…town that connects the South Island to Wellington and the North island of New Zealand. Picton itself is also the gateway to both the Marlborough wine region and the beautiful Queen Charlotte Sound. I’ve been through Picton a few times over the years but this was the first time I’ve ever really spent time in Picton, New Zealand. The Azamara Quest docked right in Picton after earlier stops in Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula and Cape Kidnappers, jus…
Search Results for: new zealand
Travel to Australia with Air New Zealand
…Brisbane, Adelaide, Cairns and Coolangatta (The Gold Coast) via Auckland, New Zealand! If you’re flying down under from Canada, fear not, you can fly the same deal from Vancouver for $1598! From both the US and Canada, travel must be purchased by September 14th and take place between Oct. 18-Nov. 25, 2014 or Feb. 1 – Jun. 8, 2015. Koala’s in Sydney, Australia! If you’ve always wanted to go to Australia; if Oz has always been on your bucket list;…
Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula, New Zealand
Dunedin, New Zealand is unlike most settlements in Australia and New Zealand as it was settled by Scottish as opposed to English immigrants. Originally they were going to name it New Edinburgh but settled on Dunedin; which is actually a derivation of Edinburgh’s Gaelic name. Today, Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula are teeming with life and wildlife and make for an interesting place to visit for a few days. Dunedin is the one-time capital of New Ze…
Auckland, New Zealand is a Really Pleasant City
…There’s nothing that screams out at you that you can’t miss. But Auckland, New Zealand is a really pleasant city to be in because it’s just that…pleasant. I first went to Auckland back in 2003 as my first stop on a long journey around New Zealand. My friend Jake and I spent about a week or so in Auckland staying at a hostel called Auckland Central Backpackers or the ACB. It was there that we formulated our plan of attack for New Zealand. It’s funn…
Why You Should Visit Tauranga, New Zealand
…heard of Tauranga. Apparently, Tauranga is the 4th most populous “city” in New Zealand as many people have fled Auckland because of the sky-high real estate prices and I know the reason why. Tauranga is absolutely gorgeous and very livable. Here’s why you should visit Tauranga, New Zealand. New Zealand is famous for its amazing natural scenery and stunning beauty. Most people including myself equate that with mountains and rolling hills and alpine…
Hobbiton is one of the Coolest Things in New Zealand
…it looked cool. As it turns out, Hobbiton is one of the coolest things in New Zealand and here’s why. Located on a working farm about an hour or so from Tauranga; Hobbiton was originally set up as a massive movie set by Lord of the Rings director, Peter Jackson, to be used for several movies. It was one of several sets they built around New Zealand. However, it’s the only one that still stands. It now gets about 2000 visitors a day! Hobbiton is i…
New Zealand Naked Bus?
…ties or stops. You could however, take a more expensive private bus around New Zealand. We did that if we didn’t want to stop in certain towns the Kiwi bus forces you to stop in. The naked bus is a nice alternative to have and I hope it takes off. In major tourist spots like New Zealand, it is nice that they are starting these nice cheap busses. Hopefully it will follow in the rest of the commonwealth like Australia, South Africa, India and who kn…
A Daytrip to Cape Kidnappers, New Zealand
…here was no way with the weather. I actually had a few friends fly down to New Zealand in December and play-they loved it! It is ranked in the top 30 courses in the world. So I was very pleased with my daytrip to Cape Kidnappers even with inclement weather although it cleared up nicely for a great sunset as we sailed away. These things happen on cruises and on vacation. There’s an old saying in baseball, “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, som…
Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown, New Zealand is my favorite town on Earth. There is so much to do and never enough time. You can literally do different activities every single day for weeks on end and then you will want to do them again. Queenstown for me, is the center of adventure sports. It is the bungy jumping capital of the world along with everything else you can possibly imagine doing to get your heart racing. In addition, Queestown is beautiful. It is located…
Rotorua, New Zealand
…n shore of Lake Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. Rotorua is well-known for geothermal activity. There are a number of geysers, notably the Pohutu geyser at Whakarewarewa, and hot mud pools located in the city, which owe their presence to the Rotorua caldera. Thermal activity is at the heart of much of Rotorua’s tourist appeal. Geysers and bubbling mud-pools, hot thermal springs and the Buried Village – so nam…