New Zealand Travel Blog

Visits to our website suggest that many are still planning to visit New Zealand once the coronavirus COVID-19 has been defeated and the world returned to some semblance of normality. So, over the coming weeks, we're taking this opportunity to feature some of the exciting hidden gems, customer favorites that are often the highlight of a New Zealand vacation. We hope you find them inspirational. [...] read more...

In this blog we provide updates on the situation in New Zealand as regards the Coronavirus (COVID-19). [...] 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 are found. It also offers some of New Zealand's nicest walking trails, a feature of the city often overlooked by visitors. In this blog we focus on one of our favorites, called the Harbor Cone. Allow half a day to complete. [...] read more...

A highlight of any New Zealand visit is the opportunity to see the Māori people sharing their culture through their music and dance. This video is one such example of their music, recorded in 2012 when a New Zealand group competed in a music contest in the USA. It took place outside of the actual competition venue, an impromptu and powerful example of what bringing people together can do. [...] read more...

This is a hilarious New Zealand 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 as the event unfolded, but don't let this detract from your enjoyment of this great tale. [...] read more...

Orcs, trolls, and wargs, beware! Amazon Studios is bringing audiences back to Middle-earth with a new TV series set in The Second Age, thousands of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.​ 'Lord of The Rings' will be the world's most expensive TV series and filmed entirely in New Zealand. We have an update on progress and the excitement surrounding this massive project. [...] read more...

Large, plump and nocturnal, the Kakapo is the only parrot in the world that like so many other New Zealand birds, lives on the ground and cannot fly. There are only 211 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 Kakapo back from the verge of extinction. It's a fascinating story. [...] read more...

American Airlines has announced new flights that will fly non-stop from Los Angeles to Christchurch in New Zealand's South Island. They have also announced non-stop flights from Dallas Fort Worth to Auckland, making them the only airline flying these two routes. In another sign of their commitment to the route they will also be increasing the number of flights on Los Angeles to Auckland services. [...] 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...

One of New Zealand's favorite eco-tours will be re-opening this week after beach access to the Gannet bird nesting sites having been fully restored. Located close to the North Island town of Napier, this experience gets visitors close to the largest land-based Gannet colony in the world. Read more for amazing facts about the Gannet, like it's amazing ability to dive into the sea at over 60 MPH! [...] read more...

New Zealand's top breeding species for 2019 has been announced. A sub-species of the Kiwi, called the Rowi Kiwi and another flightless bird called the Takahē took the top spots. In the 1990's Rowi Kiwi were down to about 160 birds but they now number over 600. 70 Takahē, once thought to be extinct, were discovered in 1948 and a breeding program started then, has increased their numbers to 418. [...] read more...

This is a story about a New Zealand cat who 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 is its location on New Zealand's longest "No Exit" road. But as you will see in our video, strange things are happening in Ngamatapouri. [...] read more...

Guinness World Records has decreed that Dunedin's Baldwin Street no longer has the title of the steepest street in the world. It's now held by a street called Ffordd Pen Llech in Wales. But disappointed Dunedin locals are pointing out that editor in chief Craig Glenday has admitted "Baldwin St is visually much more appealing, dare I say it, than Fford Pen Llech. It looks better & more convincing". [...] read more...

Years after the movies were released, interest in Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit remains incredibly high. Max Bonem is a New York writer and editor who "writes about food, travel, and everything in between". He's enjoyed some interesting times in New Zealand and in this excellent article he explains the background to the creation of the multi-award winning Hobbiton Shire Village. [...] read more...

Because I write our blogs and because I'm a Kiwi, modesty has prevented me from posting this item earlier. Here's why. BigSeven Travel recently commissioned a survey to identify the "sexiest accent in the world". While surveys of this type shouldn't be taken too seriously, much to the surprise of BigSeven Travel (and probably more of a surprise to New Zealanders), the winner was - New Zealand. [...] 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...

This is about a legendary New Zealand sporting event called 'The Coast to Coast' held every February. The nicest thing about the Coast to Coast is that it's not just for athletic elites. Hundreds of amateurs also train hard for months to take on this ultimate challenge, usually as part of a team, and the scenes, two days later at the finish, are some of the most euphoric you will ever see. [...] read more...

This is a personal blog, because I lived in Christchurch from 1973 to 1990. It's where I had my home and helped raise my beautiful family. Then on February 21, 2011, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck the city, killing 185 people and injuring thousands. The city I knew and loved disappeared forever. But over time I have fallen in love with Christchurch again, and here are some of the reasons why. [...] read more...

Before they leave for New Zealand, we often ask our customers "What are you most looking forward to?" Most will say say "The scenery". When we ask them after their vacation "What did you enjoy the most?" most will reply "The scenery, and the people". Here's a video that includes Hollywood actress Bryce Dallas Howard and NBA star Steve Adams, talking about the scenery and, New Zealanders. [...] read more...

One of the nice surprises about driving around New Zealand, is the number of times you'll be driving from Point A to Point B when suddenly, almost out of nowhere, you enter a stretch of road that offers breathtaking scenery. Then there are roads that offer the same thing almost from beginning to end, and it's one of these that we are featuring in this blog, the drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy. [...] 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...

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...

In October our New Zealand Vacations staff member Jane and her husband Steve stayed at one of the new luxury PurePods located north of Christchurch. This is such a radical new concept we wanted to see for ourselves how it actually works so Jane volunteered to spend a night and to share her experience. She was thrilled with the experience and these are some of her observations. [...] read more...

For a week in July, residents in the capital city of Wellington, were thrilled to see that a huge whale had taken up temporary residence in their harbor. Today, a whale has once again sighted, but this time there's a difference; now the whale has a calf in tow! Everyone is now anxiously waiting for confirmation from the Department of Conversation that it's the same whale that visited last month. [...] read more...

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...

In our last blog we wrote about the 2017 visit of Tom Cruise to Duffers Saddle near Queenstown where he filmed parts of his new Mission Impossible movie. Today, and close to Duffers Saddle, AJ Hackett, the company that introduced commercial bungy jumping to the world, revealed a new adventure experience that must be the ultimate in dare-devil experiences. If you're into adrenaline rushes, read on. [...] read more...

Milford Sound is well known to visitors from North America, but the names of Doubtful Sound and further to the south, Dusky Sound, are not so well known. Dusky Sound is the most isolated, historic and pristine of them all and we rate the 7-day Dusky Sound expedition cruise as one of the finest New Zealand vacation experiences available. Access is limited so early bookings are needed. [...] 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...

If you are looking at a map of the world, take a closer look. You should see New Zealand there on the map, but surprisingly, we often get left off. So a fun campaign that includes prime Minister Jacinda Adern has been created to get us back where we belong. We think it's a bit of a storm in a teacup, but we enjoyed the video featuring Rhys Darby (Flight of The Conchords) and we hope you do too. [...] read more...

Here at New Zealand Vacations we promote and sell tours of New Zealand - mainly self drive, and we usually stay away from politics and controversy. But we've decided that this video clip from the NBC Megyan Kelly program 'Sunday Night' should be seen - it's not political or controversial. It reports about a new phenomena being experienced in New Zealand - people from the US moving there to live. [...] 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...

The New Zealand winter arrives in May and ends around October. So now it's the heart of winter. Some people don't understand my enthusiasm for New Zealand winter vacations, but some of the most beautiful sights I've experienced in New Zealand were in winter. Yes, it's cold. In the bottom half of the South Island it gets very cold, below freezing sometimes, but there are compensations aplenty! [...] read more...

By beating Swedish America's Cup entrant 'Artemis' 2 days ago in the final qualifying yacht race, New Zealand has again earned the right to challenge US holder 'Oracle' for 'The Auld Mug' the world's oldest sporting trophy. The final starts in Bermuda on Saturday and ends June 27. It's a first to seven series and will no doubt include intrigue, twists, politics and a great deal of mind games! [...] read more...

We encourage visitors to include Dunedin on their New Zealand self drive tour because of the extensive marine wildlife that lives on the nearby Otago Peninsula. Yellow-Eyed Penguins, seals, albatross, dolphins and sea lions are just some of the wildlife to be found here. But today, there are signs that all is not well in Dunedin and we'll share a newspaper report that explains the reason. [...] read more...

New Zealand is home to some of the best vineyards in the world. Wine producers in the Hawkes Bay, Central Otago and Marlborough regions are globally recognized for their excellence and originality, especially Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and Syrah. Equally, New Zealand is increasingly becoming well known for it's organic produce, cheese, fresh seafood and boutique craft beer. [...] read more...

We are often asked about access to the internet while on a New Zealand self drive tour. The latest government figures, released in March 2017, show that more than one third of New Zealand is now connected to the internet using Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB). UFB is capable of peak speeds of more than 1000 megabits per second, much faster than the speeds available to most consumers in North America. [...] read more...

This is a favorite 'off the beaten track' travel experience that we often recommend to our customers on a New Zealand self drive tour. It's called Erewhon Sheep Station, located in the South Island. Most of the farm work at Erewhon is undertaken by teams of magnificent working Clydesdale horses. It was also the majestic backdrop to the Peter Jackson 'Lord of The Rings' movie 'The Two Towers'. [...] read more...

This post, titled "Living & Working in New Zealand" is an update on a story we first ran in January. It's about the growing interest in New Zealand as a tech center and place to live. We have added a link to a 'NY Times' article, published today, as a follow-up to the original story about employers in the capital city of Wellington flying applicants to NZ for job interviews, all free of charge! [...] read more...

When suggesting accommodation possibilities for our self drive customers touring New Zealand, we like to surprise with the suggestion of a favorite hidden-gem. In this blog we feature an example of a charming B&B, located at Hokitika on the stunning South Island West Coast. It's called Awatuna Homestead and it's special holiday place because it brings together a unique combination of attractions. [...] read more...

One of the best full-day cruise experiences in New Zealand is the Abel Tasman National Park experience operated by Abel Tasman Sailing Adventures. In one day you'll experience the wildlife, golden sand beaches, lagoons and forests of this, the most popular and most beautiful National Park in the country. Your passionate and experienced crew bring the region to life to make the experience complete. [...] read more...

New Zealand weather produces some interesting and sometimes beautiful cloud formations and we've found some images of these to share with you. For example, people living in the North Island town of Palmerston North saw this strange cloud formation when they looked out of their windows today. For those who are interested, we also have scientific explanations that explains how they are formed. [...] read more...

Visitors to Auckland between March 18 and July 16 have a special treat in store. The world renowned UK Tate Gallery has provided the exhibits for the Auckland Art Gallery’s 'The Body Laid Bare: Masterpieces from Tate'. It include over 100 masterpieces by renowned artists, including Turner, Rodin, Picasso, Matisse, Bourgeois and many others. Many of these have never seen outside of Europe. [...] read more...

Last night, 417 pilot whales were stranded at the remote Farewell Spit (top of the South Island). Hundreds of volunteers are rushing there, trying to arrive in time for the 10:30 morning high tide when re-floating of the 140 survivors will be attempted. This is the second heart-breaking whale stranding in recent years at the Spit; in 2015, 200 whales were stranded in the same region. [...] read more...

This is a story by a young American backpacker and her experience of walking to the summit of Roy's Peak near Wanaka. It's by Hannah Cornish writing for 'The Tribune' in Greeley, Colorado in January 2017. Her enthusiasm and the joys she experienced on her travels make enjoyable reading. Now back home, she writes "I miss the un-corrupted innocence of a place with so much untouched beauty" [...] read more...

A group of Orca (Killer Whales) were spotted by a lucky boat-load of passengers on a cruise in Akaroa Harbor yesterday. A Black Cat Cruises photographer described the encounter as "the best Orca sighting we've ever had" with the inquisitive whales swimming around their boat for 20 minutes. Many of our self drive itineraries include a visit to Akaroa and a 'swim with the dolphins' cruise option. [...] read more...

The Interislander Ferry connects New Zealand's North & South Islands, carrying both passengers and vehicles. The journey across Cook Strait takes just over three and a half hours, most of it in the sheltered and beautiful waters of The Marlborough Sounds. We boarded at Wellington on a busy mid-summers morning and after grabbing a coffee in the ship's cafe, we settled down to enjoy the voyage. [...] read more...

Today we visited the place where the "Paths of The Dead" sequence in "The Lord of The Rings; The Return of The King" was filmed. The Putangirua Pinnacles are located right at the bottom of the North Island, a remote & quiet part of New Zealand that's not yet on the radar for international visitors. The scenery we enjoyed as well as The Pinnacles themselves, led us to agree that this will not last. [...] read more...

On December 31 the mega cruise ship "Ovation of The Seas" made a visit to Milford Sound in the Fiordland National Park, one of the three UNESCO protected World Heritage Sites in New Zealand. The local population turned out in force to take a look, all 103 of them. That's not a typo, around 103 people permanently live in the Fiordland National Park, a rain-forested region of 4,600 square miles! [...] 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...

The Karangahake Gorge is located 2 hours south of Auckland, just beyond the small town of Paeora. Another hour away to the south, is another favorite New Zealand vacation destination, the village of Hobbiton. We stopped for an hour and selected one of the several trails that are available and totally enjoyed the experience. A nice break on the drive from Auckland to Hobbiton and then onto Rotorua. [...] read more...

This was our second visit to 'The Tree Church' located at Ohaupo in the North Island's Waikato Region. It's located a little of the main road, hidden by trees and set among attractive rolling farmlands. We'd visited the "Tree Church" once before but this time we discovered something new! The grounds were now being patrolled by a most unlikely looking security guard - so we decided to investigate. [...] read more...

These are some highlights of a North Island visit we enjoyed in the first week of December 2016, starting with a visit to the charming city of New Plymouth. A special thrill was to discover the ultra-modern and spectacular glass faced Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and Len Lye Centre, located close to the heart of the city. Just one of many pleasant surprises we encountered on our New Plymouth visit. [...] read more...

This was an incredible day for us; everything we experienced was easily accessible and the mountain scenery was awe inspiring. Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park is one of New Zealand's finest National Parks. About 40% consists of glaciers and there are 19 peaks more than 9000 ft high, including New Zealand's tallest Mountain, Aoraki/Mount Cook. For us, without doubt the Hooker Trail was the highlight. [...] read more...

Susan (my American wife) and I are visiting New Zealand and today we're are off on a short vacation around New Zealand's beautiful South Island. Today we'll visit the Rakaia Gorge, Mt John Observatory, Lake Pukaki, some Hobbit sites and Aoraki/Mt Cook. We're looking forward to sharing the highlights of the next few days with you including photos that Susan will be taking as we travel. [...] read more...

New Zealand has literally hundreds of beautiful waterfalls, especially in the rain-forests of Fiordland National Park. This is a photo of Lake Browne the lake that overflows to create The Browne Falls in Doubtful Sound. The Browne Falls is unofficially the tallest waterfall in New Zealand, and one of the tallest in the world, but this description is controversial and we'll explain why. [...] read more...

My family lives in New Zealand's capital city of Wellington; that's why I noticed an interesting story in last week's Australian 'Huffington Post' that explored the transformation of Wellington into "the coolest little capital" - a story partly told through the eyes of local resident Lance Lones, a US scientist who had once worked at the Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences at UC San Diego. [...] read more...

It's not widely known, even by many New Zealanders, that two close relatives of the Australian kangaroo, the smaller sized Tammar Wallaby and the Brush-Tailed Rock Wallaby, are found in large numbers in both the North & South Islands. But sadly, like most of the animals that have been introduced to New Zealand over the past 200 years, they have multiplied and in doing so, have become a pest. [...] read more...

This is the second in our series about cycle trails in New Zealand. Today we are taking a look at one of the great trails, the 'Alps 2 Ocean' starting in the highlands of the Aoraki/Mt Cook region in the South Island and slowly descending to the Pacific, finishing at the town of Oamaru. [...] read more...

September the 1st and officially the first day of Spring in New Zealand. Christchurch celebrated by closing their airport for most of the morning because of fog, Auckland had their usual quota of traffic jams and the rest of the country enjoyed average temperatures in the high fifties. Our photo and image of the day is Lake Tekapo in the South Island [...] read more...

Few countries in the world offer as much variety or as many cycling and mountain-bike challenges as New Zealand. From short one-day forest trails to the multi-day Otago Rail Trail, there's something for everyone, no matter how fit or experienced. So we've decided to dedicate the next few weeks to sharing some of these opportunities, starting with the fantastic 'Mountain to Sea' adventure cycle. [...] read more...

This is the time of year when thousands of cute little lambs can be seen cavorting around New Zealand farms (see the video below). But first, an interesting statistic. Sheep numbers in New Zealand reached a peak in 1982 when there were 70 million sheep, 22 for every person in NZ. That's a lot of sheep! [...] read more...

The Otago Peninsula is one of our favorite New Zealand wildlife regions, accessed via the South Island city of Dunedin. Here's a story from local news outlet "NewsHub" about what happened yesterday when a couple of Southern Right Whales turned up at the local surf beach St Clair. [...] read more...

New Zealand has some great dive spots, with the Poor Knights Islands rated as the best in the country. The famous conservationist Jacques Cousteau said it was one of the top-10 dive sites in the world. The clear warm waters are protected as a marine reserve and with underwater visibility of up to 100 feet, the diver or snorkeler sees an incredibly rich tapestry of marine life. [...] read more...

New Zealand Vacations has taken a lead in introducing a fascinating region called 'The Catlins' to North American visitors. It's a remote place at the bottom of the South Island. Wildlife abounds along the coastline; sea lions, dolphins, seals, whales, albatross, gannets and millions of petrels are found here, as are breeding populations of yellow eyed and little blue penguins. And there's more! [...] read more...

Last week the home-owners of Baldwin Street in Dunedin once again hosted the annual Jaffa race, in which 75,000 individually numbered Jaffas are released at the top of their street. Then it gets interesting ...So what exactly is a Jaffa? As you will see in our photo, it's a small round chocolate candy, contained within a thin orange crunchy shell and very popular with New Zealanders. [...] read more...

Auckland has a deserved international reputation as a great place for eating out. The city brings together a wonderful fusion of European, Asian and Pacific Island influences to create a distinctive New Zealand style. And enhanced even more when combined with local New Zealand wines of which Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are the most well known. [...] read more...

Filming has started in New Zealand on Avatar2, the sequel to Avatar, the highest-grossing film in history. Director and NZ resident James Cameron took time out to make a video about his life Downunder, filmed against a backdrop of stunning New Zealand scenery. This was released yesterday and we thought you might like to take a look as he wanders the hills and valleys of New Zealand. [...] read more...

In 2015 one of the most beautiful coastal inlets in New Zealand, the Awaroa Inlet, became available for private purchase. Two ordinary New Zealanders, Duane Major and Adam Gard'ner said 'no way' - they decided that such a beautiful place should not be in private hands, so they hatched a plan! [...] read more...

If you're just starting to plan a New Zealand vacation, you might like to start with a long distance view! Look carefully and you will see the top of New Zealand's South Island and part of the North Island in this photograph. Taken in 2006 while the astronauts were doing maintenance on the International Space Station. [...] read more...

This is the most photographed region in New Zealand, and with good reason. The second highest annual rainfall in the world has helped create lush rainforests and dramatic waterfalls that tumble into the deep fiords. There are two opportunities to visit the heart of Fiordland, Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound and making the right choice is not always easy. [...] read more...

We keep our customers busy exploring Auckland on their New Zealand vacation. But we always advise them that if time allows, they should check out the programs being run by the Auckland Museum, and if there's something interesting going on, to try and make a visit. [...] read more...

Opening across the US this week is the New Zealand movie 'Hunt for the Wilderpeople'. Here's what Los Angeles Times reviewer Kenneth Turan had to say about it “Every once in a while, a small, unheralded film comes along, so smart and funny, such a pleasure to experience, you can’t believe your luck. Wilderpeople is such a film.” [...] read more...

Visitors from the US are discovering a beautiful forest called Whirinaki (fear-uh-knack-ee) accessible from Rotorua in the North Island. This is one of the world's last accessible prehistoric rainforests and revered by the Maori people of New Zealand as a place of great spiritual importance. [...] read more...

Today's news of an aircraft being sent to the South Pole to rescue a seriously ill staff member at the American run Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, is a reminder of the special connection New Zealand has with Antarctica and the incredible challenges it presents to humans and the real life heroes who often risk all to rescue those in trouble. [...] read more...

Our mystery New Zealand actor lives near Queenstown. He and his family own and run vineyards in this region and his wines are sold under the label 'Two Paddocks'. Of course we can't monitor our next rule, but anyone who goes to 'Google Search' is disqualified :) The photo was taken in 1977 and here's a clue - think dinosaurs running amok in a park. June 20, 2017 - we have added a video interview. [...] read more...

Massive sculptures by some of the world's most renowned sculptors are scattered among the 1,000 acre Gibbs Farm. It faces the beautiful Kaipara Harbor, the largest tidal estuary in the Southern Hemisphere, against a backdrop of hills and rolling green pastures. [...] read more...

Every now and then we see a New Zealand photo and we turn to each other and ask "Where's that?" The Von Valley is a good example. We came across this beautiful photograph quite by accident, and on further investigation it revealed an interesting story about an interesting character from New Zealand's past. [...] read more...

A June 11 story reports that 80% of Americans and 60% of Europeans can no longer see the Milky Way because of light pollution. This photo of the Milky Way taken in the Wairarapa Region suggests New Zealand doesn't share this particular problem. In fact scientist say "in winter, when New Zealanders look up, they see right into the heart of the Milky Way" [...] read more...

Sometimes a photo can say more than a thousand words. So the team at New Zealand Vacations have selected their favorite photos of the beautiful wine growing region called Central Otago. This is a region that features in many of our New Zealand Vacations itineraries and all of them are an easy and scenic drive from Queenstown. [...] read more...

We alway try to include a visit to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves in the itineraries we create for our customers and it comes as no surprise that Pinterest recently named The Caves in their Top 10 for the most pinned locations in 2016. A visit can be enjoyed on the same day as the Hobbiton movie site situated near the town of Matamata. A great combination after leaving Auckland. [...] read more...

Our intrepid travelers are back home in the US. Thank you from the team at New Zealand Vacations team for sharing your adventures and your beautiful photographs with us David & Rebekah - we'll leave the final comments to you. [...] read more...

After a night in Wanaka, Rebekah and David move on to Queenstown. They decide to travel via The Crown Range, considered one of the great drives in New Zealand although not for the faint-hearted. Let's read what they say ... [...] read more...

Tongariro National Park gets lots of attention from visitors and on our website because of the famous Tongariro Crossing. But it's much more than "The Crossing". It's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes the volcanic peaks of Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom) and Tongariro. NZ Vacations director Jerry Bridge took his wife and their children for a short stay, basing themselves at Ohakune. [...] read more...

We like this article and we hope you do too. Written in her blog 'Half this World Away' by Megan Conway, May 4, 2016 and published in NZEdge.com [...] read more...

This was the headline in one of the New Zealand newspapers this morning - "Group of 38 reach safety after being trapped by snow in Central Otago" - this was the area that Rebekah and David were heading to, so of course I was feeling concerned. I needn't have bothered, because as you will read here, once again nothing stood in their way and they had a great day. [...] read more...

In February, one of our New Zealand Vacations team, Jerry Bridge, along with his wife Katie and their two young children decided to explore the narrow sliver of land that is found at the very top of the South Island - Farewell Spit, located in Golden Bay. Here's what they reported about what was obviously a great vacation experience. [...] read more...

Despite the winter weather from May to October there are many advantages in traveling in New Zealand at this time of the year. That's why the team at New Zealand Vacations are enjoying following our adventurers around. The wet weather is obviously not going to stop them having a great time on their self-drive tour. Read what they have to say. [...] read more...

Abel Tasman National Park is the smallest National Park in New Zealand, but because of it's unique beauty, it is also the most popular. Read what Rebekah & David had to say about their stay. [...] read more...

Our adventurers have now reached the nations capital of Wellington. This is a city noted for it's cafe culture, fine restaurants, the home of movie Director Peter Jackson and his Weta Workshop and the site of the modern and architecturally stunning 'Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa' [...] read more...

Today they leave the main road for a taste of "the road less travelled" the drive from Pipiriki to Wanganui ... read more [...] read more...

We indulge ourselves with a small self-congratulatory party on the day New Zealand Vacations is launched. We also invited some friends along, the Yellow Eyed Penguins from the Otago Peninsula. They look a bit lost but the last we heard, they were making good progress. [...] read more...

This week I have to drive from Auckland to Wellington to visit my daughters and their families. On the way I'll make a few stops and today it will be the coastal surf-town of Raglan. After that I'll visit The Tree Church at Ohaupo and finally Taumarunui, my last stop before entering the Tongariro National Park. [...] read more...