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New Zealand Campervan Etiquette Guide
2009-09-18 06:59:00 With the New Zealand campervan season soon to be in full swing I thought it prudent to list a few common annoyances and a how not to get the finger guide to prospective campervan visitors. 1 – Please drive on the left hand side of the road?..at all times. 2 – Please note that New Zealand ... More About: Etiquette , Guide
Visitors Dodging Parking Fines
2009-09-11 05:42:00 A recent law change now allows New Zealand car rental companies to collect parking and traffic fines by debiting the hirers credit cards long after the visitor has returned the vehicle and left the country. Recently the South Island’s Queenstown Lakes District Council has publicly blamed vehicle hire companies lack of co-operation in collecting unpaid ... More About: Parking , Visitors
New Zealand the recipient of Australian Stimulus Package
2009-09-01 06:32:00 The large increase in Australian visitors arrivals could be all thanks to Australian Prime Minister Rudd?s stimulus package earlier this year. New Zealand experienced a 37 per cent increase in Australians who holidayed here compared with the same period last year. Many commentated have proffered very plausible reasons for the sharp increase in Australian arrivals. Common ... More About: Package
Kea Car Attack
2009-09-01 04:58:00 The New Zealand native mountain parrot, Kea, is found throughout alpine areas in the South Island. It is one of a very few parrots in the world that are omnivorous. Unfortunately Keas also are very inquisitive and are not shy to close human contact. Keas particularly enjoys stripping cars of rubber window seals, window wiper blades ...
May Be Time to Buy in Queenstown
2009-08-24 06:05:00 Queenstown?s local news paper, Mountain Scene have done an interesting analysis on returns to owners or unit holders of property sold as visitor accommodation. I have previously posted on the promised guaranteed rental yield of this type of investment but it is interesting to see the actual break down on the return of investment. ... More About: Queenstown , Time
NZ Ski Snow Reports
2009-08-16 06:15:00 Today when listening to the live from the mountain snow report, we were told to ?come on up it?s a beautiful day, all the lifts are open and its going to be a cracker?. With all the Australians at present in New Zealand skiing, the choice of the word ?cracker? was practically poignant Driving ... More About: Snow
Australians Arriving to Hunt for Gold
2009-08-14 05:13:00 A common pastime for many Australians is to go gold fossicking. Increasingly however, Australian gold fields have been picked clean by the weekend prospector. With the rivers low before the spring snow thaw, I took the opportunity to brave the cold and scout a few new areas. In what I would call a very remote ... More About: Gold
Reporting Live from Blanket Bay Lodge
2009-08-13 00:51:00 The current downturn in visitor arrivals to New Zealand has bought out some interesting marketing ideas to help boost falling revenues.. The accommodation industry has been hard hit with the latest bed nights figures showing significant declines. In response, accommodation providers have discounted their room rates to lure customers. The luxury niche end of the ... More About: Live , Blanket , Lodge
NZ Offers Free Shoe Shine on Arrival
2009-08-11 01:49:00 Like most countries, when you arrive in New Zealand, you are required to go through an entry process. This will involve immigration, customs and finally after you collect your baggage, you will be questioned by a MAF Biosecurity inspector. On a recent arrival at Queenstown airport from Brisbane, I was awaiting my turn in a ... More About: Free , Offers , Shine , Shoe
B.Y.O Toilet Paper
2009-08-04 05:11:00 It is happening even in the best of New Zealand?s accommodation establishments. I?m talking about hotel rooms that don?t have spare toilet rolls. In these recessionary times I am increasingly finding rooms are poorly equipped with supplies. Forget the coffee sachets, who drinks instant coffee or Milo, but we all need to be supplied with ... More About: Toilet Paper , Toilet , Paper
Popular camping ground first of many to close over winter
2008-05-16 01:26:00 One of the South Islands iconic camping grounds is to close for the winter season. Glendhu Bay in Wanaka is a popular camping ground for the winter ski season traveller and temporary ski field staff alike. However, the camp was losing money as visiting skiers and boarders increasingly chose to park on the side of the ... More About: Winter , Ground , Popular , Camping , Close
Robbed within first hour of arrival in NZ
2008-05-06 23:03:00 A British couple who arrived in New Zealand yesterday on their three week honeymoon were robbed within one hour of arrival. The jetlagged Devon couple had just picked up their rental campervan and decided to pick up some groceries for the trip to Rotorua. They parked at the supermarkets covered carpark in downtown Auckland. After spending around ... More About: Hour , Robbed
New Zealand On top of the world
2008-05-02 07:11:00 Two destinations in the South Island NZ have been ranked 1st & 2nd most popular among the worlds top destinations.The travellers’ choice survey held by the worlds largest online travel site trip advisor listed Milford Sound first followed by Queenstown in second place. The travellers’ choice survey uses a combination of popular hits, input from travellers ... More About: World , New Zealand , The World , Zealand
Visitors require more search & rescue
2008-04-02 05:15:00 NZ Search and Rescue have released figures showing that over one third of rescues carried out this summer have been for lost or injured overseas visitors. The great proportion of these are in the South Island where mountain climbing is popular during the summer months. New Zealand Land Search & Rescue (landSAR) say many of these ... More About: Visitors
Queenstown says Ban all Freedom Campervanning
2008-04-01 00:43:00 The proposed sticker law to regulate where campervans can overnight park does not go far enough for one South Island council mayor. Queenstown Lakes district mayor Clive Geddes believes that the sticker law will not deter those tourist that pollute the area with human waste. Mr Geddes stated that his council should lead the way by ... More About: Freedom
Campervan Law
2008-03-19 23:26:00 The legislation of campervans rights to freedom camp in New Zealand has gone a step closer . All South Islands local governments have voted unanimously to put forward a proposed regulatory system that will class campervans into three categories. The proposal is to require campervans to be issued with a sticker registration system that will limit ...
Prosecute Trespassing Campers
2008-03-12 22:55:00 District Councils have been asked to clamp down on campervan travellers that park next to or outside camping grounds and use their facilities. The manager of two council owned holiday parks located in the Queenstown area has removed 30 people in one night from the grounds communal kitchen. Mr Hartshorne reported these people had climbed over ...
It?s Official - The Banana Republic of Fiji
2008-02-26 05:50:00 The Australian publisher of the Fiji Sun newspaper was taken from his residence last night by two men who claimed to be immigration officers. Russel Hunter was at home with his wife and daughter when the men arrived and asked to view his passport. He was then taken away for further questioning. He was latter deported ... More About: Banana , Official , Banana Republic , Republic
Backpacker Wins 1 Million Dollars
2008-02-26 03:20:00 An Australian backpacker who arrived in New Zealand just two days before he purchased a winning lotto ticket now plans to upgrade his accommodation and travel in style. The lucky tourist purchased the ticket in Christchurch and then immediately travelled to the Wellington Lottery headquarters to claim his prize. He initially planned to get seasonal fruit picking ... More About: Backpacker , Million , Dollars , Wins
Tourist Insurance Scam
2008-02-25 05:56:00 Three Dutch tourist who claimed they were robbed while camping at Akaroa near Christchurch have admitted guilt in a Christchurch court to making a false complaint. The trio was arrested as they tried to leave the country bound for Australia. The residing judge convicted and discharged the men stating that although the investigation had wasted 100 hours ... More About: Insurance , Scam , Tourist
Dodgy Lodges
2008-02-15 22:36:00 The tourist industry has once again hit out at the many New Zealand accommodation establishments that brand themselves as ?lodges? or ?boutique lodge? accommodation. NZ has many wonderful lodges that have invested vast amounts of both money and energy to create internationally recognised accommodation. Huka, Kauri Cliffs, Blanket Bay and Grasmere Lodge are but a few ...
Fording NZ Rivers by Car
2008-02-15 03:50:00 Fording small rivers is a common experience on many roads that lead to scenic spots, trail heads and popular picnic locations. Many overseas travellers and New Zealanders alike are not aware that these small river crossings can become almost unpassable on the return crossing as river levels can quickly rise. Heres a little story of a German ... More About: Rivers
Copland Track Thief
2008-01-30 01:48:00 A South Island man who robbed tourists of goods and cash to the tune of $104,000 has been jailed for three years and two months. The 25 year old Fox Glacier resident, pleaded guilty in the District Court to 42 theft charges. These thefts occurred from tourists’ vehicles in carparks mainly at the Copland Track car park ... More About: Thief
Fiji to Los Angeles cut flights
2008-01-24 06:46:00 It appears the American inbound tourist market to Fiji has wilted due to the current coup. Air New Zealand has announced that it is cutting its three flights per week service between Nadi and Los Angeles effective from April. On February 2007 I wrote of the current coups potential crippling effect on Fijis tourist dependent economy. ... More About: Flights
Sleeping Van Law Step Closer
2008-01-21 00:33:00 The issue of freedom camping in vans that are not equipped with toilet facilities could likely result in laws prohibiting this popular form of touring.Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Clive Geddes has once again warned tourists van operators that a district ban may be enforced. Roadside waste such as toilet paper, sanitary products and faeces is a ... More About: Sleeping , Step , Closer
NZ Greenstone
2008-01-13 07:12:00 Also known by its Maori name ?Pounamu? or its gemmological term ?New Zealand Jade?, Greenstone is very similar to jade and is used for making adornments and jewellery. Pounamu is only found in the South Island with the main deposits located around the Taramakau district and Arahura rivers in Westland, coastal south Westland and the ...
Fiji Island for Sale
2007-12-20 02:55:00 Less than 10% of land in Fiji is available freehold resulting in high prices for freehold islands that seldom come up for sale. Since the latest coup premium properties have hit the market frequently.The suspension of issuing new titles to foreigners at the start of the coup has frighten purchases away. Although this suspension was ... More About: For Sale , Sale , Island
NZ Gold Fossicking
2007-12-15 01:43:00 Most inbound travellers to NZ come here for the splendid beauty of our parks and many mountains rangers . Most tourist utilise New Zealand?s many day walks or longer treks like the famed Milford, Routeburn, Copland and Albel Tasman to mention but a small few. However most who venture into this natural environ are unaware ... More About: Gold
New Zealand Christmas Alcohol Ban
2007-12-11 06:06:00 Many holiday resort towns in New Zealand impose a liquor ban in public places over the busy Christmas new year period. These NZ bylaws make it an offence to bring liquor into, possess liquor in, or consume liquor in any prescribed areas. These areas are usually notified by signage and public notices in local news papers. ... More About: Alcohol
Only in America
More articles from this author:2007-12-06 23:23:00 An irate America n guest staying at the Hermitage Hotel in Mount Cook National Park rang reception to complain about her in room microwave oven. The guest stated that she was not able to retrieve her pizza from the oven. When staff attended the guest room they discovered that the pizza was in fact placed in the room ... 1, 2, 3 |
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