New Zealand Travel Blog

Many of you will have read about the damage caused in New Zealand by by last weeks Cyclone Gabrielle. In this blog we provide an update and overview of the current situation. Long term damage has largely been confined to the east coast of the North Island and the Northland region, north of Auckland. [...] read more...

Our Blog features several stories (see below) about airlines operating flights between the USA and New Zealand for the first time. Now, another US airline has joined the fray. From October 28, Delta Airlines will launch its first ever direct flight to New Zealand. For travelers, this is great news, because it will have the effect of driving airfares downwards, especially in the short term. [...] read more...

Wellington is celebrating a glorious summer day, the day after Christmas (known in New Zealand as 'Boxing Day'). Those who headed down to the harbor this morning were able to enjoy watching a pod of Orca swimming close to the shore. [...] read more...

"Avatar: The Way of Water" opens this week in the USA. Variety Magazine USA reports that "Journalists who have seen the movie are blown away once again by Cameron’s boundless imagination and pristine visual effects". In this Blog, we focus on the work of New Zealand company Wētā FX, who did all of the special effects for the movie, as they had done for the Lord of The Rings trilogy. [...] read more...

The Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, the Hon. Mark Brown announced today that Hawaiian Airlines will begin flying to the Cook Islands in the South Pacific from Honolulu, starting 20 May, 2023. Hawaiian offers approximately 130 daily flights between Hawaiʻi and 15 U.S. gateway cities, so this new Cook Islands service opens the Cook Islands to mainland USA. [...] read more...

The 12-mile Tongariro Alpine Crossing is one of the most popular day hikes in New Zealand and it attracts hundreds of thousands of travelers each year. But it doesn’t come without risks. In this blog we discuss an official new safety video that has been launched in time for summer 2022/23, highlighting the beauty, as well as the dangers, of the Tongariro Crossing. [...] read more...

The children in this photo represent the 32 teams that will play in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™. The tournament will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the first time that the FIFA Women's World Cup will have two host nations, and is scheduled to take place from July 20 to August 20. From Day 1, all eyes will be on the four times winners and current champions, the United States. [...] read more...

Air New Zealand have re-started their Chicago to Auckland non-stop service, operating 3 times a week, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. With the recent introduction of their 3 days a week New York to Auckland flights, there are now more opportunities than ever for visitors from the US to visit and enjoy New Zealand. Other Air New Zealand US departures points are Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. [...] read more...

American Airlines offers daily flights between Los Angeles and Auckland. On October 31 they added a daily non-stop Dallas to Auckland flight. This could be the start of an increasingly competitive situation between the USA and New Zealand, with QANTAS Australia recently announcing non-stop flights between New York and Auckland, starting June 2023. More airlines usually means better airfares! [...] read more...

We're wondering if one of our New Zealand Vacations US readers might be interested in this job vacancy down in New Zealand. The story comes from Andrea Vance, reporter for New Zealand's best news outlet Stuff. The employers for this job with a difference, are the Department of Conservation, DOC, the government agency charged with conserving New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage. [...] read more...

Since 1923 'Forest & Bird' has been New Zealand’s leading independent conservation organization. Over the years, members and supporters have been protecting wildlife and wild places, on land and in the sea, united by a love of New Zealand’s nature. In 2005 they introduced the popular and much sought after 'Bird of The Year' competition to highlight the issues facing many of New Zealand's birds. [...] read more...

Kaikōura in the South Island of New Zealand is world famous for whale watching, with the distinction of being able to see whales up close all year round. But this blog is not about whales. It's about another Kaikōura attraction; the 2-day Kaikōura Coastal Walk, rated by many as the best coastal walk in the country. It offers stunning scenery, a mix of sea, mountains, forest, wildlife and farmland. [...] read more...

Effective September 12, visitors from the USA no longer need to be vaccinated against Covid-19 before arriving in New Zealand. This is a huge boost for New Zealand tourism and we are already experiencing an increase in enquiries from potential new visitors. In fact, there are already concerns about rental car companies having sufficient vehicles to meet demand in the months January to March. [...] read more...

Imagine popping out to the gym one morning and returning to find a wild young seal has made itself at home in your absence. It happened. Once hunted close to extinction, the species is once again flourishing and causing some problems. A seal recently stopping a kids' soccer match when it ambled onto the field. Another closed a community swimming pool for weeks when it took up residence. [...] read more...

From around September through to February the beautiful wild lupin flowers of the McKenzie Basin in New Zealand's South Island, are at their peak. In this blog we discuss the future of these magnificent displays, a future that is less than certain. [...] read more...

A highlight of any New Zealand visit is the opportunity to experience the culture of the indigenous Māori people. The video highlighted in this blog, is an example of their music, recorded in 2012 when a New Zealand singing group competed in a music contest in the USA. It took place outside of the actual competition venue, an impromptu and powerful example of how music can bring people together. [...] read more...

Jane & Steve from our New Zealand team visited the Mahia Peninsula, and they were in for a surprise! In this incredibly remote peninsula, with it's beautiful beaches and peaceful holiday towns, they came across some 21st century space technology that reminded them of Cape Canaveral or Vandenberg AFB. [...] read more...

We encourage our customers to include some off the beaten track experiences on their New Zealand vacation. This is one example - 'The Forgotten World Highway' between the towns of Taumarunui and Stratford in the North Island. We feature a town called Whangamōmona that you'll encounter along the way. It's a great place to take a lunch break and to experience the Whangamōmona story. [...] read more...

A year ago I returned to the USA after a 3-month stay in New Zealand. I look forward to sharing with you some of the hidden gems I discovered during my visit. In this blog, I feature the remote and beautiful Ohiwa Harbour, situated on the east coast of the North Island. We also visit the nearby Whirinaki Loop Walk, one of New Zealand's best one day walks. [...] read more...

Manuka Honey is made by bees that pollinate the flowers of the New Zealand manuka tree. It contains active compounds that give it natural antibacterial properties and this is what sets it apart from other honeys. Manuka honey is sold throughout the world, and in this blog we discuss what's special about manuka honey and the health claims made about this product. Also note our STOP PRESS below. [...] read more...

In this series of blogs, we look beyond the iconic New Zealand destinations, to lesser known places that many visitors might never have heard of, but have often turned out to be one of the surprises and a highlight of their vacation. This example, The Alpine Pacific Touring Route, starts at Christchurch, the biggest city in the South Island, and moves north to the Whale Watching town of Kaikōura [...] read more...

The Christchurch port of Lyttelton is a favorite hang-out for the people of Christchurch, with a tunnel under the Port Hills providing an easy 20-minute connection between the two. On Saturday's it's Farmers Market Day when the town bristles with activity as city dwellers and locals enjoy a coffee, browsing through one of the many quirky gift shops in the town or enjoying a relaxing lunch. [...] read more...

Since New Zealand re-opened their borders to US visitors, starting May 2022, interest in the desination has returned to pre-Covid numbers. In this series of blogs, we look beyond the iconic favorite destinations, to lesser known places that are often the highlight of a New Zealand vacation. Today, East Cape, North Island. [...] read more...

Since New Zealand re-opened their borders to US visitors, starting May 2022, interest in the desination has returned to pre-Covid numbers. In this series of blogs, we look beyond the iconic favorite destinations, to lesser known places that are often the highlight of a New Zealand vacation. Today, The Kahurangi National Park. [...] read more...

Since New Zealand re-opened their borders to US visitors, starting May 2022, interest in the destination has returned to pre-Covid numbers. In this series of blogs, we look beyond the iconic favorite destinations, to lesser known places that are often the highlight of a New Zealand vacation. Today, The Orongorongo Trail. [...] read more...

Since New Zealand re-opened their borders to US visitors, starting May 2022, interest in the destination has returned to pre-Covid numbers. In this series of blogs, we look beyond the iconic favorite destinations, to lesser known places that are often the highlight of a New Zealand vacation.Today, Bethell's Beach. [...] read more...

Since New Zealand re-opened their borders to US visitors, starting May 2022, interest in the destination has returned to pre-Covid numbers. In this series of blogs, we look beyond the iconic favorite destinations, to lesser known places that are often the highlight of a New Zealand vacation. Today, Dusky Sound. [...] read more...

Since New Zealand re-opened their borders to US visitors, starting May 2022, interest in the destination has returned to pre-Covid numbers. In this series of blogs, we look beyond the iconic favorite destinations, to lesser known places that are often the highlight of a New Zealand vacation.Today, The Pouakai Crossing. [...] read more...

This week I have to drive from Auckland to Wellington. I'll start with a stop at the coastal town of Raglan, a place that holds many personal memories for me. After that I'll visit the 'Tree Church' at Ohaupo and finally the town of Taumarunui, my last stop before entering the Tongariro National Park. I'd recommend this routing for the scenery and many places of interest along the way. [...] read more...

Another humorous story from our archives. We first published this story in 2017. In these stressful times of the coronavirus, some humor might help us to get through our day, so we've decided to update the story and to run it again. We suspect that the is an example of Dunedin humor at work, possibly at the expense of people living in a local upscale suburb of their city. But you can decide. [...] read more...

This is the second story from our archives to hopefully bring a smile to the faces of our readers in this time of the coronavirus. It's about a New Zealand cat that goes by the name of Steve. He lives on a farm near the remote town of Ngamatapouri (nah-mat-a-poori) in New Zealand's North Island. Ngamatapouri's main claim to fame is that it's longest "No Exit" road in New Zealand... [...] read more...

Our third humorous blog from the archives is a hilarious story, one that's become the stuff of New Zealand legend, based on a true event. It starts with the 1993 sighting in the South Island, of a huge Moa bird, thought extinct for over 500 years. In this blog we've had to rely on some second-hand accounts of what took place, but don't let this detract from your enjoyment of this great tale. [...] read more...

The 50 mile drive from Christchurch to the old French settlement at Akaroa on Banks Peninsula presents some excellent sightseeing and photo opportunities. On our last visit, it was a beautiful summers day that encouraged us to spend a day exploring the region. We'd delved into the history of Akaroa and as you'll see in our story, there were some amusing aspects to what happened here in the 1800's! [...] read more...

In 2017, the United States became New Zealand's biggest export wine market in sales and volume. This breakthrough was led by the wines created in the Marlborough region, especially savignon blanc. But there's a lot more to New Zealand wines than Marlborough, as visitors from the US are discovering, especially the world class pinot noir being produced in Central Otago in the South Island. [...] read more...

This BBC documentary has to be seen for two reasons. Firstly, for the fascinating story of the Whanganui River and how it was given the same legal identity as a person. Secondly, to see some of the magnificent video camera work that brings this beautiful North Island river alive. We've added some ideas of our own about how you can include a hands-on experience of the river for yourself! [...] read more...

The South Island university city of Dunedin lies adjacent to the stunning Otago Peninsula where yellow eyed penguin, albatross, seals, sea-lion and other wildlife make their homes. It also offers some of New Zealand's best walking trails, a feature of the city often overlooked by visitors. In this blog we focus on one of our favorites, called the Harbour Cone Trail. [...] read more...

Large, plump and nocturnal, the kākāpō is the only parrot in the world that like so many other New Zealand birds, lives on the ground and can't fly. There are only 211 kākāpō in existence, confined to four small islands off the New Zealand coast. This CNN story explores the incredible efforts being made to bring the much loved kākāpō back from the verge of extinction. It's a fascinating story. [...] read more...

It's not widely known, even by many New Zealanders, that over the past 140-years, many species of wallaby have been introduced into New Zealand, all from Australia. Some for zoos and others for private collections. Unfortunately, many have escaped and they have bred in the wild, in such large numbers, they are now regarded as a pest, especially to those in the farming community. [...] read more...

New Zealand consistently rates in the Top 10 of the world's safest countries to visit. In this blog we examine how the female solo traveler can best enjoy New Zealand in a way that will have them feeling both secure and able to make the most of their visit. There are more single people in the U.S. than ever before and a growing number are opting to travel on their own. [...] read more...

We like this article by travel agent Peter Cobb. It explains why travel agents and particularly online destination specialists are enjoying such a resurgence in popularity with travelers. We've added some thoughts of our own at the end and we'd like to hear about your experiences when using a travel adviser or bricks & mortar travel agency to plan your travel, compared to trying to go it alone. [...] read more...

Moutukiekie Beach is one of those places that visitors drive by, without realizing it's one of the most scenic spots on West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. But like many good things, a visit comes with a warning. Once you've taken these on-board [...] read more...

One of our favorite stopover recommendations is the Hokitika Gorge on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island. ​The main attraction here is the stunning blue glacial waters, created by rocks high in the mountains being ground into a fine powder by the movement of glaciers. The suspension of the resulting white powder in the blue water creates an intense and beautiful turquoise coloring. [...] read more...

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It's no secret that New Zealand has become a popular destination for vacation visitors. This means that one of the most loved aspects of a New Zealand vacation, the isolation and tranquility of some tourist attractions can no longer be guaranteed. The good news is that the true New Zealand specialist can still guide you to amazing places that the social media "followers" have not yet discovered. [...] read more...

Every now and then, the launch of a new vacation product in New Zealand grabs our attention. This is one of them. It's a new luxury accommodation concept that would be a wonderful part of any New Zealand vacation package. If you want to return home with a special story to tell, read here about 'PurePod' and their unique selling point - realtors call it 'location, location, location' [...] read more...

This guide will teach you everything you need to know about travelling in New Zealand. New Zealand is a place of incredible scenic diversity and without doubt, touring by vehicle is the best way to enjoy everything on offer. [...] read more...

The Miranda Shorebird Centre is located alongside the waters of the Firth of Thames, just over an hour south of Auckland. On our visit we were captivated by the story of one bird in particular, the story of the Bar-tailed Godwit. Thousands of these beautiful birds arrive in New Zealand at the same time each year and the journey they undertake to get to New Zealand is nothing short of incredible. [...] read more...