Hyatt Regency Hotel Auckland - good central city option

On a recent visit to Auckland I had the pleasure of spending a night at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in one of their King view rooms.  This is a room in the original Hyatt building not the newly built 'residence' wing.

Hyatt - King bed

The room was a comfortable size with all the basic amenities you would expect from a hotel of this calibre, flat screen TV, luggage rack, iron/ironing board, small desk and one comfortable chair.  Bathroom was shower over bath which is common in most New Zealand hotels, even 4 and 5 star unfortunately.  Bathrobes were provided.

Hyatt Bathroom 

Like all New Zealand hotels you pay a fortune for Internet access.  This is something that will not change in a hurry even though many motels are now offering free Internet. Our short stints to check mail and bank balances etc, so no extensive surfing, still set us back NZ$28.00.
The views from the room were nice.  They were book ended by two apartment complexes to each side but still enabled us to see a reasonable amount of the harbour and we spend time watching the ferry's and other vessels come and go.

City and Harbour views

Hyatt Residence wing to left, city and harbour views

Other hotel amenities include indoor heated pool, health club, day spa and business centre.

They Hyatt has a Qualmark 5 star hotel rating.  I personally would go for 4 star as I felt that hotel was lacking in some areas that you would expect from a 5 star hotel (e.g. only one informal restaurant, busy and open lobby bar - so no formal restaurant, no private lounge or small residents bar).

We had a pleasant stay and could find no real fault, the prices are competitive for this level and the location makes the hotel close to some of Auckland's boutique shopping streets such as Vulcan lane or High Street.  I would have no problem staying here again.

Matakana - an alternative to Auckland

On a recent visit to Auckland I spent a day exploring Matakana. This is a small village just over an hour north as you head to the Bay of Island's.  The small village centre has an excellent weekend market on Saturday's and a range of neat boutique stores.  The area is well known for crafts, a few wineries and a peaceful rural environment.  It is not too far from the coast so beach walks and swimming are further options.
There is no large scale accommodation here, most places are small boutique B&B style properties.
Certainly Matakana is a destination worth considering if you want to be near but not in Auckland or as a stop over for the often like drive between the Bay of Island's and Rotorua.

Ruggedy Range Guided Tours Stewart Island

Ulva Island 

On my recent flying visit to Stewart Island I had the pleasure of taking a guided half day walk on Ulva Island with Furhana from Ruggedy Range. 
Ruggedy Range have a number of excellent way's for you to enjoy Stewart Island and a guided walk on Ulva Island is one of these.
The island is an open sanctuary so anyone can take a water taxi and visit but to do this on your own would be a huge mistake.  The interpretation and information received from a guide is invaluable.  I'm not sure just how many bird species there are on the island but it is lots and many of them are rare and hard to find.  A guide is able to work out the bird locations and bird calls thus insuring bird lovers get to see as many birds as possible.
The bush cover on the island is extensive but not dense and the trails are very well maintained.
You can spend all day on the island if you are a keen bird watcher so a morning guided walk sets you up for an afternoon of bird watching on your own.
New Zealand's endangered National Icon, the Kiwi, can be found on Ulva Island and unlike their mainland cousins are often seen during the day.
If you go to Stewart Island you cannot miss the chance to visit Ulva Island - just be sure to use a local guide.

Saddleback

Stewart Island Robin 

Stewart Island - Unspoilt Paradise

In what can only be described as a whirlwind tour I spent 24 hours on Stewart Island this week.  Easily accessible from Invercargill by light plane (20 minutes) or Bluff by Ferry (1 hour) Stewart Island is a nature lovers paradise.
With a population of just 400, 28km's of roads and 93 percent of the island designated National Park you can imagine how pristine the environment is.  Extensive native bush forests, huge numbers of native birds, crystal clear waters, beautiful beaches and an extensive track system are what bring visitors to the Island.

The island can be visited at any time of the year however summer is generally the best time, slightly warmer weather and all of the islands services are operating (many close for the winter months).

I stayed at the Kaka Retreat, a small complex of modern self contained units.  All the essentials are here, comfortable bed, good heating, spacious bathroom with shower (no bath for water conservation) and basic cooking facilities.  Kaka Retreat is just 5 minutes downhill walk into town and they will meet you off the ferry or plane.

Stewart Island essentials:

- Book well in advance.
The small town is often fully booked over the high season so you need to get in early for the best accommodation.

- Spend 2 or 3 nights.
It is possible to get away with 1 night but 2 or 3 provides you with greater opportunities for activities such as Kiwi Spotting that go on random nights.  It also ensures if weather is bad one day you are likely to see an improvement on the next.

- Do visit Ulva Island.
This is the real jewel in the crown for the region.  An open sanctuary teeming with bird life.  There are some good guiding options so that you get a full understanding of the history, flora and fauna.

- Do go Kiwi Spotting.
There are a couple of options for this.  One is a trip from town, every second or third night.  It is a long trip, often not finishing until 1am in the summer.  The other is an overnight trip to Mason Bay, so this is an excellent opportunity to spot Kiwi and explore more of the island.

Stewart Island will not appeal to everyone.  It is remote and the facilities on offer are pretty basic but if you want to get off the main tourist trail, want to enjoy the solitude of a remote island and want to get really close to nature then you can't miss the opportunity to visit here.

I certainly enjoyed my short time and would be happy to return again, maybe in the summer though.

Catlins

Having now spent all of 24 hours in the south east region of the South Island, AKA The Catlin's I can understand the interest.
This is a very remote and unique part of the country.  Intensive farming seems to merge seamlessly with stands of native bush, Penguin nests and other native wildlife.
You need to get off the already remote road to really find the areas little gems but places such as Nugget Point, Purakaunui Falls, Slope Point and Curio Bay make it worthwhile.   My quick rundown on the highlights (that I saw):

Nugget Point - a brisk 900m walk takes you from the car park to a lighthouse (built 1869) with stunning views of the surrounding ocean.  Great wildlife viewing including seals and penguins. Nearby there is another short walk taking you to a viewing area for more Penguins.

Purakaunui Falls - just a short 10 minutes walk from the road on a well formed pathway brings you to the beautiful falls which cascade 20 metres over three distinct tiers.  Photo's of these falls turn up in most publicity for this area, for good reason.

Slope Point - A bit of a walk over private farm land (15-20 minutes) brings you to the southernmost point of the South Island.  For those of you who have been to lands end in the UK, well this is the exact opposite in just about every way imaginable.  Remote, rugged, windswept and awesome, worth the walk!

Curio Bay Fossilised Forest.  Can only be viewed at low tide so a bit of luck has to be on your side but a fairly large area (some 20kms long) of fossilised forest is to be found here.

Accommodation can be found throughout the whole Catlin's region. Most is of the farmstay, B&B or small motel style.

When planing your New Zealand vacation if you don't like crowds and enjoy visiting the more remote and less explored parts of a country then you can't go wrong visiting the Catlin's.

Southland visit - July 21 - 24 2010

Over the next few day's I will be visiting the Catlins, Invercargill and Stewart Island.  One of my many trips to parts of New Zealand to keep my knowledge refreshed and up to date.
Depending on Internet access in this unique and remote part of New Zealand I'll post daily blogs.......

Whale Watch Kaikoura wins award

Whale Watch Kaikoura has won the 2010 International Community Benefit Award at the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards!


A typical Whale Watch tour may encounter New Zealand Fur Seals, pods of Dusky Dolphins and the endangered Wandering Albatross. Depending on the season your clients may also see migrating Humpback Whales, Pilot Whales, Blue Whales and Southern Right Whales.

Giant Sperm Whales are the stars of the show and year-round residents.

Kaikoura often hosts the world's largest dolphin, the Orca, and is home to the world's smallest and rarest, the Hector's. Kaikoura also attracts the largest concentration and variety of seabird species on mainland New Zealand including Albatross, Petrels and Shearwater.

Our new website

Kiwibreaks has now launched their new website, worth a look - http://www.kiwibreaks.co.nz/

If you are planning a holiday to New Zealand you will get excellent advice and service from Kiwibreaks.

Queenstown Helicopter company wins top award

Queenstown’s Over The Top Helicopters has been voted by US visitors as one of the top 10 experiences in New Zealand.


Each year prestigious US wholesaler, New Zealand Travel Inc, tabulates surveys that are completed by their customers and presents the top awards as voted by those travellers.

Queenstown was well represented in the 2009 Top Traveller Awards with Over The Top joining Judy MacKenzie from EP Tours and Real Journeys in the Top Ten Experiences. Blanket Bay was recognised as one of the top New Zealand luxury lodges, Pencarrow Lodge as winner for boutique accommodation and The Spire hotel getting an honorable mention.

Over The Top CEO Louisa (Choppy) Patterson was delighted to receive the award.

"We are thrilled with the accolade. It reinforces the importance of understanding visitors’ requirements whilst in New Zealand and ensuring we exceed their expectations."

This latest award reflects Over The Top’s distinctive high standards and reinforces the company’s commitment to excellence.

Over the Top Helicopters offers an extensive range of spectacular scenic flights in the Queenstown & Fiordland National Park region.  Flights are anything from a short 20 minute town scenic flight to glacier landings and visits to remote west coast beaches.

New Zealand travel tips

When planning your holiday to New Zealand consider the following:

How much time is needed to see New Zealand?  
For a short city break 2 - 3 day's is sufficient.  For a reasonably quick look around the country 10-14 day's will be just enough to whiz around the highlights. Ideally around 3 - 4 weeks would enable you to see much of the country and spend some time in each area.

The most common client feedback we see is 'I wish I had more time'.  It is an unfortunate situation but 99% of visitors totally underestimate how much time is needed to tour New Zealand.

What are the roads like?
Our roads are well maintained but the mountainous terrain that is prevalent throughout New Zealand means that the roads are narrow, winding and hilly.   For the most part roads are single lane with occasional passing lanes so it is common to be stuck in a line of slow moving traffic.  Many of the country roads are unsealed.

How long does it take to travel around?
The open road speed limit is 100kmh/60mph but on most day's your average travel speed is likely to be closer to 80kmh/50mph.  So a journey of say 250km's, 155 miles will take just over 3 hours non-stop.  On top of this you need bathroom and meal breaks, photo stops and sightseeing visits.  As a result a day's journey of just 250km's normally ends up taking about 8 hours to complete.  

Don't try and do it all in one go.
You need to consider carefully what  your top priorities are and don't think you have to do absolutely everything in one trip.  All you will end up doing is rushing around, spending most of your day's on the road, returning home to say 'I wish I had more time'.

Don't sweat it if you have to miss things.
My one piece of advice often given is that at the end of the day no itinerary you come up with is wrong, New Zealand is such a lovely country you can't really make any mistakes.  So don't sweat it when trying to cram everything in.  Anything you do and anywhere you go in New Zealand will be a rewarding experience.

Remember this is a holiday.
Don't try to do so much that you need a holiday to recover from your holiday. 

Enjoy the planning.
Half the enjoyment of a vacation is planning so talk to fellow travellers, read loads of books, find a good travel agent and enjoy the time spent putting your travel plans together.

Air New Zealand wins best airline award

UK consumer magazine Which? subscribers have voted Air New Zealand the worlds best airline.

Air New Zealand received a maximum five star rating for the quality of its online check-in, seat allocation, boarding arrangements, cleanliness, inflight entertainment and cabin staff.  It got a value-for-money rating of 89% (industry average 66%) and 98% of passengers said they would recommend the airline to a friend.

Emirates and Singapore airlines were both shortlisted.

So when deciding who to fly on your trip downunder Air New Zealand is a clear winner!

Airlines are loosing our bags!

According to recent research reviewed by Flight Centre airlines loose 25 million bags a year.  That's 1 in 100 passengers missing luggage.
The lesson from this is:
1. Ensure you have adequate travel insurance to cover lost luggage
2. Clearly label your bags, with bright straps or easily identifiable luggage labels.
3. Include your name/contact details both inside and outside your bag
4. Keep essential items with you as carry on e.g. meds, spare underwear etc.

At least with these measures if you end up being one of the unlucky 1 in 100 you have a greater chance of your luggage being returned quickly.

Rotorua - some of our favourite things to do

When in Rotorua you might want to consider some of the following:

ROTORUA MUSEUM - A fantastic way to get your Rotorua visit off to the right start.  Great displays and information on the history of Rotorua and its people.

PURE CRUISE - Enjoy a sailing experience on Lake Rotoiti, one of several beautiful lakes in the Rotorua region.

WHITE WATER RAFTING - Try rafting the Kaituna River, including the worlds highest commercially rafted waterfall.  A real blast!

BURIED VILLAGE -  For a more sedate activity visit the village of Te Wairoa - the Buried Village. This small settlement was buried when Mt Tarawera erupted in 1886.  A somewhat sombre but informative experience.

For more information and ideas for visiting Rotorua send us a request - info@kiwibreaks.co.nz

Cool Queenstown

Cool things to do in Queenstown:

SKI - from now until September, several world class skifields.

COOKIE BAR - The worlds first 'cookie bar' opens in Queenstown soon - sup hot chocolates and enjoy cookies fresh from the ovens.

BIG PICTURE - A wine adventure with a difference.

CANYONING QUEENSTOWN - not for the faint hearted, cool canyon adventures around Queenstown.

Get in touch if you want to find out more about these and other cool activities in Queenstown - info@kiwibreaks.com

Continental Airlines to fly to New Zealand

Continental Airlines have announced plans to fly Houston Auckland direct from November 2011.  Great news for Americans coming to New Zealand.   There are now 3 airlines traveling here flying from 4 gateway cities (Air New Zealand, Qantas & Continental, from Vancouver, San Francisco, LAX & Houston).

Snow!

The New Zealand Ski season is not far off now. Fresh new snow on all the main mountains. For those of us near the coast snow on the mountains equals rain and cold weather, but all for a good cause!
Still 4C or 39F at midday is a bit miserable.