Tagged: new zealand travel

Hiking The World

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Mountain holidays in Italy’s Dolomites. Photo credit: Collett’s Mountain Holidays.

Hiking and trekking can be the most challenging and unforgettable mountain holidays.

There are many mountain travel companies offering adventures worldwide.

If you’re interested in hiking and trekking Italy’s Dolomites, Collett’s Mountain Holidays still has late availability on its summer trips.

Here are more mountain holidays worldwide:

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Trekking South Africa

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Trekking The Pyrenees

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Trekking Peru

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Trekking Patagonia

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Trekking Corsica

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Trekking New Zealand

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Trekking Morocco

Images courtesy of Slackpacker SA, Pyrenean Odysseys, KE Adventure, World Expeditions, Walks Worldwide & Kiwi Experience.

New NZ Package

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The good life at Matakauri Lodge, New Zealand.

New Zealand’s Matakauri Lodge has launched a new Winter Ski Package for some of the country’s best winter skiing and snow sports.

The team at the lodge will drive skiers to and from Cornonet Peak for a day on the South Island slopes.

One of New Zealand’s most recognized luxury lodges, Matakauri Lodge opened in August 2010 as a sister property to North Island lodges Kauri Cliffs and The Farm at Cape Kidnappers.

The lodge has been named one of 101 Best Hotels in the World for 2011 by Tatler Magazine and on the 2011 HOT LIST by Conde Nast Traveller.

Matakauri Lodge features 11 luxury suites and villas, lodge facilities, fine dining by Chef Dale Gartland, a well-stocked wine cellar from Central Otago and a spa.

The new winter ski package includes accommodation, a 50 minute massage per person per night, transfer to/from Coronet Peak from Matakauri Lodge, pre-dinner drinks, canapés, dinner full breakfast non-alcoholic mini bar and use of lodge facilities.

This package is available until August 31, 2011.

For more info, visit the Matakauri Lodge site.

Image courtesy of Matakauri Lodge.

Luxury In Queenstown, New Zealand

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Rooftop dancing at Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Mountain travelers in New Zealand can take luxury breaks in Queenstown at Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa.

The luxury hotel has newly been admitted into the Exclusive accommodation category of Qualmark, New Zealand tourism’s quality assurance system.

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Left Bank Cafe.

Qualmark Exclusive mark was designed to “help international travelers easily identify New Zealand’s upmarket accommodation options.”

In the Central Otago region, only eight luxury lodges and villages has been awarded the Qualmark recognition.

Back in 2005 , the hotel launched as Queenstown’s original five-star hotel.

Then in late 2010, Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa was relaunched after $2 million upgrade and extension.

The stylish, five-star hotel’s upgrade transformed the grand ground floor, lobby, lounge and reception.

Sofitel also opened Left Bank Cafe for guests and patrons to have breakfast and lunch in “charming Parisian style” in the heart of Queenstown.

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Guest room.

In addition to its new Qualmark Exclusive status in accommodations, Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa has earned Enviro-Gold status in the category for Green operators.

Qualmark Green assesses and rates tourism operators on their environmental performance.

Enviro Awards (Bronze, Silver or Gold) are awarded based on five key action areas: waste management, water conservation and community and conservation initiatives.

For more info, visit the hotel site.

Images courtesy of Sofitel Queenst0wn Hotel and Spa.

Biggest Winter Party?

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Queenstown, New Zealand.

The American Express Queenstown Winter Festival will again launch the winter season in New Zealand’s lake and alpine resort town, June 24 – July 3, 2011.

The stunning cosmopolitan resort town of Queenstown is known for its snow-capped mountains and crystal clear lake.

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Called the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest winter party, this festival attracts thousands of locals and visitors to the streets and slopes for 10 days of live music, fireworks, balls, races, comedy, charity events and family fun.

Says Tony Everitt, festival spokesperson:

“Winter Festival has always been the town’s way of declaring Queenstown is open for winter and celebrating it with a really good party – and the more people who come the merrier!..The festival is fantastic for the town – it unites the community, entertains our visitors and starts the winter season with a bang.”

In the past few years, the Winter Festival has earned an national and international profile, ranking among the Top 10 ‘must-do’ festivals.

Organizers say the festival’s program of free and ticketed events is naturally Kiwi and Queenstown yet appeals to a global audience.

For more info, visit the Winter Festival site.

Images courtesy of the Queenstown Winter Festival.

Mountain Honeymooning

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Chalet suite at Blanket Bay, New Zealand.

Dream of a mountain honeymoon?  Blanket Bay, New Zealand is a summer and winter mountain honeymooning hotspot.

At the edge of Mount Aspiring National Park, Blanket Bay offers its own Ultimate Alpine Honeymoon.

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A couple have champagne on the private balcony.

Luxury alpine lodge Blanket Bay is a lakeside property on a high country farm.

A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the resort offers 12 guest rooms and large sitting rooms, king size beds, stone fireplaces and private balconies.

Blanket Bay’s luxury Lodge or Chalet Suite overlooks Lake Wakitapu and the high mountain peaks of the Humbold Range.

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Blanket Bay.

The Ultimate Alpine Honeymoon package includes:

  • Five nights’ luxury accommodation for two in a Chalet or Lodge Suite;
  • Bottle of Champagne and fresh flowers on arrival;
  • Breakfast each morning;
  • Pre-dinner cocktails each evening;
  • Private gourmet picnic for two on Wyuna High Country Station;
  • Five course dinner each evening and
  • Access to Lodge facilities.

Honeymooning couples can also arrange mountain adventures like trekking, skiing and heli-skiing, jetboating, kayaking, fishing, horse riding, Milford Sound trips and 4WD tours.

For more info, visit the Blanket Bay site.

Images courtesy of Blanket Bay.

Trekking New Zealand

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Ice Climbing, Franz Josef Glacier, South Island, New Zealand.

Trekking in New Zealand, this year?  Then check out adventure travel company Kiwi Experience.

Kiwi Experience is a New Zealand hop on, hop off adventure bus touring for backpackers and independent travelers.

The company features several travel passes – Full Monty (32 days); Kitchen Sink (22 days) and The Whole Kit and Caboodle (26 days)

During their journeys, adventure travelers can book accommodation and tailor to their needs from hostels or flashpacking hotels and lodges.

Here are New Zealand adventure ideas from Kiwi Experience:

  • Explore Northland. “Rich in history and Maori culture with pristine waters, huge kauri forests and 144 islands, (there is so much to) explore.”
  • Visit Middle Earth. “Explore the bubbling mud pools of one of New Zealand’s largest geothermal wonderlands with its spectacular geyser…and descend into the depths of the underground glow worm cave system at Waitomo.”
  • Venture to Westland National Park. “Cross the Cook Straight to the South Island through the Marlborough Sounds to Abel Tasman National Park and heli-hike on the Franz Joseph glacier.”
  • Discover Southland. “Head to the extreme South with the Catlins, offering a pristine wilderness of 180 million year-old fossilised forest and beaches.”

trans Trekking New Zealand

Here are more scenes from Kiwi Experience:

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Lake Mapourika, Franz Josef, Westland National Park, South Island, New Zealand.

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The Kiwi Experience Bus.

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Hiking in Tongariro.

Images courtesy of Kiwi Experience.


Luxury In Auckland, New Zealand

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Hotel DeBrett in Auckland, New Zealand.

Are you on a New Zealand mountain holiday and need a city break?

Then check out Auckland’s Hotel DeBrett which has joined the Design Hotels portfolio.

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Hotel DeBrett is just a short walk to restaurants, bars, art galleries, theaters and museums.

In the city’s fashion district, this 25-room hotel is designed and run by Michelle Deery and John Courtney.

Each guest room has an unique design featuring eclectic furniture and New Zealand art and photography.

Reinventing one of Auckland’s oldest hotels, Hotel DeBrett has kept features including open gas-burning fire, oak floorboards and exposed brick walls.

At The Kitchen restaurant, chef Mark Sycamore serves seasonal dishes using fresh local ingredients.

The drawing room offers hotel guests a retreat outfitted with board games, a record player and a selection of books and DVDs.

Guest can also access free gym access and all meeting spaces (courtyard, basement, loft suite and boardroom).

Rates at Hotel DeBrett include continental breakfast, free Internet access, free local calls and a pre-dinner drink every night.

Images courtesy of Hotel DeBrett

New Backpacker Lodge Opening

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Mount Cook Backpacker Lodge in the Southern Alps, New Zealand.

Mount Cook Backpacker Lodge will officially open on November 11, 2010.

The lodge is near the ‘must-see’ itinerary trail of the South Island,’ Aoraki Mount Cook National Park.

Every year, the local community welcomes thousands of backpackers and budget conscious travelers.

Official opening celebrations will feature live music from Sonic Mojo starting at 7.30 p.m.

The Lodge has undergone renovations to update and modernize the former Hermitage’s Glencoe Lodge.

The Chamois Bar and Grill has reopened with outdoor beer garden.

Lodge sleeping options are 20 four-bed dorm rooms; 23 double/twin rooms and 7 one-bedroom units.

Facilities also include a self-catering communal kitchen, the Global Gossip Internet café, a tour booking desk, guest laundry and grocery store.

For more info, visit the lodge site.

Image courtesy of Mount Cook Backpacker Lodge

New Zealand Biking Holidays

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Lake Dunstan. Photo credit: David Wall and Tourism New Zealand.

Fancy a mountain biking holiday in New Zealand?

Recently, the New Zealand Cycle Trail project has been approved.

The upcoming nationwide cycle network is expected to consist of 18 ‘Great Rides’ and 2000 km of cycleway.

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Rotorua. Photo credit: Legend Photography and Tourism New Zealand

Australasia travel company Austravel predicts an increase in Kiwi biking holidays.

Says Ben Briggs, spokesperson, Austravel:

“Keen cyclists already know that New Zealand is great for biking – there are few other countries that can offer such a diverse range of landscapes in one bike ride, from glaciers to fjords to beautiful beaches – but the trail will open cycling holidays up to one and all, even novices.”

The first sections of this cycle network project are expected to open by September 2011.

Right now, here are Austravel’s top bike rides:

  • The Central Otago Rail Trail – a 150 km track in the South Island that runs along the route of the former Otago Central Railway.
  • The Queen Charlotte Track – a 71 km route that takes in the historic sites, secluded bays and coastal countryside in the Marlborough Sounds.
  • The Kaimanawa Mountains – a helicopter flight takes riders to the summit of a trail that goes through countryside that overlooks the scenery of the Tongariro National Park.
  • Canterbury – here cyclists can undertake the Heli Bike Challenge, a 1300m vertical sprint down Mount Benmore on a narrow dirt track.

For more info, visit Austravel.com.

Air New Zealand Specials

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Are you traveling in New Zealand or Australia now?  New Zealand has announced reduced economy fares and new inflight product options for flights between New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands.

The new “Seats to Suit” options provide product choice of Seat, Seat + Bag, The Works and Works Deluxe.

Says John Whittaker, spokesperson, Air New Zealand:

“The four new ‘Seats to Suit’ options enable us to tailor each flight to our passengers’ needs. Customers can even choose one option for their outbound flight and another option for their return.”

For more info, visit the Air New Zealand site.

Image courtesy of Air New Zealand