New Zealand, Travel Information

Lively Towns and Natural Splendours

With trans-Tasman airfares at historic lows, a short break to New Zealand can easily cost less than an interstate trip in Australia. New Zealand is such an easy destination for Australians, especially those living on the East Coast. There are plenty of flights, with several airlines all putting their best foot forward to keep their loads at profitable levels.

B&B, guesthouse accommodation New Zealand

The main entry points are Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. The commercial hub of New Zealand is Auckland, which in recent years has become a slick and sophisticated competitor to Sydney. Rich in social life and enjoying a beautiful harbour setting, Auckland exudes a confidence today that was all but invisible a few years ago.

The relatively new Sky Tower has changed the city’s skyline significantly and sports a wide range of activities, including what is claimed to be the highest bungee jump on the planet, dropping just short of 200 metres. Auckland’s casino is also located in this complex. Auckland is an easy city to navigate on foot. One of the social hubs is the waterfront, transformed by the boom induced by the America’s Cup. Galleries, restaurants and dinky little boutiques are most evident in the suburb of Ponsonby and Parnell Village; while it’s always worth taking the 10 minute ferry to Devonport for a liquid lunch and a view of the stunning Auckland skyline.

Moving on to the national capital, Wellington, where a desperate shortage of flat land has forced the development of skyscrapers standing cheek by jowl through much of the city. Yet it’s a place with many charms. For starters, Cuba Street is the place to go for funky stores, restaurants and bars. It’s a cheerful pedestrian precinct with some excellent art deco buildings.

Wellington is regarded as New Zealand’s cultural capital and the city offers tours to a variety of locations where the epic trilogy, The Lord of The Rings, was filmed over the 1999/2000 period. Te Papa, the National Museum of New Zealand, which sits like a Maori vessel on the Wellington waterfront, has been open for six years and remains one of the country’s top tourist stops. It’s a buzzy space, with plenty of hands-on activities for children. Give yourself a couple of hours to do it justice. The Maori cultural exhibits are exceptional. Entrance is free, though some temporary exhibitions do carry a nominal charge.

Queenstown on the South Island continues to consider itself the action capital of the world – with its heli-skiing, jetboating, bungee jumping, white water rafting, kayaking, bushwalking and much more. The town has to be one of the prettiest in the Southern Hemisphere, boasting snow-capped peaks, exquisite Lake Wakatipu, the old steamer Earnslaw, magnificent golf courses and a year-round party atmosphere.

Make time to drive along the length of Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy, where there’s the chance to explore the Dart River by jetboat, taking you deep into the most exquisite wilderness. Milford Sound has to figure on your itinerary at some stage too. You can walk there from Queenstown over five days, drive in a few hours and – most spectacularly – fly to the sound in about 45 minutes.

It’s a country bursting with magnificent scenery, indigenous culture and non-stop action. Book yourself a flight.