Beautiful on the Inside Too
Novelist Emily Perkins points out the lesser-known urban pleasures to be found in her NZ homeland in a travel feature for the Observer. It is the latest in a line of “yes, but…” travel features on NZ,…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
Still the Place to Be
NZ has proven its staying power as a must-see for British tourists by winning both the Dream Destination prize at the 2006 British Travel Awards and the favourite long-haul country category in the annual Guardian…
Destination Cool
An influential UK poll has named NZ the “world’s coolest destination.” Project “CoolBrands” (widely regarded as a “cool factor” barometer), defines “brands that have become extremely desirable among many style leaders and influencers, and have a…
A Day to Get There, a Lifetime to Forget
A Guardian travel feature on the South Island covers a remarkable range of quintessential Kiwi activities in just ten days. From extreme sports in Queenstown and the grandeur of the TranzAlpine Express, to eco-relaxation at Lake Moeraki’s…
Not Just a Pretty Face
The Guardian urges travellers to make time for NZ’s urban centres, as well as its world-famous mountains, fjords and forests: “There are some excellent attractions, delicious restaurants, cool harbourside bars and an interesting architectural history if you…
Biggest Industry Continues to Boom
International visitors to NZ are expected to grow by 4% per annum to reach 3.1 million in 2012, according to a report by the Tourism Ministry. The main contributors to the growth are likely…
Double Dose of Glacial Magic
A Sydney Morning Herald travel writer takes in equal parts local history and jaw-dropping natural scenery at the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers. “Tramping, walking and hiking have long been popular pastimes in this wildly picturesque region…
Best Western
Leading US travel site, Frommer’s, featured a lengthy write-up on the South Island’s spectacular west coast – “where there’s more to see and do than there are residents.” The writer’s comprehensive holiday includes a…
New World Order
A British travel site predicts big things for the NZ ski industry, as more and more international tourists head south for their holidays in the snow. The article focuses on Treble Cone, which has had a…
International Hot Spot
Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa was listed on the Guardian’s top 50 Best Spas. “The hot springs at Rotorua are said to cure arthritis in three months. We can’t vouch for that, but after lazing in the hot…
NZ in a Nutshell
A travel guide to NZ written for a Tennessee paper offers a brief overview of the country, focussing on geographical features and native flora and fauna. Cultural insight is offered by Travel NZ’s Bruce Lahood, who…
Slipping Into Paradise
Auckland resident and former Californian, Jeffrey Masson, a psychoanalyst and ex-projects director of the Sigmund Freud archives, publishes in August his account of emigrating to New Zealand. Slipping Into Paradise, Why I Live in New Zealand encourages…
From LA to the Bay
From Waimarama Beach to Napier, the Hawke’s Bay region gets a fantastic write up in the LA Times. The writer had organised a family holiday to her mother’s place of birth, in honour of said mother’s…
Underwater Drawcard
Wellington is adding shipwreck diving to its list of harbour-side activities, with the scuttling of a decommissioned NZ Navy frigate off Tapa Te Rangu Island. The F69 frigate is currently moored at Taranaki Wharf and will be…
Cycling the South
National Geographic Traveller editor, David Swanson, takes in the spectacular alpine scenery – and some icy cold Speights – on a two-week bike tour of the South Island. ” rain stopped, and the world went almost silent….
Coromandel by Kombi
A tour of the Coromandel by Kombi with husband and toddler in tow turned out to be remarkably relaxing for the Guardian’s Jane White. The high point of the trip was a week spent in Hahei,…
Slip Away
NZ’s Slipper Island features in a Guardian list hailing the world’s top 5 exotic escapes. “On a private island off the Coromandel Peninsula you can swim off the white-sand beach and fish for snapper. Stay in…
NZ to North America
New Zealand Magazine was launched in the North American market on the 16th of September. The brainchild of Auckland-based American Kiwi Marty Behrens, New Zealand magazine presents an intelligent and sophisticated view of this country to North…
Aotearoa: The People’s Choice
NZ has been voted the best country in the world and overall winner of the 2005 Condé Nast Traveller Awards in the UK. “The result is gratifying not just because of the win, but because the…
Best Put to the Test
Travel & Leisure writer sniffs out the best luxury retreats in NZ – a country where “everyone is a hotelier, or so it can sometimes seem.” After testing the waters at Eagle’s Nest (Russell), Otahuna Lodge…
Top 10 for 100%
New Zealand has ranked 10th in an index of the strongest brands in the world compiled by marketing research firms Anholt-GMI. New Zealand had positive brand values and managed, like Ireland which came 13th,…
San Fran Success Story
NZ company Holmes Culley has won the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC) Award for Best Retrofit Project Using Conventional Technology for its strengthening work on San Francisco Piers 1½, 3 and 5. Zander Sirvyer headed…
Triumph of Nature
Cairo magazine writer admires NZ’s greatest natural resource – the landscape itself – in a hiking tour of NZ. “Once we finally got it was easy to imagine what it had once…
Hot Spots Outed
“Scenic, comfortable and tolerant, NZ has always been an attractive destination for gay and lesbian travellers. In recent times things have been getting even better, with gay venues and activities popping up like drag queens in a…
View to a Thrill
San Francisco Chronicle travel writer recommends Wellington’s Rawhiti B&B. “On a recent trip to New Zealand, I discovered a wonderful bed and breakfast very close to the centre of Wellington. Rawhiti, a former family home, has fabulous…
More than just a pretty face
“Ah, NZ. Land of outdoor beauty, fresh air, long walks over rugged terrain – but, come on, do you really want to fly halfway around the world for something you could find in Cornwall?” The Guardian…
Earthly Paradise
A South African couple take a tour NZ by campervan, pronouncing it “Eden on Earth.” Highlights include the Moeraki Boulders at Omaru, Lanarch Castle, Franz Josef Glacier, Tongariro National Park, Sandspit and the Waipoua Forest.
“The Quintessential NZ Bolthole”
Australian Harpers Bazaar visits the infamous cinematograper Michael Seresin’s “little slice of secluded wilderness” in its regular ‘Personal Space’ section. Located in Waterfall Bay, Marlborough Sounds, Seresin’s some-time abode is anything but little, comprising…
Sail Away
The Age showcases five of the best NZ cruises on offer; Milford Sound, Hole in the Rock (Bay of Islands), Lake Wakitipu, Inter-Islander crossing, and the Doubtful Sound overnight cruise.
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
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
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,…
White Knuckle Fun
NZ’s latest extreme sport – white water sledging – features in the Voice of America. “Instead of a raft, these ‘sledgers’ run the rapids with special flippers and a steerable buoyant board … River sledger Jacob Bradley…
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
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
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
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
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
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”
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.”
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,…
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…
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
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
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
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
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
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…
