gallery.

The sad remains of the Cathedral.

The “Restart" shopping centre/markets.

The Tram city-loop.

The old university and Lord Rutherford’s reconstructed Laboratory.

A tour of Tait Electronics (weekdays only).

The International Antarctic Centre.

More wine tasting tours than we can list.

A perfume making course at Frangranzi.co.nz

A cooking class at riversidekitchen.co.nz

Venture further afield to:

Oxford and Hamner are “Dark-sky” areas and offer star-gazing educational evenings.

Hot springs and pools at Hamner and Methven.

The Tranzalpine train journey to Arthurs Pass or onto Greymouth.

Tekapo, Mt Cook, Wanaka, Central Otago, Queenstown, Fiordland.

ACS Reunion Account

Brian and Gary have opened a joint ACS Reunion Account (for depositing registration and reunion costs). Please copy and paste the following details to ensure they are correct when depositing online as the Account Name must match the Account Number, otherwise you may get a partial or no match message.

Account Name:

Brian Coulter & Gary Danvers

ASB Account Number: 

12-3602-0443232-00

Particulars: Your name

Code: ACS2026

Reference: Registration

Overseas folk may need the following additional details:

ASB Branch: 

12 Jellicoe St., Auckland

SWIFT code: 

ASBBNZ2A

Acct home address:

6 Dresdan Court, Hokowhitu, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand

Best Regards
Barry
Mobile: 020 4109 1807

btr.lennox@gmail.com

Not attending (43):

Bruce Abel

Tim Bartleet

Jed Bisphan 

Glenn Blomfield

Dennis Bradley (NR)

Murray Brayshaw

Peter Browne

Dave Bryant

Tony Cooper (NR)

Ross Craig

John Davenport

Ken Dixon

Kerry Duncan

Stu Ellis

Jeff Ford

Bob Foreman

Tom Forrest

Peter Freeman

Paul Garvin

Paul Gibson

Keith Hatton (NR)

Bob Hawkins

Garry Higgins

Brian Howell

Pat 'Koozer' Johnson

Bob Kavanagh

John Kemp

Mike Klarwill

Ric Lydford

Graham Maddock

Alan Manning

Paul Maurenbrecher

Carl Millen (NR)

Warren Nash

Don Packwood

Dave Penny

Jack Sutton

Al Tallentire

Logan 'Ratz' Taylor

John Thompson

Russ Torrie

2026 ACS Reunion Committee
(See the Contact your mates page for email addresses)

MC
Barry Lennox

Contact Trackers (5 found, 30 still to be located. Send updates to: garydanvers@gmail.com)
Jeff Mathews
Kerry Duncan
Gary Danvers

ACS Cadets List Manager (Click to view List. Send updates to: garydanvers@gmail.com)
Gary Danvers

Website Managers
Dave Bryant
Gary Danvers

Events & Costs Manager
Barry Lennox

Nametags
Cliff Parker

Last Post, Sick
Nigel Wood

Treasures
Brian Coulter
Gary Danvers

Accommodation options: Jun 2024 prices

Wigram Hotel (300 metres walk from the Museum) 14 Henry Wigram Drive 03 3415910 $184 per night

Middle Park Motel 120 Main South Road 03 3487320  

Amalfi Motor Lodge 68 Main South Road 03 3439911 $90 per night

Westlake Holiday Home 117 Dunbars Road Bookings via Booking.com $80 per night

The Racecourse Hotel & Motorlodge 118 Racecourse Road 03 3427150 $160 per night

The Golden Pearl & Travellers Retreat (B&B) 

67 Moffet Street Hornby 021 02529625 $108 per night

Bush Inn Court Motel 45 Main South Rd 03 3488644 $128 per night

Belle Bonne Motel 95 Yaldhurst Road 03 3488458 $129 per night

Alpine Hotel 8 Yaldhurst Road 03 3488458 $171 per night

Alpha Motel 338 Blenheim Road 03 3434118 $169 per night

Tower Junction Motel 112 Blenheim Road 033481271 $156 per night

Ashleigh Court Motel 47 Matai Street 03 3481888 $160 per night

Classique Lodge Motel 290 Blenheim Road 03 3489795 $153 per night

306 Motel Apartments 306 Riccarton Rd 03 3434306 $196 per night

298 Westside Motel 298 Riccarton Road 03 3417254 $146 per night

Ascot Vale Motor Lodge 296 Riccarton Road 03 3480207 $180 per night

Apollo Motel 288 Riccarton Road 03 3488786 $159 per night

Coachman Motel 316a Riccarton Road 03 3486651 $132 per night

Golden Star Motel 128 Clarence Street 03 5955077 $145 per night

Tui Lodge Motel 286 Blenheim Road 03 3433242 $147 per night

Aroha Riccarton B&B 37 Puriri Street 03 3886882 $140 per night

Alpine View Holiday Park 650 Main South Road 03 3497666 Campervan sites

Alpine View Holiday Park 650 Main South Road 03 3497666 Cabins $65

Alpine View Holiday Park 650 Main South Road 03 3497666 Motels $130 per night

Deans Bush Motel 40 Riccarton Road 03 3488760 $135 per night

Golden Mile Tavern 2 Trents Road Templeton 033496153 $150 per night

There’s als a lot of inner-city options for those preferring to be in the city. There are good bus services out to Wigram.

City Central Motel Apartments 252 Barbadoes Street, 03 379 0540 $115 per night

Remada Suites by Wyndham 264-266 Tuam Street 0800 300 089 $235 per night

Southwark Hotel and Apartments 25 Southwark Street 0800 007 803 $152 per night

Quest on Manchester 54 Manchester Street 03 595 1538 $191 per night

BreakFree on Cashel 165 Cashel Street 03 360 1064 $139 per night

24 Mar 2023 - Email Addresses

The website managers are running into a problem. As fast as we track down folk (an arduous task for which we have formed a separate committee) we lose contact with someone else when they change ISP (Internet Service Provider) if they have an ISP or workplace dependent email address and don't notify us. 

May we suggest that those that don't have one already, get an individual non ISP dependent Internet email address. Here are a few options: 

Create a Gmail account

Yahoo

Outlook / Hotmail

iCloud

If this applies to you, please email garydanvers@gmail.com and davebryant4@icloud.com with your new Internet email address once set up. 

Email Inbox is Full

Another problem we have is bouncing email. If your mail suddenly stops, it's a sure sign that the inbox is full. Keep it trimmed.