Inside New Zealand

Christchurch Earthquake Update

Posted on 06. Sep, 2010 by Toni.

To all our clients currently visiting New Zealand, and to those that have planned an upcoming trip – no need to worry! Relaxing Journeys is operating as per usual and we have not been affected personally as our offices are located in Auckland & Australia.  We’d like to thank those clients that have emailed or contacted us to express [...]

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Kaikoura Whale Watch Takes First Prize

Posted on 22. Dec, 2009 by Toni.

As I’m struggling to find my sea legs I am quickly distracted by a call from the skipper that there is a Whale about to breach!
My eyes quickly scan the blue horizon as I search for this majestic beast. I am so busy looking as far as the eye can see that I don’t realise [...]

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Northland in Summer

Posted on 25. Oct, 2009 by Jill.

Summer in the Bay of Islands and Northland is the best place in the world to be at that time of year, perfect temperatures, sunny, and just a gentle breeze. The perfect destination for our short self drive tour from Auckland.
We took our time to drive up from Auckland that day, normally a 3 1/2 [...]

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Earthquake Felt in South Island

Posted on 16. Jul, 2009 by Georgie.

An earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, and causing a small tsunami (of 17 centimetres)  in the southern Fiordland region was felt last night.
New Zealand has between 10,000 and 15,000 earthquakes every year, so locals are used to feeling the earth move. This particular undersea quake was located about 160 kilometres west of the [...]

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Best Months to View Dolphins and Whales

Posted on 16. Jul, 2009 by Theresa.

The Dolphin & Whale viewing guide below is for the Bay of Islands in the North Island of New Zealand.  As you can see every month is good to seeing something, but the winter months (May-July) probably give the greatest range, including the occasional Orca Whale!

 Kiakoura on the east coast of the South Island is also [...]

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On The Way To The Glaciers

Posted on 09. Jul, 2009 by Jill.

Our small group travelled from Christchurch on the east coast  of the South Island to Greymouth on the west coast onboard the TranzAlpine train. At the end of the train journey we  were met by Craig, our driver, who had followed in the coach. It had taken just under 5 hours.  It is so relaxing to travel by train and I [...]

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2009 Ski Season Has Now Begun

Posted on 23. Jun, 2009 by Georgie.

What is your idea of the perfect ski holiday? Great snow? Gentle slopes, or steeps for thrills? A variety of resorts? A buzzing après scene and the backdrop of picturesque scenery? Look no further as New Zealand has all this plus more, and is about to become the ideal winter paradise for your next ski [...]

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Spotlight on Sauvignon Blanc Wine – New Zealand Variety

Posted on 28. May, 2009 by Theresa.

New Zealand has emerged as a prime area for Sauvignon Blanc wines, and what they have accomplished is the envy of many world wine producing regions.

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Safe Close-up Glacier View

Posted on 08. May, 2009 by Campbell.

Tourists are now able to safely get up close for “spectacular” views of Franz Josef Glacier, which had for the past three years been much less accessible to visitors. The Otago Daily Times reports that a team from the Department of Conservation (DoC) and Franz Josef Glacier Guides have set up a new viewing area [...]

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New Zealands Autumn 2009 Highlights

Posted on 02. Apr, 2009 by Campbell.

Calm settled weather, vibrant colour-filled landscapes and a long list of seasonally charged events make autumn a prime time to visit New Zealand. While the country settles into an après-summer phase where business is in full swing, parliament sitting and school back in session – visitors have free reign to explore at leisure.
With pleasant temperatures, [...]

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NZ ‘love at first sight’ for Dawn French

Posted on 26. Feb, 2009 by Campbell.

British comedian Dawn French has given New Zealand a glowing report in a UK Telegraph celebrity travel column, describing her visit to the country as love at first sight. French says she discovered New Zealand “a dozen or so years ago” when she visited with husband Lenny Henry after he’d toured Australia.
“For a start it’s [...]

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Tasman Glacier calving provides voyage of a lifetime

Posted on 12. Feb, 2009 by Campbell.

Tourists at the Tasman Glacier terminal face, in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, witnessed a three-metre high wave as a giant iceberg plunged from the glacier into the terminal lake on Tuesday (10.02.09). The wave surging down the lake was the first indicator of the largest single ice ‘calf’ from the glacier in 25 years.
The [...]

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NZ ski season shaping up for repeat record

Posted on 09. Feb, 2009 by Campbell.

While New Zealand bathes in sunshine and high temperatures, winter sports enthusiasts have cooler conditions in mind. Last year rated as best on record for New Zealand skifields and, with many skiers and snowboarders already planning their winter recreation, the Ski Areas Association NZ expects 40,000 winter 09 passes to sell pre-season. International sales, particularly [...]

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Milford Sound ups global ranking

Posted on 30. Jan, 2009 by Campbell.

New Zealand’s iconic Milford Sound has moved up the rankings in a global search for the ‘Seven Wonders of Nature’ as on-line voters help to heat up competition. The popular South Island tourist destination now lies fifth in the seascapes category in a race to find the world’s greatest scenic marvels. Run by a Swiss [...]

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NZ hotels on world’s hot list

Posted on 20. Jan, 2009 by Campbell.

Five of New Zealand’s top hotels have made it onto the list of 500 best hotels in the world just published by international magazine Travel + Leisure.
Queenstown’s five-star Millbrook Resort scores a spot on the magazine’s sixth annual ‘500 best hotels’ list, as do Rotorua’s Treetops Lodge, Taupo’s Huka Lodge, Auckland’s new Hyatt Regency and [...]

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Waiheke Island wins 2009 smart travel pick

Posted on 20. Jan, 2009 by Campbell.

Waiheke – a little island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf celebrated for its beaches, artists, award-winning wines and olive oil – gets the tick of approval and no. 2 placing on Frommer’s top destinations list for 2009.
Just released, the 2009 list from international trip advisors Frommers.com focuses on smart travel choices, places that are affordable and [...]

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Tourists get chance to rave about NZ

Posted on 12. Dec, 2008 by Campbell.

Tourism New Zealand is going on the road with a world-leading tourism marketing initiative using visitors to spread the word to friends and family through social networking. NZ Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, John Key has launched the new marketing concept that uses a mobile recording studio to capture visitors’ stories about their time [...]

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Telegraph readers say NZ ‘always delivers’

Posted on 26. Nov, 2008 by Campbell.

New Zealand is a destination which always delivers, according to 25,000 readers of the UK Daily Telegraph, who have just voted New Zealand one of their favourite destinations on earth.  The paper says, “To coin a phrase from our Antipodean friends, New Zealand has now become the ‘mailman’ for Telegraph readers – it always delivers”.
Britain’s [...]

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‘Youngest Country’ scores 1 million YouTube viewers

Posted on 17. Nov, 2008 by Campbell.

More than 1 million people have watched Tourism New Zealand’s television commercial ‘Youngest Country’ on YouTube in the past year. The number of views of the latest 100% Pure New Zealand commercial reached 1 million earlier this month (November 2008).
Another 13,000 people have already watched it since, reflecting the steady stream of viewers the ad [...]

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