On Top of the World

New Zealand has been voted Top Country for the second year running in a UK-based travel magazine readers’ poll. Almost 30,000 travellers voted in the annual Wanderlust poll,…

Gourmands Flock to Matakana

The New York Times heads to Matakana Village, a thriving boutique wine town an hour north of Auckland City. Matakana Village is a gourmand’s delight, boasting an award-winning…

Worthy Splurges and Brilliant Bargains

Two NZ luxury lodges feature in Tatler’s annual hotel guide for 2008. Otahuna Lodge, Christchurch, and Matakauri Lodge, Queenstown, were named two of the world’s 101 Best…

Hollywood Holidays in Aotearoa

NZ was allegedly the holiday destination of choice for a slew of A-list celebrities over the summer. Bill Gates spent Christmas quad-biking at Ahipara with his son, while actors Jack Nicholson and…

Trans-seasonal Vistas

A Toronto Star travel piece likens NZ’s famous TranzAlpine train journey to the Crowded House hit Four Seasons in One Day. Star: “In half a day, it travels from…

The Complete Package

NZ’s largest city is described as having “new wind in its sails” in a US travel feature. Once the jumping-off point for further exploration of NZ, Auckland has become…

Third Time at the Top

NZ has been voted the world’s best holiday destination by readers of Britain’s Daily Telegraph. Around 30,000 readers took part in the annual survey, which is the largest independent analysis…

Spoilt for Choice

An Australian travel guide to NZ’s top 30 lakes covers the length and breadth of Aotearoa, from world-class trout fishing at Lake Turangi, to the “perfectly still bush reflections”…

NZ in Three Speeds

A Guardian travel article offers a three-pronged approach to seeing NZ. The first writer covers the entire span of 90 Mile Beach by Blokart, a NZ-designed sailing dinghy on wheels. “So…

Guilt-free Getaway

Travel writer Caroline Hendrie neutralised the carbon footprint she incurred flying to NZ by staying at the south island’s Wilderness Lodges. Run by ecologist Dr Gerry McSweeney, the Wilderness…

Deluxe Digs

NZ has added another luxury lodge to its collection this month, with the opening of The Farm at Cape Kidnappers. The Hawkes Bay property is set on a 6,000-acre…

Hidden Treasures and Rugged Escapades

The London Times ran two travel articles on NZ last weekend. The first asked past and present All Blacks Richie McCaw, Anton Oliver, Reuben Thorne, Tana Umaga and Sean Fitzpatrick to…

Life in the Crosshairs

Man Booker nominee Lloyd Jones talks up his home town of Wellington in a travel article for The Times. He describes the city’s world-famous wind as a source of both embarrassment…

Promise Kept in Bay of Islands

Conde Nast Traveler‘s November edition includes a piece on “the most beautiful place on earth”: the Bay of Islands. UK writer Colin McCabe tells of finally fulfilling a 10-year-old promise to…

Tauranga on the Make

Monocle magazine devoted a five-page spread to Tauranga in its November issue. The article charts the Bay of Plenty city’s rise from sleepy retirement village to boom town, courtesy…

Six Spots Bluelisted

Six NZ tourist attractions made Lonely Planet’s 2008 Bluelist, an annual collection of the world’s “hottest trends, destinations, journeys and experiences.” Jetboating Queenstown’s Shotover River is featured as one…

Auckland Gets Guided

Auckland is one of nine new international locations to earn a Wallpaper City Guide. Released in November, the Auckland guide features Wallpaper‘s customary mix of criticisms and accolades, as well as…

Car-boot Camaraderie

With its own spring carnival brought down by horse flu, the Sydney Morning Herald sent writer Rachel Oakes-Ash across the Tasman to check out NZ’s racing season. Oakes-Ash headed south for…

Three Ways to See NZ

Three travel articles on NZ appeared in North American newspapers this month, each offering a different way to experience Aotearoa. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Naomi Koppel chose to tramp around the South…

Been There, Done That

A selection of readers’ NZ travel tips appeared in the Guardian‘s travel pages this month. The information was gathered from the newspaper’s “I’ve been there” website, which features six pages of…

Adventure Sports in Aotearoa

A Telegraph feature on NZ adventure tourism gives a comprehensive overview of the range of activities on offer. Tourist operators specialising in adventure sports have moved beyond Queenstown’s borders and can…

Lock-up Lodge

A Napier prison-turned-backpackers features in a Guardian travel story on jail-themed hotels. Decommissioned in 1993, the Napier Prison was reopened in 2002 to offer tours and budget accommodation. Guardian: “You can have…

True Romance

Ponsonby Road’s Harrowset Hall was featured in the New York Times travel section this month. Described as “a romantic den of feminine clutter”, Harrowset Hall stocks cotton nightwear, robes…

Après Vous

Queenstown has been named one of the world’s top ten après ski destinations in the Sydney Morning Herald. “The 120 licensed establishments in this lakeside town are brought to you…

Te Kopi a Top Spot

The Department of Conservation’s Te Kopi bach at Palliser Bay has been named one of the five best state-run lodges and cabins in the world by the Guardian. “Light-filled and well…

NZ a Top Foodie Destination

The past 15 years have seen a seismic shift in NZ gastro-tourism, according to  Telegraph wine columnist Susy Atkins. Since her last visit in 1992, NZ has shrugged off its…

Stonyridge a Must-see

Waiheke Island’s Stonyridge vineyard featured in the Guardian’s top ten must-visit wineries, alongside Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Bordeaux and the Frank Gehry-designed Marques de Riscal in Rioja, Spain. Guardian: “Stonyridge is a…

Aotearoa on the Cheap

The Bangkok Post takes a budget tour of NZ “that in some countries could easily pass for luxury”. Spending just fifty NZ dollars a day, the travel writer visits…

The Rings Effect Continues

NZ features in a new weekly video series on international branding practices by British marketing guru Martin Lindstrom. In Altering the Brand of a Country: How Movies Hurt Columbia…

Diving’s Best Kept Secret

Jacques Cousteau named the Poor Knights Islands one of the world’s top ten dive sites and Australian travel writer Nigel Marsh agrees. Located 24km off the coastline of Tutukaka, 200km north…

Tourism NZ Gets Googled

Tourism NZ has teamed up with Google to develop its own official ‘layer’ on Google Earth, in a world first for a tourism authority. Google Earth is a searchable tool for…

Matterhorn Among World’s Best

Wellington institution the Matterhorn has been named one of the world’s top five bars by respected US trade magazine, Bartender. The Cuba St local was ranked fifth behind…

Blanket Bay Among World’s Best

Queenstown’s Blanket Bay Lodge has been selected as the best lodge in the world by the US Discovery Travel & Living channel. Blanket Bay will feature on Discovery’s new Five-Star Insider…

Something for Everyone

The recent volcanic lahar at Mount Ruapehu has done nothing to put off eager skiers, from NZ or overseas. As a news.com.au article points out, visitors continued to ski and snowboard…

Planned to Perfection

The Toronto Star reports on the wonder of Victorian-era town planning that is Christchurch, NZ. Prior to its December 1850 settlement, Christchurch was designed to be a replica of the ideal…

Queen of the Track

Current world champ Katherine Prumm enjoyed back to back wins in the opening round of the Australian Women’s Motocross Championships in Victoria. The South Auckland Kawasaki rider was her…

Substance Over Style

The Guardian’s Simon Mills is the latest travel writer to fall for Great Barrier Island’s rustic charms. Home to just 800 people, the island has no mains electricity or centralised plumbing…

Being Nice Makes Business Sense

Tourism NZ has launched a new campaign encouraging Australians to travel to NZ at different times of the year. At the same time, it urges New Zealanders to ease…

NZ Retreat in Roppongi

Tourism NZ and Air NZ are co-sponsors of the New Zealand Travel Cafe, recently opened in Tokyo’s Roppongi entertainment district. The café serves NZ burgers, beer, wine and ice cream, plays…

Food to Match the Location

Wellington restaurant Martin Bosley’s features in a guide to the Pacific region by the New York Times. Research for the guide was conducted by leading US travel authority…

Stretching the Limits

Bungy pioneer AJ Hackett is to mark the 20th anniversary of his historic Eiffel Tower jump with a new world record attempt. In Kuala Lumpur later this year, the…

Altitude with Attitude

Whare Kea Lodge – the “ultimate mountain hut” – featured in the Observer’s dream travel series. The luxury lodge is located at 5,600ft in the South Island’s Buchanan mountain range. Observer:…

Miracle Escape

A NZ skydiver has survived a 3600m fall after his parachute became entangled. Michael Holmes, 25, filmed his fall with a helmet camera as he spiralled out of control…

Northern Delights

Vancouver’s North Shore News featured a travel special on NZ’s North Island. In the Bay of Islands, the writer used the Eagles Nest villa complex as a luxurious base for sailing…

Premium Export

An ABC Radio report on Wellington’s Pinot Noir festival credits the grape’s – and NZ wine in general’s – explosion in popularity in the US to the success of 2004 indie…

Tourists Flock to Favourite Destination

According to new figures released by Statistics NZ a record 2.4 million tourists visited NZ last year – 1.6 per cent more than in 2005. The number was boosted by…

“A Country Waiting to be Explored”

South Africa’s Cape Times features a travel special on NZ, with a focus on Auckland and Wellington. ” is not difficult to see what makes NZ attractive, both as a holiday…

Bay of Wonders

The LA Times offers a brief guide to NZ’s Bay of Islands, home to “some of the best scenery in the country.” Visitors are advised to check out the arts and…

Guilt-free Luxury

Taranaki’s Eco Inn comes highly recommended in the Guardian. The lodge is constructed from untreated macrocarpa wood and recycled materials, and is entirely powered by solar panels, wind…

Wellington: City on the Rise

Wellington has been named one of 10 world cities “on the rise” by the editors of Lonely Planet. The capital is described as “one of the world’s cold-yet-cultural cities … more…

Safe Haven

US travel expert Laura McKenzie includes NZ in her list of the world’s five safest travel destinations. NZ is ranked second only to Monaco in a list which…

Four of the Best

Four NZ luxury establishments made the coveted Condé Nast Traveller Gold List for 2007. Huka Lodge (Taupo) and Blanket Bay (Otago) featured in the Best for Rooms and Best for…

Action Packed Queenstown

A self-confessed lazy New Yorker experiences adventure tourism NZ-style in Queenstown. The Skyline luge run is the highlight of a three-day trip which includes and air and sea tour…

Cool New Attraction

NZ is making another quality addition to its roll call of tourist attractions with the development of a state-of-the-art glacier museum on the South Island’s west coast. The NZ$6.5…

Great Southern Land

American travel writer Marcy Barack spent Christmas with her family on the northern beaches and parks of the South Island last year. She relates the experience – location by idyllic location…

Land of Opportunity

British citizens looking to work Down Under rushed to the Opportunities New Zealand expo held in Manchester last month. High on most people’s reasons for moving was the laidback Kiwi lifestyle…