NZEDGE Travel — Global travel and tourism in New Zealand

Rakiura Cooking Its Way Through Tourism Boom

Tokyo may be famed for its density of eateries, at 994 restaurants per 100,000 people – but it has nothing on a small island at the foot of New Zealand’s South Island, Ben Mack…

Three Perfect Days in Queenstown

“Queenstown, New Zealand, wouldn’t be Queenstown if it weren’t far away from everything – more than three hours’ flight from the closest foreign city of Sydney, a long transpacific slog from the west coast…

Auckland’s Diversity Makes for Plenty to See and Do

“Auckland is a city with many faces. Known locally by its Māori name, Tāmaki Makaurau, the city has a cosmopolitan heart with some of the best dining, drinking, and shopping in the country. Yet,…

Kohutapu Lodge Model for Regenerative Tourism

New Zealand is emerging as a global leader in regenerative tourism, thanks in part to Māori tour operators such as the Bay of Plenty’s Kohutapu Lodge, Jessica Wynne Lockhart writes in a travel piece…

Alone Together at Secluded Minaret Station

“In an isolated Wanaka valley, family-run Minaret Station espouses the beauty of solitude,” Mariela de Jesús writes in a travel piece for Vogue Philippines. “The alpine lodge is not accessible by any other way…

Mitre Peak Ascent Daunting but Achieved

When Guardian photographer Murdo MacLeod and his 25-year-old daughter Lilidh attempt the rarely climbed 1700m spire in New Zealand’s Milford Sound the obstacles appear overwhelming. The pair was beaten on their first attempt in 2018,…

Twenty-One Reasons to Visit New Zealand Now

New Zealand’s “epic landscapes are now complemented by cutting-edge food, art, and fashion – and they’re easier to access than ever,” Amy Louise Bailey reports for Bloomberg, recommending what to prioritise on your next…

Christchurch Combines Architectural Charm with Art

“Framed by the Pacific to the east and the snowy Southern Alps to the west, Ōtautahi Christchurch is the largest city on New Zealand’s South Island and nicknamed the Garden City for its green…

Driving into New Zealand’s Forgotten World

“I had just a single night at Omaka Lodge before being taken 19km north to Okahukura and the start of the old Stratford-Okahukura railway, long since abandoned by regular train services and now known…

To the Farther Corners of Aotearoa

Executive editor of Condé Nast Traveler Erin Florio travels the less-explored regions of New Zealand where she was raised to discover the Indigenous traditions and contemporary thinking that make Aotearoa a place like no…

Packrafting a New Adventure Sweeping New Zealand

“New Zealand has long been known as one of the world’s greatest adventure travel hotspots. From bungee jumping, whitewater rafting, and heliskiing, to jet boating, mountain biking, hiking, and swimming with sharks and dolphins,…

Six of the Best Adventures in New Zealand

“Whether you prefer a stomach-dropping free fall or a calf-burning rock ascent, New Zealand has no shortage of hair-raising adventures for those with a head for heights,” Justin Meneguzzi writes for National Geographic Traveller. In…

Auckland’s Pastries Rival France’s Best

Your time is up Wellington, Auckland is Aotearoa’s new culinary capital according to The New York Times, including the City of Sails in the top five on its annual interactive travel list, ‘52 Places…

Tiritiri Matangi a Birdwatching Paradise

“From the depths of Antarctica to the heart of the Amazon, the earth is teeming with a massive array of passerines, waterfowl, raptors, and other avifauna – and for seasoned birders, there’s no better…

Ten Things to Keep in Mind Before Visiting NZ

To prepare those interested in a trip to Aotearoa, The Jerusalem Post polled their “Nomad community for advice on what they would tell someone visiting the country for the first time”, and this included…

Geothermal New Zealand Can’t Be Missed

“New Zealand’s volcanic activity is so close to the earth’s surface that you can even dig your own hot tub in the sand,” Forbes contributor Johanna Read writes. “ volcanic zone makes for…

Auckland a Condé Nast Favourite

Auckland has made the Condé Nast Traveler global guide to the ‘Best Places to Go in 2023’ list, one of 23 locations worldwide to make the cut. “Widely praised for its containment of COVID-19, New…

New Zealand Charts On Nat Geo Best Trip List

Looking for your next adventure? You’ll find it on National Geographic’s annual list of the world’s best destinations for travellers, and of the 25 breathtaking places and experiences listed, you’ll find New Zealand, with…

Flockhill Lodge Offers Majestic Sense of Place

“On New Zealand’s sparsely populated South Island, an alpine retreat has opened in the windswept Craigieburn Valley,” Michaela Trimble writes for The New York Times. “Flanked by three ski fields in the Craigieburn Range…

Lake Tekapo a Leader in Astro-tourism

“Science and mythology intertwine at Lake Tekapo, the centrepiece of the largest dark sky reserve in the southern hemisphere,” Ricky French writes in a travel piece published online by The Australian. “They call it ‘Mackenzie…

The New York Times Sends the World to Northland

In Northland, “cultural lessons await, as do hot springs where visitors can recharge body and soul,” according to Daniel Scheffler writing for The New York Times. The region is included in the publication’s 2022…

Gisborne’s Where the Surf’s At

In a Condé Nast Traveler feature, pros weigh in on the best places in the world for a surf trip – whether it’s for learning the sport, testing your chops on six-foot swells, or…

Fabled Terraces the Birthplace of NZ Tourism

“Although New Zealand’s Pink and White Terraces were destroyed in a volcanic eruption in 1886, travellers can still explore this bubbling, boiling landscape today,” Dani Wright reports for the BBC in a series called,…

Auckland Creatives Give Condé Nast a City Tour

Auckland-based designer Lillie Toogood and husband Dirk Paetzold are helping shape the story of New Zealand now for an international audience. The pair were recently interviewed by Condé Nast Traveler for a column called,…

Fortress NZ Looks to Open Borders to Vaccinated

New Zealand, one of the last countries successfully pursuing a zero-tolerance approach to the novel coronavirus, has said it could open its borders for quarantine-free travel early next year. But only the vaccinated need…

Northland and Christchurch on Greatest Places List

Northland and Christchurch both feature on Time magazine’s third annual list of the World’s Greatest Places, “and while it may not be possible to safely visit each place just yet, they’re…

UK Traveller Draws NZ During Lockdown

After completing the 3000km Tour Aotearoa bike tour in late February 2020, England-born artist and graphic designer Tom Napper decided to wait out what he thought would be a quick closure in New…

Rethinking Tourism Industry’s Climate Impact

New Zealand is hopeful that a recently opened travel bubble with Australia will rekindle its pandemic-battered tourism industry. However, many are also seeing an opportunity to rethink how to make the sector more climate…

Light and Inner Peace on Aotea/Great Barrier Island

“When I landed on Aotea/Great Barrier Island, an off-the-grid, mostly solar-powered island in the Hauraki Gulf, off the coast of New Zealand’s North Island, it was a proper coup de foudre,” Canadian author London-based…

A Sensory Overload Around Mesmerising East Cape

“Not many tourists head for the East Cape; there are no theme parks, big hotels or fancy restaurants. But there are long, empty, driftwood-lined beaches, volcanic islands, vast forests, rolling countryside cloaked in every…

Tourism NZ Pleads End to Socially-Influenced Pics

New Zealand is really bored of your Instagram posts, Rob Picheta writes for CNN. The country has launched a new tourism campaign, urging travellers to stop mimicking photos they see online and “share something…

Grazia Publishes Daniel Ido’s Take on Auckland

From the smell of the sea to mountainous ranges, there is no secret Auckland is a unique city. Drawing inspiration from his hometown, US-based Grazia guest editor and artist Daniel Ido frames exactly what…

Unilever NZ to follow lead of Perpetual Guardian to Trial 4-day Work Week

Unilever New Zealand will be trialling a four day workweek for one year, representing a fundamental change in the way the company views their workforce, reports Azi Paybarah for The New York Times. All 81…

Chatham Islands Hot Ticket for Travel-Starved

“The coronavirus pandemic has decimated the travel industry,” Lilit Marcus writes for CNN, “But there’s one place on the planet where there are too many tourists right now: the Chatham Islands.” “As New Zealand’s borders…

Travel + Leisure Takes in the Best of Auckland

Parnell’s Pasture was recently named one of the World’s Best Restaurants by Travel + Leisure and Food & Wine. “It’s worth planning a trip around,” New Zealand-based writer and editor Ellen Falconer recommends…

Magical Moments in Time at Mangonui

Australian journalist Jane Nicholls and her New Zealand-born husband visited Mangonui/Doubtless Bay to “capture the simple magic of childhood holidays” for her own family. Nicholls recalls the time there in a travel feature for The Australian. “This…

New Zealand Will Be Waiting for You

“New Zealand remains on the top of many tourists’ travel bucket lists,” Forbes contributor Fiona Tapp writes. “But now that travel is severely restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, dreams of exploring New Zealand…

Twelve of NZ’s Most Beautiful Places

American broadcaster CNN offers up an “insider’s guide to Aotearoa’s must-see destinations, including some off-the-beaten-track gems”. Starting at the top of the North Island, CNN’s Lucy Corry recommends Cape Reinga where: “You’ll be bearing witness…

South Island the Reigning Adrenaline Capital

“Of all the world’s adventure destinations, there are few more tantalising or dreamlike than New Zealand, a country that seems at once familiar and otherworldly. With its deep-azure seas, mist-shrouded mountains, dense forests, and…

Yes, They Really Do Say “Sweet As”

“Sweet as what?” Boston Globe correspondent Ron Driscoll asks. “No matter. A New Zealander saying ‘Sweet as’ means it’s all good, or very good, or even cool. You have the correct change? ‘Sweet as.’ You’d…

Your Ultimate South Island Travel Guide

“New Zealand’s South Island is undoubtedly one of the world’s most beautiful places, where golden beaches and dense rainforests border the snow-capped Southern Alps and adventures are endless. But for those of us who…

Experience True Silence in Doubtful Sound

“With towering snow-capped mountains, surreal waterfalls, crystal clear lakes and lush rain forests Doubtful Sound in New Zealand is a destination frozen in time… just like when it was discovered 15,000 years ago,” Nivedita…

On the West Coast Beauty Doesn’t Stop

Though now only partially open to the public owing to a slip, the 55.7km Paparoa Track on the West Coast is the first addition to the Great Walks in 25 years. Sebastian Modak, The…

Christchurch Opens Its Doors to More US Visitors

American Airlines has announced the first ever direct flight service between the US and Christchurch. Beginning in October of 2020 the carrier will embark on the 13-hour voyage three times a week. The announcement…

Luxe Guide to a Next-Level New Zealand Getaway

“New Zealand gives good VIP and VIO (very important occasion) treatment. At the top end, the pristine landscape is matched by impeccable service,” Anna McCooe writes in a travel piece for Marie Claire Australia….

Wellington Has Treats Around Every Corner

“In an otherwise resolutely outdoorsy nation, New Zealand’s capital focuses on art, craft and culture,” Larissa Dubecki writes for Gourmet Traveller. Dubecki explores the best of Wellington’s art, food and shopping scenes. “Wellington’s art scene is…

Waiheke Evokes Fond Memories for Emilia Wickstead

New Zealand’s most famous fashion export, the Duchess of Cambridge’s go-to designer Emilia Wickstead tells The Telegraph how this “relaxed and beautiful part of the world” evokes happy childhood memories. “There is something special for…

NZ Features in Time’s World’s Greatest Places List

New Zealand stars in Time magazine’s annual ‘World’s Greatest Places’ feature. Wellington’s urban ecosanctuary Zealandia, Monique Fiso’s Wellington restaurant, Hiakai and Camp Glenorchy take spots in the special. The capital’s Zealandia is recommended in the ‘To…