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Fully Certified
Telling Tales
General Information
101 Cashel Street, Five Lanes, The BNZ Centre, Christchurch 8011
03 741 3309
Opening Times - Check before visiting as might change
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Overview
Telling Tales: Scorpio Children’s Books is a specialty bookstore for young readers. It is located directly across the courtyard from Scorpio Books. Our store is a treasure trove for the children of Ōtautahi and for the child within us all. We thoughtfully select our books, aiming to ignite imaginations and inspire a thirst for knowledge. We believe that books and the stories they hold have a unique capacity to inspire and connect us to a better future.
Notes for Cardholders
Standing and Queuing
If there is a queue, please feel free to show your Hāpai Access Card, and a staff member will be happy to assist you to the front of the line.
Level Access
Our shop is located on the ground level and has level access throughout, including mobility on-street parking located 100 metres away on either Hereford Street or Colombo Street. In addition, there are nearby mobility parks available in The Terrace car park on Hereford Street. If needed, this car park has a lift. The ground floor of The Terrace car park offers lift and stairway access that opens onto a courtyard. Shands Lane leads from this courtyard to Five Lanes. One side of the courtyard has a ramp up to the level of Telling Tales.
The best entrance to the shop is the main entrance off the Five Lanes central courtyard. This entrance has an automatic sliding door that opens up to 2500mm. There is a 30mm lip between the courtyard and the interior flooring. In cold weather, we lock this door.
The other entrance is 15 metres away, just around the corner of the shop. This entrance is a manual, user-push door. Staff are always stationed within sight of it and will prop it open for you (unless another helpful person beats us to it). The door is 950mm wide and cannot be opened any wider. There is a 30mm lip between the lane and the interior flooring. If you are having difficulty moving within the store, as some of the aisles are as narrow as 600mm, please wave to one of our friendly staff members for assistance. Many of our displays are on wheels and can be moved slightly.
Distances
The nearest mobility car park is on Colombo Street. In total, the journey from where you park to the store is around 100 metres. Other mobility car parks are available in The Terrace car park. Depending on where you park in the building, your journey from this car park to our store could be around 175 metres. The Christchurch Bus Interchange is two blocks from our store, about a 300-metre walk that includes crossing Colombo Street at the traffic lights. There are seats and benches in the Five Lanes courtyard outside our store, and inside, we have a comfy couch.
Urgent Toilet Access
There are three nearby toilet options available:
Option 1: Our nearest staff toilets are 75 metres away, down a ramp and stairs, then up a short flight of steps behind Scorpio Books Next Door (our travel shop). Access to these staff toilets is restricted by a short flight of 4 steps. If these steps are not a barrier for you, please inform a staff member, who can accompany you and unlock the area. These toilets consist of four standard unisex cubicles, shared with other businesses.
Option 2: Additional staff toilets are located 50 metres away at Scorpio Books (our main store), down a ramp or stairs. Access is restricted by a 550mm gap between the back counters. If this gap is not a barrier for you, please let a staff member know, and they will grant you access. These toilets include six standard unisex cubicles and one accessible toilet, shared with other businesses.
Option 3: The Five Lanes centre has public toilets 100 metres from Telling Tales, accessible via the lane that runs between the central courtyard and Hereford Street. There is one standard unisex toilet and one accessible toilet located down a short corridor between TANK and the nail salon.
Disability Assist Dogs
We ask that you notify our staff upon your arrival so we can keep our dogs in the back office, allowing you to browse undisturbed. All disability assistance dogs and emotional support dogs are welcome. We are proud to be a dog-friendly business. Let us know if your dog needs a water bowl.
Essential Companions
Essential Companions are welcome to assist visitors in our store.
Difficulty Accessing Visual Information
Our staff can provide a personal verbal explanation of our store and products. We can guide you to a seat or to the toilets if required.
Difficulty Accessing Audible Information
Staff can modify how they communicate with you. This includes making sure you can see their face when speaking, speaking clearly, using pen and paper, and being patient.
Hidden Disabilities
Please don’t hesitate to speak with us about how we can support you and help make your visit as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
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