Memories Of Travel To The Sea
Auckland-born DJ and BBC Radio 1 presenter Zane Lowe describes his life in travel with the Independent. Lowe’s first holiday memory is driving to the Bay of Islands. “I remember being packed into my dad’s…
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Monster Trout Down South
New Zealand trout dwarf their Californian relatives writes American fisherman Alistair Bland for the Marin Independent Journal. “Indeed, to raise a New Zealander’s eyebrows one must catch an eight- or 10-pounder,” Bland says. “Suffice…
Seaside Serenity
The historical naval village of Devonport, just across the harbour from the centre of Auckland, is the place to be for a gentle pace according to Julia Kirchner writing for Monsters & Critics. “While…
Maiden Into Milford
“My first sighting of New Zealand is from the balcony of my cabin as Sun Princess sidles up to the rugged cliffs of Fiordland,” The Australian’s Helen McKenzie describes from aboard the ship for her maiden…
Fully-Booked And Beautiful
“Why if the is so fully-booked, expensive, and logistically unfriendly, would so many people choose to trek it?” asks Gadling blogger Kyle Ellison. “Because, to put it simply, it might actually be…
Dreaming Of A Bach Life
New Zealanders and Australians could easily develop hospitality schools that would give Lausanne and Cornell a thumping reflects Monocle editor-in-chief Tyler Brûlé after his “most wonderful eight-day holiday.” “ are good at hosting, selling, serving…
Underworld Holistics
Rotorua’s Tikitere looks so much like a trip to the underworld that when Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw set his eyes on the area he immediately dubbed it “Hellsgate”. “It is said that Shaw,…
Feel And Scale Of Earlier Times
“ downtown is dominated by 21st century high-rises, but neighbourhoods like Ponsonby retain the feel and scale of earlier times,” Allan Seiden writes for the Hawaii Reporter, “with galleries and boutiques to browse and eateries…
Cliff-Top Perfection
The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs has been named the No. 1 Lodge in Australia and Pacific Nations on the 2012 Gold List, ‘The World’s Best Places to Stay’ selected by the readers of Condé Nast…
Leave Your Inhibitions Behind
“Hector’s dolphins may be the smallest and rarest dolphins in the world, but they will seem larger than life when you are swimming nose-to-nose with them in the Pacific Ocean,” Boston Globe correspondent Kari Bodnarchuk writes….
Tales Of Vineyards And Vintners
Four days are not enough time to fully immerse yourself in the land of the long white cloud, writes Kari Gislason for Adelaide Now. Gislason spends two of her three nights visit at the “outlandishly…
It’s Better Than Ever
The Bay of Plenty region has launched a new tourism campaign in an attempt to erase images of oiled beaches and dead wildlife from the minds of potential visitors, rebranding itself with the slogan…
Exploring The North
Cathedral Cove, “the looming limestone archway seen in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” was one of the scenic spots The Tribune’s Sarah Linn stopped at on her tour of New Zealand. “Travelling along State Highway 25,…
Tolkien Tourism In Matamata
The Lord of the Rings franchise is partially responsible for a tourism windfall in New Zealand with global visitor numbers up 40 per cent since 2000. At least five official LOTR-themed tour companies are in operation….
Surviving A Day Of Fun
“In one day I jumped from a bridge, rode at breakneck speeds in a canyon on a jet boat, took a helicopter flight over a mountain range, survived four hours on Class IV white…
Stay At The Furthermost Edge
Tucked up in the high country of the South Island, Mount Aspiring teetering to the rear, Lake Wanaka far down below, the 65,000-acre Minaret Station is not so much the middle of nowhere as…
Gorge Of Gold
The Karangahake Gorge, between the Coromandel Peninsula townships of Paeroa and Waihi, features walkways offering a glimpse of goldmining history amidst dramatic scenery. The USA Today’s Liz Lewis describes: “Enormous foundation ruins of the gold…
Paddling Perfection
Abel Tasman National Park, Lake Tarawera and Urupukapuka Island in the Bay of Islands are all included in The Australian’s “Ten top paddling experiences in Australia and New Zealand.” “ day-touring itineraries include…
Upon A Breathing Planet
“Step into the volcanic crater on White Island, among the steaming fumaroles and geysers, and you’re instantly in a geothermal wonderland,” American journalist Jill Robinson writes for The Washington Post. “The hissing and bubbling…
From Top To Bottom
The 3000km Te Araroa, or The Long Pathway, the world’s longest walking trail, will be officially opened on 3 December in Wellington. The trail is the result of a massive volunteer effort that…
Smoking Hot Tourism
“Geo-thermal activity is everywhere ,” Ritu Singh writes for The Times of India. “Pits steam, holes smoke and water boils wherever you look – inside hotels, behind bushes even in people’s…
Korean Influx Boosts Coffers
Auckland is projected to be the new hot destination for Koreans in the upcoming months with Korean Air increasing capacity on Auckland flights by 30 per cent, injecting a potential $10 million in to…
Dangerous Driving for Kicks
“There are, perhaps, 20 people wedged into a small bus that’s winding its way down a dirt road in one of the steepest canyons I’ve ever seen,” the Toronto Star’s travel editor Jim Byers…
Breathtaking Safe Danger
“The only thing crazier than bungee jumping itself might be setting up a business helping other people to fling themselves off high surfaces,” Time’s Nick Carbone writes in an article about “destinations…
On the Bus on the Cheap
New Zealand is a popular backpacking destination for Canadians with its relaxed beaches, spectacular scenery and reputation for extreme fun. The Calgary Herald’s Sarah Deveau gives advice about how to travel New Zealand on…
Plan for Luxury Moving Hotel
Businessmen John Johnston and Dave Nixon are behind a planned luxury Orient-Express-style luxury train that would travel the length of New Zealand catering to foreign tourists with a big budget. The pair are looking…
Views Up-Front and Horse-Back
“There’s no finer way to experience the pristine New Zealand countryside than riding horses at Rangihau Ranch, in the Coromandel,” according to Lost at E Minor’s Zac in an article included in The Morning…
Rakiura Impressions
In 2002, 85 per cent of Stewart Island was designated as Rakiura National Park, named for the Maori word meaning “Land of the Glowing Skies.” The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Dennis Passa writes that sampling…
Geothermal Goodness
“When I first see Shane Beattie engulfed in clouds of steam, sweat running in rivulets from beneath his white chef’s cap,” Wanda Hennig writes in an article for South Africa’s Independent Online, “he looks…
New Zealand a Travel Success
New Zealand has won five awards at the 18th World Travel Awards in the Australasia category, with Air New Zealand voted as the region’s ‘leading airline’ and Wellington International as ‘leading airport’….
Baronial City Still Impressive
“A plan for was laid out on paper in Scotland and given the old Gaelic name for Edinburgh, Dun Eideann,” The Independent’s Adrian Mourby explains. “There were high hopes of this port settlement,…
Dorsal Fin Encounters
“Kaikoura is not a name that trips off the tongue when you list those lucky places that offer encounters with nature and a touch of luxury,” The Independent’s Jonathan Lorie reports. “But this township…
Big Doses of Epinephrine
“If careening downriver at 50 miles per hour in a boat that came within inches of jagged cliff walls hadn’t woken me up and floating backwards through a swirling rapid named Toilet hadn’t elicited…
Elements Emblazoned
Its beauty is dazzling enough by day, but when the sun goes down New Zealand’s seas, caves and starlit skies are another world Jonathan Freedland describes in a Guardian travel article. On an overnight…
Gulls Lift Off Over St Clair
Seagulls take off in the early at morning St Clair Beach in a photograph included in the Guardian’s ’24 hours in pictures’ series. St Clair Beach, located ten minutes from Dunedin’s city centre, is…
Serene Silence by Turquoise
“What I was really looking forward to over the next few days was this: jet-boating across the freezing Rakaia river and visiting Lake Tekapo, one of the most beautiful lakes in the world with…
Wellington Makes a Point
“Once a flyover city for tourists as they jetted between the thermal regions of the north and the cloud-scraping mountains of the south, or at best a pass-through destination for those taking the ferry…
Bungee-Roped Canyon Beast
New Zealand is home to the world’s largest and highest swing. Located in scenic Queenstown, the Nevis swing is a “bungee-roped beast swings in a 3m ark and hangs a lofty…
Like No Place on Earth
“The South Island is a lazy paradise of rolling green hills, craggy, glacier-clad mountains and rugged wind-swept beaches,” describes the Mark Johanson for the International Business Times. “You’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere in…
For Explorers at Heart
New Zealand is the focus of CNN’s weekly Destination Adventure series “for the explorer at heart” featuring favourite regional foods, secrets from the locals and the best photos and stories from readers. Highly recommended…
Chinese Tourists Flock
The number of Chinese tourists visiting New Zealand rose 22 per cent year-on-year to 133, in the 12 months that ended 31 July. Associate Tourism Minister Jonathan Coleman said China is one of New…
Topping Life Lists
New Zealand features in Washington Post series ‘Going Our Way’ which this week describes the best way of working to see the sights of the country. Orlando traveller Dara Curran asked the newspaper for…
Surge of Visitors for World Cup
Despite a strong New Zealand dollar, international rugby fans haven’t been deterred from organising travel to New Zealand for this year’s Rugby World Cup. The most recent figures forecast 1, more visitors than previously…
Cheap and Cheerful
Auckland is the seventh-cheapest tourist-friendly city in the world, cheaper than Marrakesh in Morocco, rated eighth. The website Tripadvisor has launched TripIndex, which compares the cost of 5 tourist cities around the world. The…
Walking on the Moon
Tongariro Alpine Crossing has been included in the online travel adviser Cheapflights’ top ten hiking destinations list alongside the Appalachian Trail and Mount Kilimanjaro. “New Zealand continuously tops adventure travel lists thanks…
Finding Solitude in the North
New Zealand is American musician Moby’s favourite place on the planet to holiday. “My fear is that every person you talk to is going to give that answer, because New Zealand is so beautiful…
Parking up at Home
Native Parks is an ingenious scheme that lets you park up at the home of a regular New Zealand family, free of charge. The Guardian’s Jonathan Freedland writes: “The pitch might be…
Ever-Changing Glacial Beauty
Franz Josef’s remote location on the wild West Coast of the South Island makes it the perfect place to hide away, and it’s one of the few places in the world where a glacier…
Après-Ski in Queenstown
While New Zealand towns generally don’t have a reputation as nightlife hubs, the South Island’s adventure capital, Queenstown is a vibrant exception according to The Australian’s Susan Kurosawa. “My visit is just before the…
Out of the Blue Accolades
Akaroa lodge Maison de la Mer has been named fourth-best bed and breakfast to stay in the world by leading online guide Tripadvisor. Owner Bruce Hyland said that after the award was announced, the…
Living in a Postcard
There are no cars in New Zealand according to the Telegraph’s Tarquin Cooper, on holiday experiencing “a country unlike any other on Earth.” “As someone who is used to battling Britain’s congested…
Roadside Mussels the Best
Green-lipped mussels, or Perna canaliculus are indigenous and exclusive to New Zealand, and they’re a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, The Australian’s Susan Hurley writes. The molluscs are almost lurid, with fluorescent green stripes…
Reverence for Heritage
A more “tranquil” New Zealand adventure is sought by the Wall Street Journal’s Paul Baylis, who takes a kayaking daytrip on Lake Taupo to see the Maori carvings in the rock face…
Pioneer Territory Emerges
The sumptuous depiction of New Zealand in the 195s and ‘6s trumps the weepy story at the heart of one of the most expensive Dutch films ever made writes New York Times…
Auckland in the Spotlight
Food writer Simon Farrell-Green is the Guardian’s tour guide about Auckland ahead of the Rugby World Cup. Auckland’s life is “all in the suburbs” according to writer Rachel Dixon. Dixon is recommended Little &…
Wellington in the Spotlight
Wellington journalist and blogger Nick Churchouse takes the Guardian about the capital on a culinary tour of where to find the best food and drink between Rugby World Cup games. Wellington is hosting…
