Our Best Wild Lodges Stun Condé Nast Traveller
New Zealand’s 18 best wild lodges feature in the June issue of Condé Nast Traveller and include Akaroa’s Scrubby Bay, Minaret Station in Wanaka, Russell’s Eagle’s Nest and Acacia Cliffs Lodge in…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
Dance Connects with Locals – the New Zealand Haka
After a Vienna waltz class in 2013 and dancing with Cretans in a “giant spinning circle of locked arms”, Christine Negroni travelled to India, Ethiopia and New Zealand to connect with locals through dance. Her…
Rare Baby Kiwi Named Nutter – “a Ball of Fluff With a Beak”
A rare baby kiwi has been born at the West Coast Wildlife Centre in Franz Josef on New Zealand’s South Island. The baby kiwi named Nutter, described as “90 per cent fluff and 10…
New Zealand Tourism Continues Growing
New Zealand tourism forecasts released at the annual tourism industry conference TRENZ in Rotorua predict continuous growth for New Zealand tourism. Numbers of visitors are expected to increase from 2.9 million in 2014 to 3.8m…
Queenstown Airport Approach Voted the Most Stunning
The airport approach into Queenstown, New Zealand has been voted the most stunning out of 147 global nominations in the 2015 Airport Poll by private charter flight company PrivateFly, which…
Luxury Holiday in New Zealand the Perfect Gift
The best present you could give your mother would be a “trip of a lifetime” to New Zealand, Los Angeles Times correspondent Amanda Jones recommends in an article featuring “über-luxe lodge” Kauri Cliffs, the…
18 Instagram Accounts for Everyone Who Loves New Zealand
New Zealand is known worldwide for its natural beauty and stunning beachscapes. Buzzfeed has published a list of 17 Instagram accounts, which “will give you an overwhelming desire to book a one-way…
New Zealand Knoll Ridge Cafe: Best Designed Cafe in the World
New Zealand’s Knoll Ridge Cafe has been named the best designed cafe in the world by London-based design website Design Curial. The New Zealand cafe is perched dramatically on Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand’s largest active…
Sam Smith’s New Zealand Adventure
This is the “best day of my life”, English singer Sam Smith proclaimed on Instagram following his visit to Hobbiton, the real-life movie set of Lord of the Rings located on the North Island…
Rotoroa Island a Bold Wildlife Experiment
Rotoroa Island in the Hauraki Gulf is tiny, at just 82 hectares, but don’t let its diminutiveness fool you: big things are happening here. Over the past few years the island has become the…
Kapiti Coast’s captivating “timeless stretch of sand and sea”
The Kapiti Coast, one of New Zealand’s less-marketed tourism areas, captivates travellers with its “timeless stretch of sand and sea”, warm water and mild climate. The stretch of beaches face the dominant silhouette of Kapiti…
Hawke’s Bay – “A Must-Visit Corner of New Zealand”
“If you tell a Kiwi you’re off to (Hawkes Bay), they’ll respond with a knowing smile and a ‘you lucky thing’”, proclaims Will Macpherson in The Guardian. “Rolling, sun-stained hills, the perfect blue of the…
Queenstown One of the New York Times’ Top Trips
Queenstown features in an extensive interactive New York Times travel article, which covers 52 destinations to visit in 2015 recommended by its readers. Rattandeep Singh writes: “Queenstown is one of the most amazing places I’ve…
New Zealand Will Be Showcased at Singapore Yacht Show
Tourism New Zealand will showcase New Zealand at the Singapore Yacht show, held at Sentosa Cove from 23-26 April, to highlight the country as a premium destination for superyachts. The show is Asia-Pacific’s leading superyacht…
How Great Is It to Live in Wanaka?
In Wanaka, New Zealand, all the locals have a favourite topic of conversation: how great it is to live in Wanaka, New Zealand, the Warrnambool Standard’s Ben Groundwater discovers. “Spending time with Wanaka residents is…
Feel the Heat in New Zealand’s Healing Heartland
“Just follow your nose and it will get you faster than any GPS can to Hell’s Gate, the most active geothermal park in Rotorua, which earned its memorable moniker from George Bernard…
Queenstown Voted Top Destination in the South Pacific
Queenstown has been voted the number one destination in the South Pacific as well as one of the top 25 locations worldwide in Trip advisor’s 2015 Traveler’s Choice awards. “These world-class destinations chosen…
Hobbit Fans in Singapore Gather at Changi’s Middle-earth
Singapore Hobbit fans are being treated to a life-sized piece of Middle-earth in the departure hall of Changi Airport Terminal Three. As well as a hobbit hole, visitors can see a statue of Gandalf…
Contiki Australia’s Katrina Barry Heads Evolving Tour Company
New Zealand-born Katrina Barry, managing director of Contiki Australia, says the tour group has changed greatly since New Zealander John Anderson founded the company in 1962. “Twenty years ago it was just boozing around…
Rainbow Hunters Find Their Violet in New Zealand
One mother and two young boys are on a trip around the world to seven countries to find the origin of seven colours. The Rainbow Hunters, as the trio are called, are…
Cycling an Exceptional Route from the Alps to the Ocean
The 78km Twizel-Omarama section of the South Island’s Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail “is simply exceptional,” writes Andrew Bain for Australian Geographic Outdoor. “Twizel isn’t Queenstown. It’s not Wanaka, and it’s not Nelson. This South…
NZ’s Beauty Garners Tongue-in-Cheek Buzzfeed Response
New Zealand, and why travellers should think twice before visiting, features in a tongue-in-check tourism photo essay on Buzzfeed. The image above of Mt Aoraki mirrored on Lake Matheson is just “urgh”. “The second you…
Savouring Views in New Zealand with Julian Robertson
As the co-founder, chairman and chief executive of the US$30 billion investment firm Tiger Management L.L.C., American Julian Robertson, 82, has achieved a high profile in the world of finance. Robertson, who owns three…
North Island a Land of Volcanoes and Vineyards
Over the coming six weeks, the world’s greatest cricketers will be zig-zagging across New Zealand. So for the cricket fan the Independent’s David Whitley suggests, that’s a fine excuse to disappear to the other…
Terraces One of Best Tourist Attractions That No Longer Exist
Ask a New Zealander what happened on 10 June 1886, and they’ll tell you the planet lost its “eighth wonder,” says CNN, who deem the Pink and White Terraces of Lake Rotomahana one of…
Wellington Acting like a City but Loving like a Village
Wellington, which celebrates its 150th year as New Zealand’s capital, has a funky, creative vibe, which comes in part from a strong community feel. These characteristics make it one of the BBC’s 2015 “Hottest…
Routeburn Track a Spectacle of Jaw-Dropping Scenery
For the ultimate adventure the Wall Street Journal recommends escaping into the “supersize spectacle” of one of New Zealand’s nine Great Walks for a tramp along the 32-km Routeburn Track. Journal correspondent Robin Kawakami (pictured)…
Outflanking the Tolkien Fans on Tongariro
Before Peter Jackson and his film crew rolled into town, Mount Doom went by the humble name of Mount Ngauruhoe, the fearsome volcano which forms the centrepiece of New Zealand’s Tongariro Alpine Crossing, the…
Oamaru Embracing the Steampunk Vibe
Technology blog Boing Boing visits “amazing steampunk town” Oamaru, which though “probably best known for its large colony of blue penguins”, is also the steampunk capital of New Zealand. “Oamaru has fully embraced the steampunk…
Lake Tekapo Night Skies Premium Spot for Stargazing
The clarity of the night sky in Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve has made Lake Tekapo the world’s second-best spot for stargazing after San Pedro de Atacama in Chile and the best in New…
Kauri Cliffs a Place to Holiday like a Billionaire
Boutique golf resort the Farm at Cape Kidnappers in the Hawkes Bay wine region is one place in the world where it is possible to holiday like a billionaire, Forbes contributor Larry Olmsted says,…
New Zealand One of the Year’s Travel Hotspots
“Attention is going to be lavished on New Zealand in 2015 – and it won’t all be Hobbit-related,” according to the Guardian, who include our country on their “holiday hotspots” for the year. “Wellington will…
New Zealand Glaciers Ebb and Tour Guides Play Catch-Up
Climate change is having uneven economic effects on tourism operators like Fox Glacier Guiding and Franz Josef Glacier Guides whose businesses depend on ice and snow, the New York Times reports. Guided glacier hiking began…
Film Tourism in New Zealand Massive Earner
As cinemagoers rush to see the third Hobbit film, “Tolkien-mania” is again sweeping New Zealand, where record tourist arrivals are boosting the economy and helping to offset a slump in the price of its…
Wellington Makes Rough Guides Top Ten Best Cities for 2015
Wellington is one of the Rough Guides Top 10 city destinations for 2015 sitting at sixth place alongside No 1 destination Johannesburg, Malaga, New Orleans, Hamburg, Nizwa, Belgrade, Salta, Birmingham and Yangon. “Big-budget films helped…
Te Araroa Trail One of the World’s Dream Hikes
Long-distance tramping route, New Zealand’s new 3000km Te Araroa Trail, is considered one of National Geographic’s best hikes in the world. This year, the publication asked 20 outdoor luminaries – from trail runners to CEOs…
Biking New Zealand’s Wine Country
New Zealand is known for its Great Walks, but now it has Great Cycles – a series of 23 bicycle trails across the country with several local outfitters, like Nelson’s Gentle Cycle Company offering…
New Zealand Travel Secrets
“Travel Enthusiast” Tom McLoughlin of The Huffington Post discusses his top three travel secrets from his tour of New Zealand. “The world’s finest adventure playground with sweeping mountain panoramas, bright white beaches, unbelievable city skylines;…
Tongariro Crossing One of the World’s Best One Day Walks
“Believe the hype.” Andrew Bain writes about the Tongariro Crossing for Traveller magazine, in a list of eleven of the world’s best walks you can do in one day. “Regularly billed as the best day…
New Zealand: The Best Tourist Destination in The World?
“As an Australian, there are certain things that are hard to admit,” writes Ben Groundwater for Traveller. “New Zealand is… Awesome. Incredible. Beautiful. In fact for travellers looking for an overseas experience, it might just…
New Zealand Tourism Eyes 33% More Indians for World Cup
Tourism New Zealand is eyeing a massive 33 per cent growth in Indian travellers to the island Pacific nation this fiscal as it expects an influx of visitors for the World Cup Cricket it…
Cross Country by Planes, Trains and Automobiles
With less than a fortnight to spend on the other side of the world, the Independent’s Kate Simon used planes, trains, automobiles … and a bike to make every second count on a trip…
One of the Most Gay-Friendly Places to Stay on Earth
New Zealand is one of the top three most gay-friendly travel destinations, according to Lonely Planet. In 1998, New Zealand was the first country to adopt the label of ‘Gay/Lesbian Friendly’ when referring to…
Hobbits Fit Their Safety Masks for Air NZ Safety Video
Ahead of the final instalment of The Hobbit trilogy, and continuing its long tradition of entertaining in-flight videos, Air New Zealand has launched its latest “epic” pre-flight safety demonstration. The airline has done a new…
Coromandel the Best of Both Scene and Serene
The Coromandel Peninsula “is crawling with sandy hot spots, but there are plenty of calm alternatives, too,” according to the New York magazine which recommends both “scenes” and “serenes”. “Reachable only after driving on a gravel road,…
Discover the Secrets of Auckland with Annabel Langbein
Local television personality and author, celebrity chef Annabel Langbein reveals her favourite things to do in Auckland, including walks along the city’s windswept west coast beaches and browsing shops in the back streets of…
Two New Zealand Hotels Make Respected Fodor’s Best of List
Wharekauhau Lodge in the Wairarapa and Waipoua Lodge in Northland have both been selected for the prestigious 2014 Fodor’s 100 Hotel Awards, which honours the best hotels around the world. Lodge manager Richard Rooney
New Zealand Best Place to Travel on Your Own
New Zealand is the world’s safest, friendliest, and best place to travel on your own, according to Travel + Leisure magazine. The publication “crunched the numbers from the Global Peace Index, which ranks 162 nations…
Richard “Hannibal” Hayes Gives National Geographic Russia a NZ Tour
Sir Richard “Hannibal” Hayes, legendary helicopter pilot, gave two National Geographic reporters from Russia the ride of their life as they explored New Zealand. Sir Richard is is probably New Zealand’s most legendary helicopter pilot…
Vogue’s 15 Must Visit Spots in Wellington
Vogue has presented a list of 15 spots to have a perfect day in the “coolest little city in the world: Wellington, New Zealand” “New Zealand’s capital city is no longer just a sleepy layover…
Secluded Waikato Getaway Carved out of the Hills
“Long before Peter Jackson re-created Middle-earth in the fertile hills of New Zealand’s Waikato region, Graham Hannah and his young daughter Jessie had a dream,” Rob McFarland writes for the Sydney Morning Herald. “They would…
Lonely Planet’s Top Eight Must-See NZ Port Destinations
In an extract from Lonely Planet New Zealand, Charles Rawlings-Way describes the country’s top eight must-see port destinations. “Paris may be the city of love, but Auckland is the city of many lovers, according to…
Auckland Ties with Melbourne for World’s Friendliest City
It’s great to be a tourist down under, with travellers naming New Zealand and Australia among the best vacation destinations – the cities of Auckland and Melbourne are the friendliest in the world. Kiwis and…
20 Facts About New Zealand
The Huffington Post has written a list of facts about New Zealand for tourists, featuring many things kiwis are proud to claim, from Baldwin Street to bungee jumping. Most of the facts on the list…
Challenge Yourself to a Wellness Adventure at Queenstown’s Aro Ha
At Queenstown’s new wellness retreat Aro Ha, five and seven-day retreat programs offer guests “an unexpectedly rewarding journey of denial and depravation.” “I am on an amazing journey that goes beyond the picture-postcard…
Tongariro National Park Running to Its Own Geological Beat
“The Tongariro Crossing is regularly called the best day walk in New Zealand, but with big claims come big crowds. At the height of summer, up to 1000 people file across the 19km-long trail…
