Lake Pukaki, South Island, New Zealand
I have been lucky enough to recently return from a three week holiday in New Zealand. Having first visited as a backpacker in 2003 I was overwhelmed by the unspoilt beauty and varied landscapes of this amazing country and vowed to return.
Once again I was not disappointed, this time hiring a Maui motorhome, intent on trying some more of the adventure sports before tipping over into the wrong side of my thirties.
Air New Zealand reveals its new all black aircraft
To celebrate their love of rugby and long-time sponsorship of the ‘All Blacks’ rugby team, Air New Zealand have produced the world’s largest commercial aircraft to be painted completely black.
The Boeing 777-300ER, which also incorporates the ‘All Blacks’ silver fern insignia, was revealed on the 16th December and was led out of its hanger by New Zealand World Champion rugby players, Kieran Read and Andy Ellis.
The paintwork took just over a week to complete (two days longer than it normally takes to paint a 777), with 14 painters working in shifts 24 hours a day, and 700 litres of chrome free paint were used.
View a time lapse video of the aircraft being painted on YouTube.
Remember to watch the skies in 2012, when this incredible looking plane will be flying into Heathrow, London.
To book a tailor-made trip to New Zealand, call one of our New Zealand specialists on 01993 838 820 or contact us online.
The starting point for the new trekking route in New Zealand, Cape Reinga
If you’re looking for inspiration to pull on your hiking boots and head out into the wide open spaces, this may be of interest to you. This month, New Zealand will be opening a new trail, Te Araroa – meaning ‘long pathway’ in the Maori language, which will run the full length of the country.
With the help of hundreds of volunteers, linking up existing routes and building new ones the new trail has taken over a decade to complete, and winds its way through New Zealand’s incredibly diverse landscape of mountains, volcanoes, lakes, valleys, and cities.
Running 3,000km from Cape Reinga in the north, to Bluff in the south, it will be one of the longest walking trails in the world. There are 300 stages along the route to choose from, varying in length from several days to a few hours. The full trek is estimated to take around four months to complete.
Visit the Te Araroa website to find out more about this new walking route in New Zealand.
To book a tailor-made trip to New Zealand, call one of our New Zealand specialists on 01993 838 820 or contact us online.
The ubiquitous smartphone: fast becoming the ideal companion when abroad
Today, there are literally thousands of travel apps (or applications) on the market for smartphones. I’ve picked my top 10, some of which are free to download.
Have a look and see if you agree?
Audley Food Festival 2011
Friday 23rd September 2011 was the date of the first ever Audley Food Festival and, as with anything food related at Audley, the event was tipped to be a merry affair!
Uluru or Ayers Rock in Australia has been shotlisted for the new 7 wonders of the natural world
A global campaign organised by a Swiss philanthropist has begun to decide the seven wonders of the natural world, out of 28 that have been shortlisted.
Christchurch, New Zealand
An architect from Japan, famous for his cardboard architectural creations, has been drafted in by the city of Christchurch in New Zealand to reproduce one of their most iconic buildings, badly damaged by two earthquakes in 2011.
While plans are made for the restoration of Christchurch’s cathedral, Shigeru Ban will create a temporary cardboard version of the structure which will be finished in time for the 1 year anniversary of February’s devastating earthquake. It is hoped this structure will stand as a replacement until the original building can be fully restored.
Using 86, locally produced tubes which are treated to ensure they are weatherproof and fireproof, the building will even incorporate a large stained glass window designed by a local artist!
To find out more about visiting Christchurch on a tailor-made trip to New Zealand, please visit the New Zealand section of our website.
Over the last couple of months I have been blogging about the fate of an Emperor Penguin found stranded on North Island in New Zealand. A penguin hadn’t been seen on the shores of New Zealand for 44 years until ’Happy Feet’ landed on Peka Peka beach, almost 3,000km from his home in Antarctica.
Conservationists became concerned for his welfare when the bird became lethargic, but after an operation to remove sand and sticks from his stomach the penguin recovered well on a diet of ‘fish milkshakes’. Wellington Zoo have now confirmed that plans are in place to ship Happy Feet back to subantarctic waters later this month on a scientific research vessel.
The ship, which will carry out research into Southern Ocean fisheries, will release the bird four days into the voyage near Campbell Island which is within the normal feeding range of Emperor penguins. He will be fitted with a satellite tracking device before he is released to enable the public and scientists to track his progress on the zoo’s website.
Having captured the hearts of New Zealanders and people across the world, everyone is hoping Happy Feet will swim home to his colony in Antarctica and there will be a happy ending to this story.
To plan a trip to Antarctica visit the Antarctica section of our website or phone our specialists on 01993 838615
Heavy snowfall blanketed New Zealand‘s North Island this week in what is being described as the heaviest snow fall there for 30 years. Blizzards that swept across the South Island made their way north covering Wellington and Auckland, and caused airports and schools to close as well as blackouts.
Despite the disruption many Kiwi’s enjoyed the unusual weather conditions, building snowmen and sledging in the fields.
June, July and August are considered New Zealand’s snow and ski season, although snow of this magnitude is unusual. With a similar climate to us in England, New Zealand experiences four, generally mild and temperate seasons, with summer being the peak time to travel to the country.
'Happy Feet' the Emperor Penguin
Just over a month ago I blogged about an emperor penguin that had lost his way home to Antarctica and was discovered on a beach in New Zealand’s North Island. Well there have now been developments to this story…
Nicknamed ‘Happy Feet’, the penguin is now recuperating at Wellington Zoo after eating too much sand, probably mistaking it for snow. A spokeswoman for the zoo said the penguin had gained about 4kg (9Ib) and has passed an x-ray and blood test. It is likely that he will be released from the south of the country in the next few weeks.
Watch the video of Happy Feet’s recovery or read about penguins in Antarctica in our travel guide.
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