News of New Zealanders via Global Media

It’s got to be Seen to be Believed

It’s got to be Seen to be Believed

A couple of years on and overseas visitors are still taking the Lord of the Rings tour of NZ. Says one US writer, “I knew that the movies were shot here, but I thought that much…

Farm Charm

Farm Charm

Wharekauhau Lodge features in the  Independent‘s five best luxury farm stays. The 5,000 acre sheep station is renowned for its Shaker-style cottages and panoramic views of the Wairarapa’s Palliser Bay.

Big Boys Taken down

Big Boys Taken down

Tourism NZ website New Zealand.com has won the online equivalent of an Oscar – a Webby . The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences named New Zealand.com the top tourism website in the world,…

Regal Eagle Leads the Best

Regal Eagle Leads the Best

Eagles’s Nest, Bay of Islands, was named NZ’s ‘Number 1 Leading Resort’ at the 11th annual World Travel Awards in Barbados. The luxury homestead has already been voted one of the Top New Hotels in the World…

Front Row Seats

Front Row Seats

7 middle-aged American couples travel from Queenstown to Christchurch by bike, running out of synonyms for awesome in the process. “If you’re in good enough shape to walk six or seven miles, you can handle the bike…

Ten Not so Easy Steps

Ten Not so Easy Steps

Backpacker magazine ran an action-packed ten day tour of NZ in its April issue. “You’ve heard the tales of wild Kiwi adventure, seen the photos of outrageous mountains and fjords, and suspect that life in NZ is,…

12 Reasons to Love Auckland

12 Reasons to Love Auckland

Auckland was the cover-girl of leisure and travel magazine Destinasian. The feature titled “All eyes on Auckland” lists the city’s top dozen attractions, often overlooked by tourists en-route to “the volcanic cliffs of the…

Tourism the Winner on the Day

Tourism the Winner on the Day

The hotly anticipated Lions rugby tour of NZ in June and July is tipped to boost the national economy by as much as $250 million. An estimated 16,000 British Lions fans are expected to make the long…

Aotearoa Tops Wish-list

Aotearoa Tops Wish-list

NZ was voted the world’s most desirable holiday destination by readers of British travel agency magazine,  Trailfinders, ahead of Australia, Peru and the Maldives. More than 15,000 people participated in the poll.

“Pretty Damn Sweet”

“Pretty Damn Sweet”

A US exchange student in NZ writes an ode to Aotearoa in his home college newspaper, the New Hampster. “I think I’ve got NZ fever already. This country has been described as a laidback, fun place…

The Price is Right

The Price is Right

NZ’s booming tourist industry has received another string to its bow with the introduction of free city tours. Financed by local tourism operators wanting to promote their services, the tours are now available in Auckland and Christchurch.

Diamond and the Rough

Diamond and the Rough

Independent travel writer indulges mind, body and soul in NZ’s up and coming wine and tourism centre, the Wairarapa. After experiencing chocolate therapy at Greytown’s Schoc, sampling the region’s famed Pinot Noir at Tirohana Estate, trout fishing…

Great Expectations

Great Expectations

America’s premiere gay and lesbian travel magazine, Passport, ran an extensive travel feature on NZ in its March issue. “My boyfriend wanted to explore NZ because he’d heard that it was the most untouched, pristine land in the…

From Wilderness to Café Culture

From Wilderness to Café Culture

NZ features in a Lonely Planet dream itinerary compiled exclusively for the Observer. “NZ’s wild side is wonderful, especially the South Island’s rugged west coast, but it’s great to return to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch where cafe…

All Aboard

All Aboard

Independent travel writer takes a stunning tour of NZ by train. ” you want to experience your visual thrills in comfort and without the threat of sea-sickness, you can simply let the NZ’s trains take the strain…

Top Five Twice-over

Top Five Twice-over

In a Lonely Planet poll conducted in early December, NZ was voted fourth most popular future destination and fourth favourite place already visited. The exhaustive survey drew nearly 20,000 respondents from 167 different countries.

Angler’s Paradise

Angler’s Paradise

NYT writer travels to NZ to experience the “trout-fishing paradise” of Rotorua first hand. “Visitors fish in streams so clear that the fish can see you. Crouching behind a bush, out of a target’s line of…

Long-haul Rivalry

Long-haul Rivalry

Australian-born Guardian columnist, Andrew Mueller, can’t understand the ongoing attraction of NZ to British holidaymakers. “Australia is worth spending 30 hours in a plane for,” he says. “NZ is Wales with more sheep.”

Tales of the Heart

Tales of the Heart

Colonel John Blashford Snell tells of “losing his heart in NZ” in a Guardian travel feature: “We are so overcrowded here but they have the most beautiful empty country with scenery that is stunning, like a high-altitude…

Seaside Hideaway

Seaside Hideaway

A Guardian travel special on remote retreats features Bethell’s Beach Cottages, run by Trude and John Bethell-Plaice. “The cottages have decking for alfresco dining, private gardens and sea views. A short walk away is Bethell’s beach: huge,…

The Real Deal

The Real Deal

A year on and Rings-related tourist stories still crop up in US papers. This one, originally published in the Washington Post, attempts to find the “real NZ, the part still untouched by the ubiquitous cinema hype.”…

Sheep Ranch Deluxe

Sheep Ranch Deluxe

Wairarapa’s Wharekauhau Country Estate is given a rapturous write-up in the IHT. “A temple to order and calm, the Estate is located on the southern tip of the North Island of NZ, where the prevailing winds…

Not Just for Young ‘uns

Not Just for Young ‘uns

MSN writer takes a leaf out of her post-collegiate travelling days and revisits the joy of youth hostels: “I was skeptical, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions we made.” She recommends…

North Island Odyssey

North Island Odyssey

The Telegraph‘s Max Davidson takes a leisurely tour of the North Island’s wine-producing hot spots. The trail begins in “cosmopolitan Wellington,” followed by the Wairarapa, Auckland, and Waiheke Island. Further north, the scenery becomes more and more…

Good Things Take Time

Good Things Take Time

Globe writer, Leigh Turner, believes NZ’s value as a holiday destination lies in eco rather than adventure tourism. “In the last six years, international visitor numbers have risen 41%. But that success poses challenges for a country…

Information Overload

Information Overload

Only Punjab profiles Greg Scowen’s tourism website, New Zealand Focus, which has grown from a university design project to a 500-page source of quality registration. The site includes a ‘NZ Tourism Directory,’ which allows registered tourism businesses…

Something for Everyone

Something for Everyone

NYT travels to Auckland and finds a sprawling and diverse city “finally growing into its own.” Recommended activities range from sipping coffee on Ponsonby Rd or visiting the Auckland Art Gallery to trawling the Otara and Auckland…

Worth the Wait

Worth the Wait

Once again, NZ features in the  Guardian‘s “long-haul trips of a lifetime” travel feature. Highly recommended are Lake Rotorua’s On the Point chalet and Big Tom’s Cottage in Hawkes Bay.

Strong Silent Type

Strong Silent Type

Telegraph feature extols the many virtues of NZ, voted Favourite Holiday Destination in the paper’s exhaustive annual poll. “NZ is the silent type: take the trouble to get to know her and you will discover hidden depths…

Haven for Holiday-makers

Haven for Holiday-makers

NZ was voted the UK’s Favourite Holiday Destination in the annual Telegraph Travel Awards, ahead of the Maldives, South Africa, and Italy. “The Awards are based on the genuine opinions and experiences of the UK’s most affluent…

Southern Bookmarks

Southern Bookmarks

Four American students embarked on a voyage of self-discovery against the backdrop of NZ’s South Island. After taking in such “must-sees” as Queenstown, Franz Josef Glacier, and Milford Sound, the four would ” back a few…

Mecca for Moviegoers

Mecca for Moviegoers

NZ topped the list of holiday destinations inspired by films in a British survey by Thomson Holidays. 40% of voters picked NZ in response to its LotR exposure. Cephalonia (Captain Corelli’s Mandolin), Thailand (The Beach), Malta (Troy),…

Paradise Uncovered

Paradise Uncovered

Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson’s ode to NZ, Slipping Into Paradise, reviewed in Japan’s Daily Yomiuri. “Part memoir, part philosophical reflection, part travel book, Slipping into Paradise details why Masson picked NZ from the many countries he had visited as…

Top Spot

Top Spot

Martinborough Hotel features on the Observer‘s list of top retreats for wine lovers. “If you’re looking for a nice drop of Kiwi class, character and convenience, this is just the job … The bistro serves excellent…

Four in Twenty Ain’t Bad

Four in Twenty Ain’t Bad

Four NZ estates made the top 20 international accommodation list in Andrew Harper’s annual Hideaway Report; Blanket Bay (Queenstown), Huka Lodge (Taupo), Wharekauhau (Wairarapa), and Kauri Cliffs (Bay of Islands). ” is proof that the quality of…

Still the Place to Be

Still the Place to Be

NZ is the world’s third most desirable holiday destination, according to  Condé Nast Traveller‘s annual Readers’ Awards. Australia, Thailand, Singapore, and Italy complete the top five.

Great Southern Land

Great Southern Land

Atlanta Journal writer takes in the sights down south, comparing the stunning vistas to precious works of art. “There’s a time for visiting hushed museums filled with masterpieces … But getting to know a new destination…

Exploring Our Edge

Exploring Our Edge

A couple from St Louis give a colourful account of their whirlwind 14-day tour of NZ. “Throughout ‘Kiwiland’ we bumped into geographical quirks, idiosyncratic traditions and a countryside full of surprises: miniature blue penguins; peanut butter on…

Southern Splendour

Southern Splendour

NY Post writer tours the South Island’s premiere ski sites; Mt Hutt, Cardrona, and Coronet Peak. As well as admiring the area’s “movie star good looks” and local culinary fare, he takes the plunge at Australasia’s highest…

Money Makes the Cup Go Around

Money Makes the Cup Go Around

Alinghi syndicate head Ernesto Bertarelli has provided Team NZ a multimillion dollar “no-strings” loan to ensure their presence at the 2007 America’s Cup. “In view, the regatta would lose some of its appeal without us,” said…

Hadlee on Hanmer

Hadlee on Hanmer

Guardian Travel discovers Sir Richard Hadlee’s preferred holiday destination, Hanmer Springs. Hadlee explains his choice in the accompanying interview: “I’ve been going since I was nine, when the whole family would decamp there for holidays. It’s quiet…

Mapping the Southern Skies

Mapping the Southern Skies

A Guardian feature uncovers the Wairarapa’s latest tourist attraction: Stonehenge Aotearoa. Built by NZ’s Phoenix Astronomical Society, the henge is a map and calendar for the southern hemisphere’s skies. “The whole objective here is that people can come out…

Polar Custodians

Polar Custodians

NZ’s Antarctic Heritage Trust has unveiled plans to restore and protect huts built by early explorers of the South Pole, including Scott’s Discovery Hut and that of Norwegian-born Carstien Borchgrevink. Norway and the UK have been asked…

Aotearoa Uncovered

Aotearoa Uncovered

Female First delves deeper than the usual travel story, focusing primarily on the geographical and cultural make-up of NZ. “NZ comes with a reputation as a unique land packed with magnificent, raw scenery: craggy coastlines, sweeping beaches,…

Picturesque Plunge

Picturesque Plunge

In a feature on celebrity hobbies, the Observer advises fans of sky-diving enthusiast Nicole Kidman to head to Queenstown. After all, “if you’re going to take the plunge, you might as well do it at one of…

Walking the South Island

Walking the South Island

Berni Moestafa, contributor from Jakata, walks part of the South Island. “New Zealand has many faces. It is a sub-tropical forest with lush ferns and unusual old trees, or a strip of perfect white beach, an…

Overnight Express to the Edge

Overnight Express to the Edge

NZ was named Favourite Long-haul Destination in the Guardian and Observer’s annual People’s Choice Awards, for the third time in the past four years. NZ topped the poll with 96.8% of the vote, beating Peru, Australia, and…

Café Crawl

Café Crawl

An Age tour of Wellington’s thriving café scene includes stops at Fidel’s, Pravda, Red Square, Espressoholic, and Lido. According to interviewee and Fidel’s owner, Roger Young, “There are some of the best cafés in the world here. It’s because the…

Kiwi Stonehenge

Kiwi Stonehenge

June 5 saw the opening of NZ’s very own Stonehenge, erected in the Wairarapa by the Phoenix Astronomical Society. More than simply a replica of its northern predecessor, the Kiwi henge is a celestial calendar of the…

Queenstown: Thrill Mecca

Queenstown: Thrill Mecca

The will to thrill Kiwi-style shows no signs of subsiding, with bungy related features by the BBC and  Observer, and one covering the full adventure spectrum – from tandem parapenting to fly-by-wire – in the Straits Times….

Up Close and Personal

Up Close and Personal

Kaikoura features in the Guardian‘s top ten whale-watching tours around the world. “Head to for an excellent chance of seeing 66-foot sperm whales … humpbacks whales, killer whales (orca), and the small Hectors dolphin, a…

Ringing in the Changes

Ringing in the Changes

Tourism is predicted to overtake dairy as NZ’s top export earner by mid-2004 – a phenomenon largely attributed to  Lord of the Rings hype. The country’s newfound status as a must-see destination is confirmed by a…

NZ has the Eco Edge

NZ has the Eco Edge

According to New Scientist, NZ is one of few countries actively promoting responsible eco-tourism. National Geographic clearly agrees, awarding NZ 78 points out of 100 in its annual eco-tourism survey. “The NZ Department of Conservation takes these…

Kiwi Content for Oscars Loot

Kiwi Content for Oscars Loot

This year’s official Oscars goodie-bag – handed out to every presenter, performer and nominee – included a trip for two to NZ, with accommodation at Treetops Luxury Lodge & Estate in Rotorua. With recipients including Julia Roberts,…

Roughing It?

Roughing It?

Base Backpacker’s newly launched Sanctuary facilities – luxury, women’s-only levels in its Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch hostels – featured in the LA Times‘ Youth Watch column. “With bungee jumping, backpacker buses and some of the best…

Best of the Rest

Best of the Rest

Sunday Business Post writer decides to test the theory that NZ is “the most beautiful place in the world,” and finds the statement to be no exaggeration. “There is simply no enviable natural feature that New Zealand does…