Travel to New Zealand
100% pure New Zealand
All About New Zealand
- Languages- English and Māori
- Currency- New Zealand Dollar.
- Climate-New Zealand has a largely temperate climate. While the far north has subtropical weather during summer, and inland alpine areas of the South Island can be as cold as -10 C in winter, most of the country lies close to the coast, which means mild temperatures, moderate rainfall, and abundant sunshine.
Capital Cities and Transportation
Major Airports-Most international visitors arrive in the major hubs of Auckland Airport or Christchurch Airport. However, many flying from Australia or the Pacific Islands find that arriving at one of New Zealand's smaller international airports is more convenient for their holiday schedule.
Major train stations (rail bus)-
- North Island- Auckland, Hamilton, National Park (Tongario National Park), Ohakune, Palmerston North and Wellington
- South Island- Picton, Blenheim, Kaikoura, Christchurch and Grey Mouth.
Points of interest
- Historical- Auckland Museum, Rotorua Museum, Taranaki Cathedral, historic art and literature in Dunedin and visit the Pencarrow Light house!
- Cultural- Mine Bay rock carvings, Pōwhiri (welcome ceremonies), safari of the scenes- Wakatipu, the kauri museum and watch the Haka, the maori war dances.
- Shotover High Five with Queenstown Combos – The ultimate way to see Queenstown and the mountains!
The tour includes: - 1.Shotover Jet - The World's Most Exciting Jet Boat ride through the Shotover River Canyons
- 2.A Scenic Helicopter Flight to the summit of the Skyline Gondola
- 3.A Visit to the Skyline complex to take in the amazing views
- 4.5 rides on the Luge
- 5.Scenic Gondola ride
Unique Places to Stay
- Woodlyn Park-What would you like to sleep in: a plane, a boat, a train or a hobbit hole? You may have heard much about Maori cultural shows but at Woodlyn Park you can see a Kiwi culture show about country life. Woodlyn Park is also situated only 2 minutes from the amazing Waitomo Caves.
- The lighthouse-The Lighthouse is the ultimate beach house! It is on Island Bay, 15 minutes from Wellington city centre.
- The Museum Art Hotel-To describe The Museum Art Hotel in three words would be: classy, luxury and quirky. Where else can you find motorbikes as a decor in the foyer?
- The Flying Fox-A retreat in the Maori ancestral lands by the Whananui River, The Flying Fox consists of 3 comfortable cottages.
- Turoua Yurt Village-Yurts are based on the traditional structure originally used as a portable shelter for nomads in central Asia. The Turoa Yurt Village has used this concept to create an awesome ski chalet village in the North Island.
- The Old Police Station Bed and Breakfast-You can either stay in the old detectives’ office or do time in the cellblock.
- The Old Church Cottage-Built in 1909, The Old Church Cottage was the Salvation Army Citadel. Today it is a luxurious boutique hotel.
- Stone House-Stone House consists of The Cottage, The Cabin and The Cutesy.
- Pagoda Lodge-There are a number of unique accommodation choices at Pagoda Lodge. The quirkiest being: a converted boat shed, gypsy caravans, the safari tent, and the caravans. Especially with the caravans, the saying “it’s what’s on the inside that counts” really applies here.
- The Rock Bed and Breakfast Cruise-Who says accommodation has to be on dry land? With the polished wooden interior that covers the cabins and bar/lounge area, you could easily forget you are on a boat. The Rock is New Zealand’s largest houseboat and is a cool way to do some activities in the Bay of Islands.
Places to Eat
- Coco's Cantina-The steak and handcut chips has cult status. No bookings: be sure to arrive before 6.30 p.m. or you’ll wait a few hours.
- Grove-Labor-intensive dishes appear light on the plate; old-fashioned cooking gets smart, but never pretentious -- as with the wild boar and confit hen’s egg, which takes up to 36 hours to cook.
- Depot-Hunter-gatherer celebrity chef Al Brown opened this place, all white tiles and industrial lighting, in August, and it’s already a firm favorite.
Freshly shucked oysters and clams from the raw bar meet slow-roasted pork hock meet pinot noir on tap, served in tumblers.
- Black Barn Bistro-The food is brilliant and hearty but never pubby -- a slow-braised lamb shoulder, say, with smoked potato mash and wilted winter greens.
- Martin Boseley's Yacht Club-Delicate, impressive food -- Bosley treates oysters and seafood with beautiful respect -- but no matter how finicky, the ingredients are king. A great view too.
- Logan Brown-It’s smart but not pretentious: on the menu you might find paua, Waikanae crab and tuatua (surf clams).
- Amisfield- An unpretentious bistro in a croft-like building just out of Queenstown.
Local ingredients, deftly and simply prepared -- the menu changes depending on what’s available, but whitebait and Cardrona Merino lamb are a highlight.
- Boutereys at 251-The best restaurant in Nelson takes seasonal produce a step further: the chefs head out to work in the gardens four times a week.
It must give them an appreciation for the food, which is excellent -- we can’t go past the seared venison with artichoke crisps and braised red cabbage.
- Riverstone Kitchen-Riverstone is everything a rural restaurant should be -- a high-ceilinged white room with a fireplace; the service is friendly but polished.
- Fluers Place- Even famed English food writer Rick Stein is a fan of this place, owned by Fleur Sullivan -- it looks like a fishing shack.
Seafood fresh off the boats is a specialty here: be sure to have the shellfish hotpot, using clams from Otago Harbour, local potatoes and wild spinach.