TNT New Zealand 101

October 2013 Issue 101 tntdownunder.com

!TAY, IDSN W MA ’ S

NO LAY TRAVEL & PO RTH PACKAGE W OVER $1000

FLIPPING OUT FEAR FACTORY

Meeting Kaikoura’s whales, seals & dolphins

Braving Taupo’s endless adrenalin thrills

B U L C E R U T C UL

rts Festival A n o ls e N s r’ is yea theatre at th d n a ic s u m ce, the best dan to e id u g r u o Y

+ TRAVEL DEALS WHAT’S ON FILM REVIEWS TRAVELLERS’ TIPS

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ANDREW WESTBROOK ACTING EDITOR editor@tntdownunder.com

EDITOR’S LETTER It’s fair to say that most people arrive in Kiwiland keen on (or resigned to) getting their teeth into some adrenalin action. It’s an area where Queenstown normally grabs all the headlines, but North Island adventure capital Taupo is not a place to be sniffed at, as we discovered this month (P30). We also went wild with Kaikoura’s locals (P26) and checked out what to catch at the Nelson Arts Festival (P14).

THIS MONTH NZ DIARY

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DAYTRIPS FEATURE

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SPOTTED

FOCUS: ARTS

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FILM 18 CHATROOM 19 HOT SHOTS

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TRAVEL NEWS

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COMPETITION 24 GETTING AROUND

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BARE ESSENTIALS

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LISTINGS NORTH ISLAND 37 LISTINGS SOUTH ISLAND

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ONWARDS 54 TRIVIAL PURSUITS

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FEATURES TRIP THE LIGHT

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We look at some of the best daytrips that New Zealand has to offer

ART ATTACK

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The 2013 Nelson Arts Festival is coming, so we check out the best of the bunch

BUBBLE AND SQUEAK

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Whales, seals and dolphins. Kaikoura is the place to answer the call of the wild

TAUPO CAN YOU GO

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Taupo ain’t just home to NZ’s deepest lake. There’s stacks of adrenalin fun too

TRIVIAL PURSUITS It’s a general Kiwi knowledge quiz this month. How well do you know NZ?

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NZDIARY

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EDITORIAL Acting editor Andrew Westbrook Deputy editor Hugh Radojev Contributors Lee Taylor | Amy Richardson | Alex Vivas Interns Emma Sabjan, Rory Platt, Tash Levy

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Design and production manager Lisa Ferron SALES Account manager Justin Steinlauf Sales executive Georgina Pengelly MARKETING & EVENTS Business development manager Tom Wheeler

STARTRACK MEDIA CEO Kevin Ellis Chairman Ken Hurst PUBLISHER Startrack Media Limited PRINTED BY Rural Press PICTURES Getty Images | Thinkstock | TNT Images | Tourism New Zealand | Tourism Fiji TNT Magazine , 126 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale, Sydney, NSW, 2008, Australia tntdownunder.com General enquiries Phone +61 2 8332 7500 Fax +61 2 9690 1314 Email enquiries@tntdownunder.com SALES ENQUIRIES PHONE +61 2 8332 7511

THE MAIN EVENT NELSON ARTS FESTIVAL NESLON, TOP OF THE SOUTH ISLAND

EMAIL tom@tntdownunder.com WHERE TO GET TNT

SEE tntdownunder.com/magazine-location.html for pick-up points

One of New Zealand’s premier arts festivals is back with its biggest line-up of performers, artists, musicians and writers yet. Set on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, Nelson has long been at the heart of the South Island’s cultural and arts scene due to the ongoing success and expansion of its annual Arts Festival. Highlights of this year’s event look likely to be circus act Knee Deep and the Masked Parade [pictured]. See p14 for more details.

TBA

October 11 – 28 Nelson, South Island

nelsonartsfestival.co.nz

ART IN A GARDEN 2013

FEAST GISBORNE 2013

TAURANGA FESTIVAL

This annual exhibition of New Zealand visual art is a unique experience.

Wonderfully creative works and sculptures can be enjoyed alongside stunning garden vistas and ponds.

Located just an hour’s drive north of Christchurch.

A premium wine and food festival that brings the best produce and culinary artists from across New Zealand to one spot.

Along with the delicious food fare, live music will be provided by homegrown favourites The Exponents and AhoriBuzz. Delicious.

For 10 glorious days and nights, Tauranga is transformed into a cultural and artistic hub this October.

Taking place amidst the vibrant hub of Tauranga’s waterfront, performers from all across New Zealand and the world will showcase their talents for you.

31 October – 3 November Hawarden, North Canterbury artinagarden.co.nz

27 October Waiohika Estate, Gisborne feastgisborne.co.nz

24 October - 3 November Tauranga Waterfront taurangafestival.co.nz

$20

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There is no business connection between the proprietors of this magazine and TNT Ltd, the worldwide transportation group. TNT Magazine does not assume responsibility for unsolicited submissions – material is sent at the owner’s risk. TNT Magazine accepts advertising material and other contributions in good faith, and takes no responsibility for claims, errors or omissions.

Copyright here and abroad of all original materials is held by TNT Magazine. Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden, except with permission of the publishers.

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TBA

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On the tramp: NZ’s most beautiful areas are easily accessible

What goes on tour No matter where you are in New Zealand, there’s an amazing experience waiting for you just around the corner WORDS: HUGH RADOJEV

Geographically New Zealand isn’t particularly big, certainly not compared to its Tasman neighbour, Australia, anyway. Still, what New Zealand lacks for in size it definitely makes up for in natural beauty and a wide array of activities, which vary from gentle nature hikes and winery tours to caving, jet boating and bungy jumping.

It’s not about the size, after all, but how you use it. That’s what they say anyway.

Also, geographically small areas come in handy when you’re trying to travel on a limited budget too. That way, instead of spending the vast majority of your money (or time) 6

flying from place to place you can just jump in a van and get from point to point quicker, easier and above all things, cheaper as well.

Everybody wins!

With that in mind we’ve put our best and brightest mind (mine, unfortunately) on finding some of the best day trips that you, our lovely readers, can undertake while in beautiful New Zealand. Be you in the North or the South Island, we’ve got you covered – so to speak – and it makes for some eclectic reading.

Everything from winery tours in the beautiful Marlborough region to being flown by helicopter into the majestic

Franz Josef glacier for a few hours hiking on the ice. Or maybe you’d prefer a bit of whale watching off the coast of Kaikoura, getting up close and personal at a Maori cultural experience and dinner in Rotorua or hanging from a wire above the beautiful Queenstown forests and mountains.

That’s the beautiful thing about travelling in New Zealand; all of the amazing and unique experiences on offer here are accessible to wherever you’re staying. So recharge your camera, brim your campervan’s petrol tank and slip into your comfiest pair of jandals, because we’re going on tour.

What goes on tour, well, you know.

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ABEL TASMAN SEA KAYAKING Want to explore the beauty of a protected marine reserve?

Wilsons Abel Tasman Sea Kayaking tours can help. These guys offer a range of packages, from three hours to five days. You have the freedom to create custom itineraries, add walking tours and overnight stays by the water. The Wilson family are one of few to hold a Tonga Island Marine Mammal Watching Permit, so get ready to see some local animals. The team at Wilson’s are also so committed to preservation of the environment that they were the first to be awarded the Qualmark Enviro Gold. To receive this they had to ensure the company demonstrated effectiveness in energy efficiency, waste management and water conservation, also the inclusion of social and environmental impacts on local communities.

WHERE: Abel Tasman National Park COST: From $90 MORE INFO: abeltasman.co.nz

NEVIS UmeNtrGesY B 134 G IN W S NthEe woVIS rld’s biggest swing

ZIPTREK ECOTOURS WHAT: One of the world’s biggest, best and most full on ropes courses – a ZipTrek eco tour is not for the faint hearted.

Suspended high above the ancient forests and jagged mountain peaks of Canterbury, ZipTrek offer two different rope tours – the three-hour Kea and the no-holds barred Moa flying fox tour. If you’ve never done a ropes course before then, don’t worry, you’ll have a fully trained instructor on hand with you every ginger step of the way. If, on the other hand, you’re a full blown, ropes-course machine then you won’t find a more picteuresque place to do one.

WHERE: Queenstown COST: From $174 MORE INFO: ziptrek.com

www.bungy.co.nz TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

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MAORI CULTURAL EXP– HANGI DINNER WHAT: There’s no better feeling than being welcomed into an authentic, Maori village tucked away in the Tawa forest.

Amidst the crackling fires explore the Maori village and be amazed by Maori art, customs and traditional stories, including the fascinating tale of how these people came to New Zealand in the first place. After a few hours exploring the Maori village and making new friends, you will be invited to sit in the covered Hangi–pit area and served a delicious meal; lamb kumara, potatoes, carrots and a host of other delicacies pulled from the fire pits before your eyes.

WHERE: Rotorua HOW MUCH: $105 MORE INFO: relaxingjourneys.co.nz

LORD OF THE RINGS 4WD TOUR WHAT: Whether you liked the films or not (or, indeed, even the original novels by JRR Tolkein) Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy put New Zealand on the map for many people.

The stunning vistas that were captured by Jackson’s film lens’ bought the surreal beauty of New Zealand into cinemas and people’s homes right around the world. Since the films’ success, New Zealand has experienced a huge surge in tourism and places like Mt Potts and Mt Sunday in Canterbury have benefited the most. For those LOTR fans amongst you Mt Sunday will be better known as Edoras, the mythical capital of the people of Rohan. If you’re not a big fan of the films then don’t despair, because this place is absolutely incredible. The 360 degree views from the top of Mt Sunday will take anybodies breath away and, with a complimentary champagne lunch thrown in, everybodies likes should be well catered for.

WHERE: Queenstown, South Island COST: $232 MORE INFO: lordoftheringstours.co.nz

MARLBOROUGH WINE TRAIL WHAT: The popularity of Kiwi wines has absolutely exploded in recent years and the Marlborough region, at the top of the South Island, is one of the most important and successful wine areas to be found anywhere in New Zealand. You might best know Marlborough for its fruit, easy-drinking, cool climate sauvingon blancs, but the region also produces some seriously tasty pinot noir and pinot gris as well. Don’t believe me? Then why don’t you go and check some of them out for yourself. Departing from Wellington, this tour takes you across the Cook Strait and into the rolling hills and vineyards of Marlborough. You’ll visit the beautiful town of Picton, on the strait, before visiting four different vineyards in the region. While the winery destinations are usually pre-set by the tour guide, if you are something of a connoisseur and have a particular interest in one winery in the region the tour can be ammended to suit you. Whether you spit or swallow your wine (we always advocate swallowing, you get your money’s worth) you’ll also get a complimentary lunch.

WHERE: Marlborough and Picton COST: From $135 MORE INFO: relaxingjourneys.co.nz

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COROMANDEL NATURE WALK WHAT: This part of New Zealand is a nature photographer’s absolute dream. This tour represents a chance to sample Coromandel Peninsula’s natural heritage and scenic beauty.

Enjoy the flora and fauna of the semi-tropical rainforest with giant ferns, kauri trees and crystal clear streams. The guided walk will also take you past the site of an old Maori pa (a kind of hill-top fortification), a cave full of glowworms and the wonderfully named Hot Water Beach. Food, depending on the weather, will either be taken at a local café or will be a picnic at a sight overlooking the beautiful coastline where you guide will entertain and inform you with stories about the region’s history.

COST: $240 MORE INFO: thecoromandel.com

FRANZ JOSEF GLACIER HELI HIKE WHAT: Ever seen blue ice? A major highlight of these glacier trips is the chance to witness this rarity. Try an Ice Explorer tour, which after a small heli-hop, takes you through a maze of ice leading to the incredible Hot Glacier Pools, perfect for winter-warming .There are also options for a glacier heli-hike, valley walk or the adrenalin filled heli-ice climb! To top it off, they throw in a goody bag and DVD on some tours, so you can cherish the memories for years to come. The Franz Josef Glacier Guides are caring, informative and very committed to keeping the region you explore preserved. Their constant recycling of old equipment, visitor’s rubbish, compost and use of biodegradable cleaning products have gotten them a Silver Enviro Award Rating through Qualmark NZ. Just make sure you don’t go falling down any crevices now, you hear?

WHERE: Franz Josef COST: $399 MORE INFO: franzjosefglacier.com

KAIKOURA WHALE WATCH WHAT: If it’s sperm whales you’re after, head on down to the famously picturesque town of Kaikoura, on the South Island’s eastern coast. Kaikoura has some of the best and most developed sperm whale watching facilities to be found anywhere on Earth. Sperm whales are the biggest of the toothed whales and are also the largest predators on the planet. They are so often rarely seen by human eyes but Kaikoura is one of the only places anywhere that they can be seen year round, close to land. Considering how rare it is for humans to see these amazing leviathans going about their business in their natural habitat, Kaikoura is an absolute must visit destination for anyone, whether you’re a whale watching enthusiast or a first timer.

WHERE: Kaikoura COST: $130.50 MORE INFO: whalewatch.co.nz

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WIN

ARE YOU SPOTTED IN THE CIRCLE?

Email us at tom@ tntdownunder.com with ‘Spotted’ in the subject line. Email must include a photo of yourself.

Boom! You’ve won yourself a double pass to any Big Night Out! Like us on facebook/ tntdownunder for more party pics from the night!

BIG NIGHT OUT QUEENSTOWN

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BIG NIGHT OUT AUCKLAND

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Dance-off: (clockwise) Kaha; Fault Lines; Knee Deep

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The full Nelson The thought-provoking, beautiful and often confronting Nelson Arts Festival is back. TNT picks out the highlights WORDS HUGH RADOJEV

With the dates secured and the performing talent locked in, all that’s left is to count down the days until the 2013 Nelson Arts Festival bursts onto the stage. Indeed, from October 11-28, some of New Zealand's and the world's best and brightest will be descending on the South Island to wow the waiting audiences.

With over 70 events and six international acts on offer, this is set to be the biggest Nelson Arts Festival yet and one that you certainly won’t want to miss. The hugely popular Masked Parade is also back for another year – one of the largest walking parades to be found in the Southern Hemisphere – and with this year’s theme ‘Adventurous Journeys’, a raucous time is certainly to be expected.

With all this in mind we’ve cast our eyes over the festival’s programme and hand picked five very different acts that we think will make this year’s event the best one yet.

Circus: Knee Deep WHAT: This elegant, sexy, acrobatic circus show – set to a haunting, beautiful soundtrack – will have you completely in awe. Fresh from stunning sold-out audiences in Europe and across the Tasman at the Brisbane Festival, Australian circus troupe Casus are now bringing their exquisite debut show Knee Deep to the Nelson Arts Festival.

Casus combines the talents of former Circa and The Flying Fruit-Fly Circus performers Emma Serjeant, Jesse Scott and Lachlan McAulay, with Polytoxic’s Natano Fa’anana. Through this work, performers push themselves to their limits – both of physical strength as well as emotional weaknesses – through a mixture of traditional acrobatics and circus techniques as well as through modern media.

Casus’ debut has garnered rave reviews wherever it’s gone, with The Guardian calling it, "Awe inspiring… full of extraordinary skill, brute strength and exquisite beauty…", while Australia's Herald Sun labeled Knee Deep, "Jaw– droppingly sophisticated".

This is set to be one of the absolute highlights of the festival and is a performance you will not want to miss.

WHEN & WHERE: Sat 19 Oct – Sun 20 Oct at the TSB Bank Mainstage HOW MUCH: $48

Dance: Fault Lines WHAT: A powerful, moving and beautiful collaboration between China’s world-renown Leshan Song and Dance Troupe and Christchurch-born choreographer Sara Brodie.

Fault Lines deals with the power of the human spirit in the wake of a terrible natural disaster. In 2008, an earthquake measuring eight on the Richter Scale ripped through the Sichuan province of China, killing over 60,000 people. This piece seeks to not only honour those who died, but celebrate the millions of ordinary people who had to pick up the pieces and carry on with their lives.

The inclusion of Christchurch native Sara Brodie’s choreography adds another, very personal level to this piece. The well documented suffering of the people of Christchurch in the wake of the 2011 earthquakes and the continued rebuilding of the city is also bought very much to the forefront. Fault Lines was a critical and commercial smash at the recent Christchurch Arts Festival, where the piece’s shared sense of loss and resilience between the people of Sichaun and Christchurch made for a truly emotive and powerful experience. "The dancers moved with such grace and ease,” said Natalie Papps of Dance Informa. "It was as though they were weightless."

WHEN & WHERE: Wed 16 Oct at the Theatre Royal ›› HOW MUCH: From $44

Kiwi band The Phoenix Foundation TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

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Strike's Between Zero and One

Photos: Nelson Arts Festival

Musical theatre: Between Zero and One WHAT: Wellington’s Strike Percussion! Group bring their brand new show, Between Zero and One, to Nelson. This is a percussion performance that deals with some of the biggest issues facing mankind – the universe and our place in it, religion and whether or not we’re truly alone in the grand scheme of things.

Written by acclaimed New Zealand/Greek composer John Psathas, this performance begins and ends, fittingly, with a Big Bang – expect fierce instrumentation and powerful story telling all presented with the kind of charisma and charm that has become the trademark of a Strike Percussion! performance. Musicians, drummers and percussionists from around the world have been drafted in to fill out the stage and sound around Strike members to give Between Zero and One the truly epic, all-encompassing feel that such weighty subject matter needs and deserves.

WHEN & WHERE: Sat Oct 12 at the TSB Bank Mainstage HOW MUCH: $42 + booking fee

Theatre: Live at Six WHAT: A live theatre performance that brings together 10 Kiwi actors, three film cameras, two projectors and the audience's smartphones – this is the ultimate in new wave live theatre, an interactive experience for the actors and audience members alike.

This new play, written by Dean Hewson and Leon Wadham, is a black comedy that will have you rolling in the aisles as well as perching on the edge of your seat.

When footage of a news anchor in a compromising position goes viral, both the TV network she represents, plus the competition, are involved in a real-time race with each other to package the story and get it to air. Whose version will you, the public, believe?

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the audience member will be able to weigh in on the social media debate through special Facebook pages and Twitter accounts set up for the performance.

Live at Six has already swept New Zealand on a national tour and has earned wonderful reviews, Wellington’s Capital Times calling it, “relevant, funny and ingenious… this is a great credit to all involved!" Smart, darkly hilarious and thrilling, Live at Six will not only change the way you think about the news but also the way you watch live theatre.

WHEN & WHERE: 25–26 October at the Theatre Royal HOW MUCH: From $39 + booking fee

Contemporary music: The Granary Sessions WHAT: The Granary Festival Café basically acts as the festival’s hub in Nelson over the two week period. It’s the place to enjoy a huge number of local and international music acts as well as to readings by visiting writers.

The Café is also the spot to quench a hard earned thirst with some of the region’s famous Marlborough wines, beers and ciders, as well as top notch food. Some of the best musical acts to catch here included the quirky, eclectic and wholly entertaining Nelson Ukulele Orchestra on October 12, the blues-heavy riffage of the Coyote Blues Band on October 26 and much-loved Christchurch band The Eastern, who will be helping close the festival on the final night.

Whether you want to rock out with friends or just sit back and take it all in with a glass of good wine and some delicious food, then The Granary Festival Café is definitely the place to be throughout the festival.

WHEN & WHERE: The Granary Festival Café between Oct 11 – 28 HOW MUCH: Predominantly free events For more info on the Nelson Arts Festival, which runs from October 11-28, see nelsonartsfestival.co.nz

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MILFORD SOUND TNT SPECIAL!

COACH - CRUISE - COACH EX - QUEENSTOWN

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FILMREVIEW

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GROWN UPS 2 FILM review by Alasdair Morton. Out Now STARRING: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, David Spade | PG | 98 mins

RUNNER RUNNER Film STARRING: Justin Timberlake, Ben Affleck | M | 91 mins

Timeberlake stars as a Princeton student who loses all his money in online gambling, so heads to the island where said website is hosted only to be won over by its shady, beard-faced owner, Affleck, for whom he becomes a right hand man.

Out now 18

You either like Adam Sandler movies, or you think he’s the worst thing to happen to cinema. Which one of these two camps you sit in will dictate whether you find Grown Ups 2 fun or painful, brain–deprived nonsense. We rather think the latter.

Adam Sandler is a law unto himself. His movies are perennially trashed by the critics – Jack and Jill collected the biggest number of Razzies awards ever at the 2011 event honouring Tinseltown’s worst – but they are successful commercially, raking in sizeable chunks of money around the world on, by Hollywood standards, small budgets. Grown Ups 2 is yet another outing for his man-child dopefest routine, with the cast returning (Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade) as Sandler and his best buds reconvene in the small New Hampshire town they grew up in.

Somehow they have managed to cajol Maya Rudolph, Mari Bello and Salma Hayek back as their wives, too. But despite actors who can be decent elsewhere,it amounts to a series of goofing, gurning and gags about farting that could notreally ever be described as jokes as the plodding apes clash with a group of local kids featuring Twilight’s Taylor Lautner and Heroes’ Milo Ventimiglia. That’s it forstory, and pretty much it for jokes, too. It is stupendously unfunny, full of odiouscharacters, and David Spade remains the most hideous thing to grace the silverscreen since that critter burst out of John Hurt’s chest in Alien.

It’s a noxious, insulting and lazy piece of shit. And will probably make a bundle.

Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

GOOD FOR: Sandler fans alone. And, even then, it’s not exactly The Wedding Singer

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Tim Cope

The Australian adventurer on his new book On The Trail Of Genghis Khan, about his 10,000km journey across the Eurasian Steppe You’re frequently described as one of Australia’s most inspiring adventurers – what about your journeys inspires people so much?

For me, adventures are a vehicle for travelling deep into the fabric of society, coming to know the environmental conditions that shape people’s lives, and viewing the present in the context of history. It’s about letting go of western-orientated preconceptions, and even awareness of one’s own difficulties, and viewing the world through the eyes of others. Ultimately, it’s a sense of camaraderie and friendship with local people that is core to my journeys. This philosophy of travel – combined with my animals, including my dog Tigon who usually steals the show – appeals to a wide audience.

What inspired you to write your second book, On The Trail Of Genghis Khan?

My dream was to ride a horse 10,000km from Mongolia to Hungary across the great Eurasian Steppe, to understand the nomadic cultures that have presided there for thousands of years.

Writing about my experiences has always been a part of digesting it and sharing it with others.

I was compelled to tell the untold stories of the Steppe people of today, and their histories that we are so unaware of, and yet which helped shape contemporary society across the globe.

What were the most challenging aspects of travelling the Eurasian Steppe on horseback?

The biggest challenge was taking care of three horses, and sometimes a camel, and my Tigon.

On a journey by horseback, the animals’ needs – mostly grass and water – come first. One can never look past the daily challenge of finding grass and water, which are the keys to survival.

Of course, there were other incidents that were difficult to overcome – learning to ride a horse to start with, having my horses stolen on the first week, riding through the summer nights to avoid 50 degree heat in the Kazakh Desert, battling bureaucracy on borders and eventually facing the death of my father in a car accident when I was in Ukraine.

Photo: camcope.com

INTERVIEW JENNIFER ENNION

Tim with trusty travel companion Tigon How tough is it travelling alone?

It was testing. There were times, like when I was stuck in the gold mining town of Akbakai, Kazakhstan, where I fell in with some alcoholics who served up boiled pigeon for Christmas lunch, that I just wanted an exit.

Was it tougher than you expected?

Being alone on this trip challenged me more than I thought it would. I could rarely drop my guard, and had to be on the look out for everything from navigating through winter storms, to protecting my little herd from thieves and wolves. Overwhelmingly the people were hospitable, but to survive and learn required changing my mindset somewhat, and not taking things too personally.

What are the difficulties of travelling in such remote areas?

In conditions ranging from -50 to +50, discomfort is the norm, but the biggest challenge is finding grass and water and keeping the horses in good condition – one gets used to thinking 24/7 about grass.

What are the rewards?

Paradise is sinking into sleep at night listening to the horses munching through thick pasture.

Hell is going to bed at night to silence, knowing

that the horses have gone hungry and have nothing to chew on.

What are the joys of travelling alone?

Some of the most impressionable times for me were when I was out alone with my three horses and dog, riding through a clear expanse of treeless plains, feeling as if I was etching out a path through the canvas of my own dream. To think that no one ahead knew I was coming, no one was expecting me, and in fact, no one but I knew we existed in that moment was a liberating experience, as if I had managed to break free of the parameters of our normal world that is so defined by time and place.

What is the main message of your motivational speeches?

That there are many ways of looking at the world, and forging your life, and the evidence can be found in the many rich and diverse cultures of our planet.

Do you have any words of wisdom for intrepid travellers?

If you have to rush, rush slowly.

Tim Cope’s On The Trail Of Genghis Khan, published by Bloomsbury RRP AUD$29.99 on Nov 21. Cope is currently on tour around Australia. timcopejourneys.com

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WINNER

BY THE ROAD ADAM CHATWIN, 26, UK

ADAM SAYS: “Driving through the Tongariro National Park, heading for Rotorua on a beautiful day. Just had to pull over and get a picture. I couldn’t believe my eyes.”

WE SAY: “Ah, yes Adam, New Zealand is incredibly beautiful. It’s amazing in that just about everywhere you go and every place you see is photograph-worthy in one way or another. Look how beautiful those mountains are! Good work mate, very good work indeed.”

RUNNER-UP

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ZOO STORY

KYLE CYNWAR, 24, USA

KYLE SAYS: “I took this photo of giraffes at Taronga Zoo enjoying some food across from Sydney city. I thought it was quite an interesting juxtaposition.”

WE SAY: “Kyle’s picture captures two things beautifully: the grazing giraffes of Taronga Zoo and Sydney’s majestic city skyline. Good job, Kyle!”

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HOT TIPS: Getting Punch

TWO NORTHLAND TOURS

MANIPULATING COLOUR When altering the colours of your images, you must keep in mind that it will change the whole feel of the shot. Whether you want to oversaturate the colours to make them stand out, or add a colour wash, keep in mind that often the photograph will look digitally enhanced. It is hard to get these effects without playing around in someway after the shot has been taken. You can always indulge (I say “indulge” as it will be more expensive) in some film – as opposed to digital – photography that will give you all sorts of effects in-camera. Trendy photo cults such as Lomo Photography aim to create burnt-in edges and distorted colours.

Adam wins a Total Northland Pass for her and a friend from Magic Travellers Network (magicbus.co.nz), while runnerup Kyle wins a Black Labyrinth rafting voucher from the Legendary Black Water Rafting Co (waitomo.com). Winners are chosen by the TNT team, with the editor’s decision being final. To enter the next Hot Shots competition, send your best travel photos (300 dpi jpegs), along with your name, age, nationality and a description, to hugh@tntdownunder.com

WIN

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Check out TNT online for the latest news, gossip, gigs, bizarre headlines and awesome features

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BURGER RIGHT OFF! Anti-McDonald’s protesters from Melbourne are confident of getting a meeting with McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson after a rally in the US attracted local media attention. The No Maccas in the Hills group inflated about 30 kangaroos at a Chicago McDonald’s as part of their fight against the company building a fast food restaurant in Tecoma on Melbourne’s eastern outskirts. Garry Muratore, a spokesman for the group, said the rally attracted a lot of attention.”We were talking to the media guys there and they think Don will take notice when he sees it on Chicago media.”

Photos: Thinkstock

BAAAA–D TO WORSE

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A man who admitted to having sex with a goat in August has been jailed for six weeks over the offence and will be forced to sign up to the sex offenders register. The North Wiltshire magistrate’s court activated an “eight-week suspended sentence” on Thursday according to the Metro which will see Robert Newman spend six weeks in jail for his penetrative attack on a local goat. Newman originally denied having sex with a goat on a farm in Wiltshire, but changed his plea after learning that the poor animal required veterinary care afterwards.

AIR FAIR The competition watchdog has given Virgin Australia the green light to extend its alliance with Air New Zealand for another five years.

The ACCC has said that it doesn’t think the extension of the deal between the two trans-Tasman airlines will affect competition on other similar routes.“We were concerned that authorising the alliance would eliminate competition from Virgin as an independent player,” said watchdog commissioner Jill Walker. ”That’s why we think we still need a capacity condition on this alliance.”

SNAKE ON A PLANE A tiny snake found on a Qantas plane delayed the entire flight, stranding hundreds of passengers in Sydney overnight. A flight scheduled to depart Sydney International Airport for Tokyo on Sunday night was cancelled after staff found a 20-centimetre snake near the aircraft doorway. A Qantas spokeswoman told AAP 370 passengers were booked on the flight.The spokeswoman said it was yet to be determined what type of snake it was and where it had come from. “The snake has gone into quarantine to determine where it’s come from,” she said.

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Seen atravel deal you’d liketo share? !!! re!!

Sha

imoova.com special offer

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Go to tntdownunder.com and click on the WIN page.

See web page for terms and conditions. Winners will be selected at random.

Win a nomads’ stay, tra The problem with travelling is that the more places you visit, the more people you meet... and then you hear about more places you want to visit.

Sure, that’s not exactly a depressing situation to find yourself in, but it can be an expensive one, especially in a country as action-packed as New Zealand. Luckily, we’re here to help. TNT has joined forces with our buddies Nomads and Stray to get one of you to all of the country’s best bits. Aren’t we nice, eh?

THE PRIZE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING: a national max pass with stray travel: This monster trip, worth $799, takes you round the whole country, leaving no highlight unvisited. It’s a case of hop on, hop off, so you can do it in three to four weeks, it’s up to you. Stops include

Coromandel, Waitomo, Rotorua, Taupo, Wellington, Queenstown, Milford Sound, Kaikoura and even Stewart Island. two nights in a king room at nomads auckland: Enjoy the free wifi, tea/coffee and rooftop spa and sauna. two nights in a king room at nomads capital wellington: Get your free light dinner, tea/coffee and two-for-one house drink. a $50 tab at Blend bar wellington: Get drunk on us. two nights in a king room at nomads queenstown: Free sauna, light dinner, brekkie and nightly drink.

Competition closes Saturday, 8 December 2013.

Terms and conditions apply. Log on to tntdownunder.com for details and to enter.

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Really wild show: hanging out with Kaikoura’s whales and seals before sampling the tasty local crayfish

Kaikoura

Photo: Tourism New Zealand, Chris McLennan, Rob Suisted, ChristchurchNZ.com

SOUTH ISLAND

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Kaikoura’s seal of approval With its creature comforts and Maori legends, Kaikoura is one South Island destination you don’t want to be skipping WORDS ALEX VIVAS

It was quite obvious that after five minutes of interaction she found me boring. This was hardly a new sensation.

Anyone who has talked to me without sharing an equally wild enthusiasm for the genius of Wenger/Che Guevara/ Jarvis Cocker, or not wanting to know 101 amazing facts about Sherlock Holmes-conceiver Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (did you know he even invented the life jacket?), has probably felt the same.

And now I come to think of it, last time I phoned my mum she said she didn’t have time to chat, “because a yogurt in the fridge needs eating”. So I’m used to the yawns, vacant eyes and transparent excuses, but when it’s a seal, it’s something else. I mean, I hadn’t even mentioned that Doyle’s second wife was related to Rob Roy...

Kaikoura, where I was trying to make furry friends, is simply magical. The beaches may be stony, but the noble, snow-tipped mountains and rugged coastline more than make up for it. And the wildlife? Holy schmoly. The tiny peninsula, two hours’ drive north of Christchurch, is a fortunate freak of nature; not far from land, the continental shelf plunges vertically some 800m.

The currents create an upward swell bringing nutrients from the ocean floor with it and making it a permanent feast for sea dwellers great and small. Kaikoura is a wildlife wonderland; common, dusky and bottlenose dolphins, several colonies of New Zealand fur seals, blue penguins, sharks, rare albatrosses, armies of other birds and sperm whales all call the area home.

Plus, humpback whales migrate past during June and July and orcas in the summer. In Maori legend the peninsula was the seat where demigod Maui sat as he fished the North Island up from the sea and the area was heavily populated before European settlement.

one of the most memorable in my three months on the South Island.

Unlike dolphins, which normally need finding and intercepting before interacting with in the wild, fur seals are lazy gits – they just lounge around all day, occasionally

“

They needed entertainment. Luckily, I look pretty entertaining in a wetsuit

”

sliding into the wet stuff to cool off and frolic around.

So they’re keen on a bit of entertainment. Luckily, I look pretty entertaining in a wetsuit.

The water was murkier than normal, but we had about seven metres of visibility. I quickly swam away from the ››

Flipping out After getting snorkelled, finned and wetsuited up, a timid handful of us had edged out into the water, towards a seal colony on a rocky outcrop a few minutes from town. Vanessa, our guide, had advised us to try and swim alongside them, rather than at them. The next hour was

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rest of the group. I felt alert, anxious and excited...

It didn’t take long before a shape suddenly appeared in the water next to me. The seal was about my height, but considerably rounder, with large, limpid, emotional eyes – almost like they’ve seen the future and it’s full of sorrow – and with whiskers to turn any self-respecting, retired colonel green with envy. I assumed it must be a seal pensioner.

Puppy power I swam alongside her (I don’t actually know if she was a she or a he – thought it rude to ask), nervous about getting too close. But she’d seen these awkward, slowswimming animals with their bright coloured feet many times before and didn’t hang around for long.

Then three youngsters darted over. They were far more inquisitive, coming to within a metre, rolling languidly underneath me, cruising carelessly along, then playfighting with each other. I tagged along like a 15-year-old following an older brother and his mates to the pub for the first time. It was utterly wonderful to feel temporarily accepted by such fun-loving furry things. After five minutes or so they also got bored with my inability to keep up and casually sauntered off.

There are several ways to play with Kaikoura’s giant slug-like mammals, who were hunted to the verge of extinction by early settlers. A simple walk round the peninsula will bring you past at least two colonies, though the animals have very different personalities when on land.

As they move clumsily on terra firma they feel threatened and will bark at you moodily if they sense you’re too close, or block their route to the water.

Sea kayaking offers another excellent alternative. You can go further and faster while (hopefully) staying drier. I spent a morning on the water, as seals slid nonchalantly off the rocks and rolled around within inches of our vessels.

One fin day As underrated as seals are, few animals grip the human imagination like whales do. Featuring prominently in Maori mythology, it’s as pleasing to find the whale watching company is Maori-owned as it is to learn that Kaikoura is the world’s most accessible spot for watching sperm whales.

Acting dolphin-y: (clockwise) here come the duskies; Kaikoura surfer; view of the town’s stunning backdrop Our boat left shore at some impolitely early time while we watched a video about the massive, passive mammals.

Suddenly we were ushered out onto the deck and people excitedly scoured the water for telltale spurts. Just a few metres away, it was thrilling to be so close to the majestic beast as it ejaculated air and vapour – like mini explosions – from its grey-brown leathery skin, accompanied by a loud but gentle snort. Silence swamped us as we click away with cameras.

Then, after around five minutes, the whale sank and disappeared before the tail sprang up like a giant bird.

The day was topped off in the perfect way, with the most spectacular sunset I’ve ever seen: mauves and lilacs cascaded from the sky down onto the mountains and onto the water all the way across the bay.

People in a pod

High-fliers: the duskies love to catch some air 28

The final activity I’d planned was what Kaikoura is perhaps most famous for – swimming with dolphins. Good natured and highly sociable, the dusky dolphins are drawn to the area for the same reason as the other wildlife. With an oceanic valley almost 1km deep, Kaikoura’s natural currents create upward swells that propel the nutrients usually found on the ocean floor to the top, laying out a communal aquatic smorgasbord that everyone can enjoy.

Concluding the orientation, our guide leant over with sober eyes and imparted the most important bit of information: “If you want them to take interest, act dolphin-y. Swim and squeak like a dolphin, and try and make eye contact.”

While I toyed with the idea that too much sea water had quite clearly gone to her head, I kept it in mind and headed out. On the boat ride out there, I was able to

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appreciate why both tourists and animals flock to the area.

With the boat coasting over crystal clear, icy blue waters and the bracing air producing snow-capped mountain views of unparalleled clarity, I sat back with the sun on my face and fully enjoyed the downtime. That is, until we’d been sailing 25 minutes with nary a peep of a blowhole.

Our skipper finally yelled the (wallet) relieving cry of “dolphins sighted” and we raced to the side of the boat.

A pod of roughly 300 dolphins could be seen splashing away in a reverie of acrobatic fervour. It was magnificent.

More than a little eager, I attached my snorkel and flopped out into the ocean. Any worries I’d had of not seeing a dolphin had instantly been replaced by the frightening thought that I’d end up kicking one in the face. They were absolutely everywhere.

Darting around me yet forever staying just out of reach, it felt like I’d been dropped into an underwater whirlwind. Armed with an education at the hands of David Attenborough and the BBC, my mind began to shuffle through a series of encyclopaedic flashcards in the hope of giving me an edge. Just what the hell do I know about dolphins? Let’s see. Friendly to humans. Enjoy sex just for the hell of it. Prone to gang rape. Can swim whilst asleep.

Woah woah woah. Back up there brain. Gang rape?!

Better not act too dolphin-y then.

Still, I’m nothing if not adventurous (or foolhardy, I get them confused) and slowly swimming into the flipper tornado, I began to find my feet. I eventually locked eyes with one swimming past (admittedly a bulging, stalkerkind of eye contact) and was amazed by the seemingly human emotion that stared back. It was phenomenal. Balleyeing me with incredible intensity, I began to swim to the right in a bid to keep up. Cautious I wasn’t giving him too

much of the eye (tabloid headlines of dolphin/backpacker gangbang still at the forefront of my thoughts), I held my own and saw the snap moment where interest changed to mischievousness.

What a Muppet Steadily building up speed, Ecco (as I liked to call him) was toying with me, circling around me ever faster as my rather pathetic limbs struggled to keep up. As the dizziness began to overwhelm me, he gave me one last wink and spiralled beneath my feet into the depths of the ocean. With Ecco well and truly bored with my company, I was left to try out my garbled underwater voice to attract others. A random combination of high pitch squeaks only seemed to succeed in driving them away, so changing tact, I thought I’d sing something harmonious. Melodic.

So off I went alternately switching between squeaking The Muppets and Friends theme tunes through my snorkel.

Both seemed appropriate. By the time the captain’s boathorn blasted, I’d started to feel like a cat in a washing machine – soggy, bewildered and spinning around but ever so perversely loving it.

The view from above the water was just as impressive.

Witnessing hundreds of dolphins leaping, somersaulting and spinning in perfect aerial synchronicity was astounding. Kaikoura: the only thing there that wasn’t utterly enthralling, as usual, was me. Hey, did you know Conan Doyle twice stood for election... ❚ Details: Whale watching tours cost $145 whalewatch.co.nz; Half-day guided seal kayak tours cost $95 seakayakkaikoura.co.nz; Dolphin swim tours cost $170 dolphinencounter.co.nz Seal Swim Kaikoura run seal swims sealswimkaikoura.co.nz

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Dropzone: (clockwise) it’s screamtime over Taupo; the nervous ascent; bungy plunge; Rock’n Ropes; Lake Taupo

Taupo

Down time: dropping into Waitomo’s Lost World 30

Photo: Tourism New Zealand; Destination Lake Taupo

NORTH ISLAND

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Taupo rush hour It’s often touted as the North Island’s adventure capital, so we head for Taupo to put our adrenal glands to the test WORDS LEE TAYLOR & AMY RICHARDSON

Skydiving What would any sensible person do the night before jumping out of a plane at 12,000 feet? Get an early night?

Write a will? Perhaps make peace with the big guy upstairs (not you Mr Johnson, and I still haven’t forgiven you for stealing my favourite pulling pants from the communal washing line)? Me, I decided the nine hours before my first tandem skydive would be best served pouring as much alcohol down my throat as possible, talking crap and staggering home at 1am through my own personal earthquake. I guess you could say I’m a maverick.

Nine hours later I’m in the back of a van with a mouth as dry as our driver’s sense of humour (“So, any last words?”), trying to figure out if it’s fear or the beer gripping away at my insides. My dark, brooding demure has nothing to do with acting cool, but everything to do with the thought of whether I would fall faster than my own vomit.

“Hi, I’m Scott and you’ll be jumping out of a perfectly good plane at 12,000 feet strapped to me today,” says a blond, surfer type ushering me through to a tiny runway hangar. “It’s my first jump, so I might be a bit edgy,” he says deadpan. My goldfish expression has the desired effect and he breaks into a smile before sniggering, “Just kidding.”

Great, I’m skydiving with the guys who write the jokes found in Christmas crackers.

The briefing is anything but brief as I’m hackled with safety harnesses and ropes from every single orifice. Like David Banner, Scott suddenly turns into a professional monster, making sure I’m comfortable and aware of what part I will play in the deathdefying feat. Just as I give him the thumbs up, my name is called out and we make our way to the tiny plane at the edge of an equally tiny runway. Around this time a voice pops into my head and reminds me that this is my very last opportunity to call the whole thing off, head back to the hostel and tell the crew it was cancelled because of the weather. Now, this plan could have worked had there been a cloud in the sky, but unlike my underpants, the sky was clear.

Being one of the last to enter the plane, Scott and I are seated near the door (I say door, but a flimsy piece of

plastic would be a better description). Scott clips himself to me and for once, I’ve never been so pleased to have a man’s warm breath on the back of my neck. The tiny engine of the tiny plane roars for all it’s worth and we gather speed along the tiny runway. I let out a tiny scream.

“

I’ve never been so pleased to have a man’s warm breath on the back of my neck

”

As the plane gains altitude, it becomes increasingly harder to distinguish the sound of the flapping door and the noise coming from my trousers. The crew signal each other and Scott says something that I can’t make out because of the noise of the plane. It’s only when he begins shifting his weight towards the door that I know it’s time to take the leap of faith. Edging my way one bum cheek at a time, the door is removed and Scott insists I dangle my legs out from the plane. My first reaction is to tell him where to go, but then I remember the small thing about my life being in his hands and more importantly, the parachute on his back.

I remember back to when I first decided to do this jump, surrounded by all that peer pressure, and how I secretly relished the chance to emulate Patrick Swayze in the film Point Break. But looking down at the earth below, I feel more like Patrick Swayze in Ghost... dead. I just hope I don’t Whoopie Goldberg all over Scott. “Okay, three... two...”

For some reason I don’t quite hear “one”. Just the roar of the air rushing past me, spinning cartwheels in the sky and catching glimpses of the disappearing plane.

I had prepared for the breathless sensation you sometimes ›› experience on fairground rides, but it never came.

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So I scream with delight (well, more relief) and my mouth is filled with the kind of pressure one could only experience snogging Aretha Franklin mid “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.” We level out and the sensation of freefall totally consumes me. It’s 100 per cent pure adrenalin. I’m totally pumped. I’m flying. I hope the feeling lasts for... Doh! Scott enables the parachute and I’m pulled to the heavens... by my crotch. Safety harness? More like sperm destroyer.

It’s deadly quiet now, except for the beating of my heart, and the tranquility is overwhelming. It’s true what they say about the view from the top: Lake Taupo shimmers quite magnificently and the volcanic peaks of Tongariro can easily be taken in with a simple turn of the head.

Still desperately trying to take it all in, I’m brought back to my senses by Scott, who tells me to prepare for landing.

The ground rushes in below me and, remembering the briefing, I lift up my legs as Scott takes the impact.

“Enjoy that?” yells Scott, smiling from ear to ear.

“Amazing,” I yell back. “But it would have been much better without a fat Kiwi on my back.”

Like I said, I’m a bit of a maverick. LT

Bungy I’d always considered bungy jumping a bloody silly thing to do. And I’d said so – loudly – whenever the topic came up.

But when you’re in New Zealand, where people eagerly leap off anything high-up in the name of entertainment, somehow the whole concept becomes more acceptable.

And after a while I became curious. And my boyfriend (BF) agreed to jump with me. This marginally lowered the terror factor and enabled me to convince myself that this might be, in some twisted way, romantic.

In an ill-judged attempt to ease my nerves, BF didn’t tell me when we were going to do the jump until the last minute. So I had a large greasy fry-up for breakfast. I’d barely finished digesting it when we pulled up outside a big gate with a sign saying “Taupo Bungy”. And I was informed, “Err, we’re going to do the jump now, hun.” I gulped. And marched in not wanting the sadistic guys who run these things to smell my fear.

“Are you scared then?” said the man behind the counter with an annoyingly big grin. Though I assured him I was not, he was still able to humiliate me by insisting I had to be weighed before the jump. With my confidence rapidly diminishing, I walked to the end of the platform, which jutted out over the edge of a cliff 47m up, desperately trying not to look down. I tried hard to pretend I was in a nice, cosy shed somewhere. It became harder and harder to keep up this fantasy as BF and I stood face to face while our feet were tied together, with some contraption, which wasn’t much more than an elastic band.

We shuffled over to the edge of the platform. It was terrifying. My legs were tingling horribly. I probably would’ve cracked BF’s ribs if I’d held onto him any tighter.

Err, why was I doing this? I stood with my heels off the edge and grimaced for the camera. And that was it – we were over the edge and off...

The blood rushed to my head. But my breakfast stayed put – just about – as the air whistled past my ears. I opened my eyes to see us being twanged up away from the surface of a beautiful river in the nick of time. A few more energetic bounces of the elastic and we were down, 32

Lake placid? (clockwise) skydiving, relaxing and bungy jumping in Taupo sitting in the boat sailing back to dry land. It was over – I’d just done that ridiculously petrifying thing I always swore I’d never do. It was both awful and amazing.

I think I deserved a round of applause, frankly. AR

Rock‘n ropes I read somewhere that Hollywood’s elite pay something close to $US50,000 to have toxins flushed from their toned bodies through colonic irrigation. During four hours of sheer terror at Rock’n Ropes adventure ropes course, I paid only $65 for the same result.

Regarded as one of the top adventure activities available in New Zealand, Rock‘n Ropes is a series of high rope challenges guaranteed to make you scream every swear word known to man. And boy did I go through them. Assigned to The Half Day Challenge, I was once again equipped with a safety harness and a random stranger named Chris, who would have my worthless life in his hands. I was then told to tuck my trousers into my socks, not for safety reasons, but to stop the excrement from falling on Chris below. And when the guide pointed out the first “warm-up challenge”– the Two Wire Bridge – I understood why.

A mere 10 metres up, I had to traverse along two wires – one above me, one below – until I reached the other side (or died of a heart attack, whichever happened first).

Climbing the wooden poles to the wire wasn’t a problem, it was trying to make my body and the wire stop shaking at the top that really got me. I knew Chris on the ground – attached to the other end of my rope – would prevent me from falling, but I was urging my body to go against all the things it had learnt not to do since childhood.

I made my way across, shaking like a junkie going cold

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turkey, the adrenalin gushing through my body like a waterfall. With my clenched muscles easing only briefly to carry out the tiniest of movement, it took well over 25 minutes to complete the “warmup”.

My legs giving way when I was finally brought back to earth signified that I was, indeed, warm. Standing 11m up on one side of the Rickety Bridge, the next hurdle to overcome, I actually felt much braver after losing the initial fear – and most of my breakfast. Don’t get me wrong, my stomach still turned cartwheels whenever the wooden, uneven bridge tilted under my weight. But it appeared my adrenal gland had surpassed its daily, no, make that yearly, amount.The next few obstacles – the Heebie Jeebie, an assortment of out of control foot cables and diagonal ropes; the High Log, a thin log that must be crossed first forward and then backwards; and the Burma Bridge – were again heartstopping, but achievable, once I knew what to expect.

That was until I faced... the Giant Trapeze.

Billed as “The ultimate head trip and a true leap of faith”, my mission was simple: scale the 13m pole, stand on top (with nothing to hold on to) before leaping forward to grab a trapeze two metres out in front of me. I felt quietly confident and determined to reach the trapeze, even though our guide had explained that it didn’t matter whether we reached it or not – it was taking the leap that counted. Still, having completed all of the challenges so far, I would accept nothing but total success.

Reaching the summit of the thin pole was no problem, and I confidently placed one foot on top, ready to pull the rest of my body to join it. That was until everything decided to shut down and cease to conform. I was stuck, elegantly poised like a rabbit caught in headlights, with

my arse in the air.

A few encouraging words from below did nothing to persuade my rather comatose state, as I contemplated staying up there all day. There were a few conversations going on in my head. Well I say conversations but they were more like arguments. Evil Lee was telling me that I could do it and to stop acting like a pussy, while Good Lee was muttering the Lord’s Prayer, and saying to stop fantasising about Katy Perry while I was at it.

Summoning every ounce of strength, courage, and fingernails I had, I managed a half crouch and then a full stance, as if balancing on a pinhead. Great. Now what?

Staring out at the trapeze, which felt as though it was in Australia rather than two metres away, I began to suck in as much air as possible. It was around this time that Chris and the rest of the crowd below hit upon the master stroke of counting down from three to one, to help encourge the leap. But this was soon deemed a waste of time having repeated the exercise at least five times, only to still find me impersonating Crouching Tiger. I could tell the audience was growing restless, and being the entertainer that I am, decided on a three count of my own.

“Three... Two... One.” With all the elegance of a mountain goat being flung through the air by a catapult, I grasped the trapeze. As my body jerked with the momentum, I opened my eyes and found myself dangling precariously over the delighted spectators, who rewarded the courageous mountain goat with a round of applause.

Now, who’s going to clean all that mess up? LT ❚ Details: Jumps with Taupo Bungy cost from $239 skydivetaupo.co.nz; Jumps with Taupo Bungy cost from $149 taupobungy.co.nz; Half-day adventures at Rock’n Ropes costs from $65 rocknropes.co.nz

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GETTINGAROUND BUSES & TOURS Atomic Shuttles South Island buses. 03 349 0697, atomictravel.co.nz Bottom Bus Far south tours.

03 477 9083, bottombus.co.nz

RENTAL FIRMS Ace Rental Cars 0800 502 277, acerentalcars.com.nz Apex Car Rentals 0800 939 597 , apexrentals.co.nz

BOOK NOW!

Spaceships 0800 772 237, spaceshipsrentals.co.nz

United Campervans 09 275 9919, unitedcampervans.co.nz

Mighty Cars and Campers (Formerly Backpacker Campervan & Car Rentals) 0800 081 026 mightycampers.co.nz

Wicked Campers 0800 246 870, wickedcampers.co.nz

Flying Kiwi Wilderness Expeditions 0800 693 296, flyingkiwi.com

Bargain Rental Cars 0800 001 122, bargainrentals.co.nz

Air New Zealand 1800 737 000, airnewzealand.co.nz

Darn Cheap Rentals 0800 800 327, dcrentals.co.nz

Air Pacific Fiji flights 0800 800 178, airpacific.com

Econo Campers 09 275 9919, econocampers.co.nz

Emirates 050 836 4728, emirates.com

Escape Rentals 0800 216 171, escaperentals.co.nz

Jetstar 0800 800 995,

Magic Travellers Network 09 358 5600, magicbus.co.nz Nakedbus.com 0900 62533, nakedbus.com

Jucy Rentals 0800 399 736, jucy.co.nz

NZ Travelpass 0800 339 966, travelpass.co.nz

Nationwide Rental Cars 0800 803 003, nationwiderentalcars.co.nz

Stray 09 526 2140, straytravel.com

Pegasus Rental Cars 0800 803 580, rentalcars.co.nz

West Coast Shuttle Greymouth to Christchurch buses.

03 768 0028, westcoastshuttle.co.nz

Rent-A-Dent 0800 736 823, rentadent.co.nz Rental Car Village 09 376 9935, hire-vehicles.co.nz

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FEELIN’ FRESH

Standby Cars 0800 789 059, standbycars.co.nz

Flexi-Pass Combines InterCity and Newmans. 0800 222 146, flexipass.co.nz

Kiwi Experience 09 336 4286 kiwiexperience.com

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AIRLINES

jetstar.com

Qantas 0800 808 767, qantas.com.au Virgin Australia 0800 670 000, virginaustralia.com Webjet Flights comparison website. webjet.com.au

FERRIES Interislander Linking Wellington and Picton. 0800 802 802, interislander.co.nz

THE NAKED BUS Cheap, cheap, cheap. If you are capable of planning ahead you can get a damn good deal with the Naked Bus. This is because the first seat sold on every bus trip goes for $1. Even if you’re not quick enough to get that price, they’re pretty cheap all round. They also guarantee to beat any other company on price. Quicker than hitching and cheaper than hiring a car. Clothes optional (not really). nakedbus.com/nz

MUST–VISIT

NINETY-MILE BEACH Way up on the tippity-top of the North Island, is Nintey-Mile Beach. Unlike its name suggests, it’s not really 90 miles long. It’s actually 55. Regardless, it’s considered a highway in New Zealand and has a speed limit of 100km/hr. Self-drive it if you’ve got the stones, but your insurance company definitely won’t cover you on this road. It’s also tide dependent, so take a tour if you want a worry free trip and they’ll throw in some sandboarding for you too. There are cultural and historical sights alike in the area to be absorbed. Or just rock up and check out the sunset.

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SPECTACULAR SCENERY IT’S BEST AT N IO CT A ER AT EW IT H W &

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L A I C E SP OFF

$20

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BAREESSENTIALS

Wellington

BANKS

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Nationwide banks like Westpac, ANZ and Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) have the most branches and, if you are planning on spending a long period of time here, issue cards for use at ATMs (cashpoints).

Air New Zealand 0800 737 000, Soundsair Wellington 0800 505 005 03 520 3080

Changing money

INSURANCE

You can change money at any bank.

American Express, Visa, Mastercard and Thomas Cook travellers’ cheques are all widely recognised.

Banks will give cash advances on Visa and Mastercard credit cards but for American Express you must go to a designated Amex office.

Foreign exchange is available for all international flights at airports.

Downunder Worldwide Travel Insurance 09 376 8292, dunder@internet.co.nz

VISA HOGWARTZ 277 Rattray St. Dorms from $25.

A former Catholic bishop’s residence in the 1870s, and now a beautiful backpackers. The five-bed dorm is the bishop’s old formal dining room.

HEALTH Auckland Metro Doctors Travelcare

For accident and medical care and all international travel vaccines.

Pharmacy, X-ray and laboratory.

Open six days. BNZ Tower, cnr 125 Queen & Swanson Sts, Auckland, 09 373 4621, Email: doctor@ travelcareMD.com TMVC For all your medical needs.

Christchurch, 03 379 4000

POST Post Offices are open 9am-5pm on weekdays. Mail can be sent to ‘Poste Restante, CPO’ in the relevant city. CPO stands for Chief Post Office. Mail will be held for 30 days. Delivery time is two days between major centres, a bit longer for rural areas.

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Dunedin

hogwartz.co.nz

PHONES Pay phones in NZ are usually of the card variety and phone cards are available in values of $5, $10, $20 and $50. The country dial code for New Zealand is 64.

Directory assistance 018 International operator: 0170 (reversed charges) Emergency (Fire, ambulance, police): 111 Compass communications Kia Ora cards. Prepaid calling card kiaoracard.co.nz

Country & area codes New Zealand 64; Auckland 09; Northland 09; Rotorua/Taupo 07; Wellington 04; South Island 03 Directory service International: 0172

DOM AIRLINES Auckland Air New Zealand 0800 737 000, 09 357 3000 Great Barrier 09 275 9120

The type of visa you will need to enter NZ is determined by how long you want to stay and what you want to do while you’re there. If you are only entering New Zealand as a tourist you may need a visa depending on what country you are from. If you intend to work while you are in New Zealand you can apply for one online, once you’re here. Citizens of many countries can get a 23-month Working Holiday visa. immigration.govt.nz Visitor’s Visas Citizens of a number of countries do not require visas if they are visiting NZ for three months or less. On arrival, all visitors must be in possession of a valid ticket or enough funds to purchase a ticket out of NZ to a country they have the right of entry to, ie: you must already hold a visa for that country if one is required – you cannot expect to get the visa once you are in New Zealand. Your passport must be valid for three months beyond when you expect to leave NZ, and

@tnt_downunder you must also have sufficient money (NZ$1000 for each month of your visit) to support yourself during your stay. If you wish to stay longer than three months, you should apply for a Visitor’s Visa (which will allow you to stay in NZ for up to nine months) before you arrive in New Zealand, although British passport holders on arrival in NZ may be issued a permit valid for a stay of up to six months.

Extensions If you like New Zealand and decide you’d like to stay here longer you may extend your stay to a maximum of nine months in an 18 month period. To do this you need to apply for a further visitor permit. You can apply for these permits online immigration. govt.nz. If you do need to apply in person, New Zealand Immigration Service offices are located in Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. The Auckland office is very busy and you may experience long delays when applying there. When applying, you need to show your outward ticket or prove your ability to purchase such a ticket; your current passport, a recent passport-sized photo and evidence that you still have sufficient funds to support yourself. If you do not have the required funds, you will need a guarantee of accommodation and maintenance from a NZ friend or relative who is willing to be your sponsor.

Photo: Tourism New Zealand

FLIP OUT

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AKAROA A cutesy little French/English looking town, hidden to the southeast of Christchurch. There’s plenty of history to be discovered, as well as quaint cafés and art galleries. From the town you can explore the nearby bays and see the resident penguin colony, seals and birdlife. It’s also the best place to swim with the smallest dolphins in the world – Hectors dolphins. You can also check out the friendly orcas here too.

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AUCKLAND

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In Maori language the city’s name is Tamaki Makau Rau, which translates as “the city of 100 lovers”. Auckland is admired for its cosmopolitan flavour, its sunny harbour for the fact that it makes every other city in NZ feel like a small town. i-SITE Auckland Atrium, skycity, Cnr Federal & Victoria Sts Backpackers World Travel 16-20 Fort St, 09 379 4126, backpackersworld.com Base Travel Level 3, 229 Queen St, 09 358 4874, basetravel.com i-SITE Visitor Information 287 Queen St, 09 979 2333, reservations@aucklandnz.com Ferry Tickets Online (For inter-island ferry services) 39 Beach Rd, 0800 500 660, ferrytickets.co.nz Parks Information Centre Details on tramping, camping grounds, the Gulf Islands and exploring the regional parks. 21 Pitt St, open Mon-Fri, 09 366 2000 Airport Transport The airport is 21km from the city and shuttle buses run every half an hour.

Airbus Airport is every 20 mins.

0800 247 287, airbus.co.nz City buses Tickets and timetables are available from the 10 central city Star Mart stores.

09 366 6400 Auckland InterCity Travel Centre Buses around Auckland and the rest of New Zealand leave from here. Located beside the casino, Hobson St, 09 623 1503 Train Intercity trains arrive and depart from Britomart, 12 Queen St, Auckland.

09 270 5211

AUCKLAND STAY Airport Skyway Lodge Backpackers (BBH) 30 Kirkbride Road, Mangere.

09 275 4443, skywaylodge.co.nz

DOWNTOWN BACKPACKERS 1 Bunny St, Wellington. Dorms from $25 Charming backpackers set in an old art-deco building. Nice and clean with plenty of sunlight and great communal areas.

Wellington

downtownbackpackers.co.nz

BK Hostel (BBH) 3 Mercury Ln, Central. 09 307 0052, bkhostel.co.nz

Princeton Backpackers 30 Symonds St. 09 963 8300, nigel@princeton.co.uk

Central City Backpackers 26 Lorne St. 09 358 5685, backpacker.net.nz

Queen Street Backpackers (VIP) 4 Fort St. 09 373 3471, enquiries@qsb.co.nz

City Garden Lodge 25 St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell.

09 302 0880

Uenuku Lodge (BBH) 217 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby.

09 378 8990

City Groove Backpackers (BBH) 6 Constitutional Hill, Parnell.

09 303 4768, bed@backpackersco.nz

Surf ‘n’ Snow Backpackers 102 Albert St. 09 363 8889, surfandsnow.co.nz

Georgia Parkside Backpackers 189 Park Rd, Grafton.

09 309 8999, bacpacgeorgia@xtra.co.nz Kiwi International Queen St Hotel and Hostel 411 Queen St. 0800 100 411, kiwihotel.co.nz Kiwi International Airport 150 McKenzie Road, Mangere.

0800 801 919, kiwiairport@xtra.co.nz Lantana Lodge (BBH) 60 St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell.

09 373 4546, lantana@xtra.co.nz The Fat Camel (Nomads) 38 Fort St. 09 307 0181, nomadshostels.com New Zealand Backpackers 8 Nixon St, Ponsonby.

09 376 3871, ajlodge@xtra.co.nz

Albert Park Backpackers (VIP) 27-31 Victoria St East.

09 309 0336, bakpak@albertpark.co.nz

Nomads Auckland 16-20 Fort St. 09 300 9999, nomadshostels.com

Auckland International Backpackers (BBH) 2 Churton St, Parnell. +64358 4584,

Oaklands Lodge (BBH) 5A Oaklands Rd, Mt Eden.

09 638 6545, oaklands.co.nz

Base Auckland 229 Queen St. 0800 227 369, stayatbase.com

Pentlands (BBH) 22 Pentland Ave, Mt Eden. +64 9638 7031

Bamber House (BBH) 22 View Rd, Mt Eden.

09 623 4267, hostelbackpacker.com

Ponsonby Backpackers (BBH) 2 Franklin Rd, Ponsonby.

09 360 1311, info@ponsonby-backpackers.co.nz

The Brown Kiwi (BBH) 7 Prosford St, Ponsonby.

09 378 0191, brownkiwi.co.nz Verandahs (BBH) 6 Hopetown St. 09 360 4180 Uenuku Lodge (BBH) 217 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby.

09 378 8990 YHA Auckland City Cnr City Rd & Liverpool St. 09 378 8990 YHA Auckland International 5 Turner St. 09 302 8200, yha.co.nz

AUCKLAND DO Explorer Bus Sightseeing around Auckland, 0800 439 756 explorerbus.co.nz On the Road Tours and Charters Sightseeing bus tours of Auckland and the north shore.

0800 486 877, ontheroad.co.nz Harbour Ferries Ferries can take you all over the harbour. Info about timetables and destinations available at the Ferry Building on Quay St. 09 424 5561 America’s Cup Sailing Experience A unique opportunity to participate as crew on an actual America’s Cup yacht. Take the helm, exert energy on the grinders or simply sit back and enjoy the action as you sail the

beautiful Waitemata Harbour.

The two hour sails departs daily from the Auckland Viaduct. No experience necessary. 0800 397 567, explorenz.co.nz

Pride of Auckland The Pride of Auckland operates an impressive fleet of large, purpose-built yachts on the sheltered waters of Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour and is Auckland Museum world famous for its sailing and See the world’s finest collection dining cruises. Join them for a of Maori and Pacific Island coffee, lunch, dinner, Waiheke artefacts. Explore New sailing experience cruise or a Zealand’s natural history, full-day sailing adventure and discover the largest bird that experience the “City of Sails” ever lived and experience a for what it is known for.

Maori cultural show.

0800 397 567, 09 306 7067, explorenz.co.nz aucklandmuseum.com Auckland Bridge Climb Auckland Zoo Up and over the Auckland See kiwi birds in the nocturnal Harbour Bridge. Westhaven house and over 900 animals.

Reserve, Curran St, Herne Bay, 09 360 3800, 0800 286 4958, aucklandzoo.co.nz ajhackett.com Coast to Coast Walkway A walk between Waitemata Harbour and Manukau Harbour.

It takes about four hours and takes in Albert Park, Auckland Uni, Auckland Domain, Mt Eden, and One Tree Hill.

Devonport A 15-minute ferry or bus ride across the harbour on the north shore, Devonport is an idyllic setting for a picnic or a stroll along the beach.

Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter & Underwater World A seawater aquarium with a moving walkway through a transparent underwater cavern.

Antarctic Encounter is a recreation of an Antarctic environment where you jump on a snow mobile and tour a penguin colony, get attacked by an orca whale. Orakei Wharf, Tamaki Drive, 09 528 0603, kellytarltons.co.nz

Auckland Harbour Bridge Jump NZ’s only ocean touch bungy, 40m high. Westhaven Reserve, Curran St, Herne Bay, 0800 286 4958, ajhackett.co.nz Canyonz Ltd Explore subtropical canyons and abseil down crashing waterfalls.

0800 422 696, canyonz.co.nz New Zealand Surf Tours 09 832 9622, newzealandsurftours.com Sky Jump Fall from the top of the 192m Sky Tower, 0800 759 586, skyjump.co.nz Sky Walk Walk around the external 1.2m wide platform, 192m up.

09 368 1835, skywalk.co.nz

Fullers Bay of Islands Tours Mt Eden The highest point in the One, two and three-day tours city, 4km south of the city from Auckland. centre with spectacular views. 09 358 0259, Get there by bus. boitc.co.nz NZ National Maritime Museum The museum celebrates NZ’s maritime heritage. 09 373 0800, nzmaritime.org

Awesome Adventures Three-day Bay of Islands tours.

0800 658 058, awesomenz.com

Ponsonby West of the city, explore Victorian architecture and narrow streets with cafés, bars, clothes shops, art galleries and some lively nightlife.

Beaches Auckland is surrounded by great beaches, including Judges Bay, Kohimarama, Okahu Bay, St Heliers Bay and popular Mission Bay.

Queen Street Auckland’s main boulevard with Aotea Square Markets shops, cafés and restaurants.

Every Friday and Saturday at Aotea Square, Queen St. NZ Whale & Dolphin Safari fashion labels, retro gear, foods, See whales and dolphins from Pacific-style crafts, jewellery Auckland’s doorstep. The and furniture, Hauraki Gulf is considered one 09 309 2677, of the most biologically and the-edge.co.nz geographically diverse marine parks in the world. See Victoria Park Market dolphins, whales, sea birds and/ 3km from the CBD, an outdoor or even penguins. Dolphins are market with fruit, veggies, viewed on over 90% and whales books, clothes and handicrafts. on 75% of trips. Departs daily from the Auckland Viaduct.

Dolphin viewing guaranteed.

GREAT BARRIER 0800 397 567, explorenz.co.nz The island is dominated by a native Fullers Cruises forest a network of criss-crossing Inner harbour cruises and longer tracks. greatbarrier.co.nz cruises to Hauraki Gulf islands, with all-day passes and hop-on, Orama Resort (YHA) Karaka Bay Rd, 09 429 0063, hop-off options.

09 367 9111. yha.co.nz

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NORTHISLAND Stray Possum Lodge (VIP) 09 429 0109, straypossum@acb.co.nz

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PAIHIA DO

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Haruru Falls Picturesque falls offering swimming, camping and kayaking opportunities – and a pub!

BARRIER DO Fullers Cruises Depart from the Ferry Building.

09 367 9102

Opua Forest The DOC provides a leaflet of forest walks, which features a small stand of Kauri trees. Drive into the forest via Oromahoe Rd or walk from School Rd.

Great Barrier Airlines Fly out of Auckland Airport or Auckland Shore Airfield.

0800 900 600, Fullers Great Barrier Explorers Cruise and tours, summer only (October-April).

09 367 9111

WAIHEKE ISLAND A 35-minute ferry ride from Auckland. It is popular for its long sweeping beaches and craft shops.

Hekerua Lodge Backpackers (BBH) 11 Hekerua Rd, Oneroa, 09 372 8990, hekerualodge.co.nz Waiheke Island Hostel Seaview Road, Onetangi, Ph: (09) 372 8971, waihekehostel.co.nz

NORTHLAND The “winterless north” is Northland’s famous tag. The subtropical climate is good all year round and the area boasts some of the best beaches in NZ. Highlights include Ninety Mile Beach, Kerikeri and the beautiful Bay of Islands.

HELENSVILLE The hot springs here have indoor and outdoor thermal pools and waterslides.

Malolo House (BBH) 110 Commercial Rd, 09 420 7262, helensville.co.nz/malolo.htm

HIBISCUS COAST Whangaparaoa Peninsula. A popular holiday spot, the peninsula offers water sport opportunities from windsurfing to boating. Busy in summer, this whole area is popular with bushwalkers.

Hisbiscus Coast Visitor Info Hibiscus Coast Hwy, 09 426 0076.

Marco Polo Backpackers Inn (BBH) 2d Hammond Ave, Hatfields Beach, 09 426 8455, marcopolo.co.nz

PAKIRI BEACH Famous for its white sand and isolation, there are several coastal walks here and gorgeous views.

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BROWN KIWI 7 Prosford St, Freeman’s Bay. Dorms from $27 An unassuming little hostel, known for being gay friendly and also close to great shopping. Also boasts a neat garden courtyard.

Auckland

brownkiwi.co.nz

SAIL ROCK Hen & Chickens Island and Sail Rock These offshore areas offer great sailing and diving. Boat trips leave from the area daily.

Waipu Wanderer (BBH) 25 St Marys Rd, 09 432 0532

WHANGAREI The waterfront has been developed in the style of the early settlers (except with cafés, restaurants and galleries) and Mount Parahaki towers 241m above the city. Stroll along enticing beaches and dive at Poor Knights Islands. one of the world’s top diving sites. Also pay a visit to petty Whangerei Falls.

Whangarei I-SITE Visitor Centre 92 Otaika Rd, 09 438 1079

WHANGAREI STAY Bunkdown Lodge (BBH) 23 Otaika Road, 09 438 8886, bunkdownlodge.co.nz Coastal Cow Backpackers (BBH) 299 Molesworth Drive, Mangawhai Heads, 09 431 5444, coastalcow@xtra.co.nz Little Earth Lodge (BBH) 85 Abbey Caves Road, 09 430 6562, littleearthlodge.co.nz Piano Hill Farm (BBH) Piano Hill, Kauri, 09 433 7090, thefarm.co.nz Whangarei Falls Backpackers (BBH) Ngunguru Road, Glenbervie, 09 437 0609, whangereifalls.co.nz YHA Whangarei, Manaakitanga 52 Punga Grove Ave, 09 438 8954, yha.co.nz

WAIPU

WHANGAREI DO

Come to Waiku for snorkelling, fishing and exploring the caves. The Bream Bay Coast is a magnificent expanse of white sparkling sand just 30 mins drive from the city.

Dive! Tutukaka Poor Knights Islands dives, plus tours with kayaking, cave explorations, snorkelling, swimming, sea mammal-spotting.

PAIHIA Paihia is one of the most beautiful towns on the North Island with equal parts love for adventure, nature and a raucous nightlife.

AwesomeNZ Tours include Maori mythology, dolphin swimming and fast boats. Maritime Building, on the waterfront, 0800 653 339, awesomenz.com Bay of Islands i-Site The Wharf, Marsden Rd, Freephone: 09 402 7345 Base Travel 18 Kings Rd, 09 402 7111, basetravel.com

PAIHIA STAY Base Pipi Patch 18 Kings Rd 09 402 7111, stayatbase.com Captain Bob’s Beachhouse (BBH) 44 Davis Cres, 09 402 8668, capnbobs@xtra.co.nz Centabay Lodge (BBH) 27 Selwyn Rd, 09 402 7466, centaby@xtra.co.nz Mayfair Lodge (BBH) 7 Puketona Rd, 09 402 7471, bay-of-islands.co.nz/accomm/ mayfair.html Mousetrap (BBH) 11 Kings Rd, 09 402 8182, info@mousetrap.co.nz Peppertree Lodge (BBH) 15 Kings Rd, 09 402 6122, peppertree.co.nz Pickled Parrot Backpackers (BBH) Grey’s Lane, 09 402 6222, theparrot@paradise.net.nz Saltwater Lodge (BBH) 14 Kings Rd, 0800 002 266, saltwaterlodge.co.nz YHA Paihia Cnr Kings and MacMurray Rds, Paihia, 09 402 7487, yha.co.nz

Te Rawhiti Cape Brett Walkway Guided tours include experienced local Maori guides, all meals, hut accommodation, transport by boat to hut taking in the famous Hole in the Rock, Maori culture, myths and legends and hangi, 09 403 7248 Waitangi Treaty Grounds The site where the historic Treaty of Waitangi was signed.

Also see carvings that represent all Maori tribes in NZ and one of the largest ceremonial waka (canoe) in the world, launched every Waitangi Day (Feb 6).

09 402 7437, waitangi.net.nz Boat cruises & dolphin watching Cape Brett “Hole in the Rock” Cruise Four-hour cruises, 09 402 7421 Dolphin Discoveries With the warmest water and friendliest dolphins (bottlenoses), this is a great place for swimming with the dolphins (conditions permitting).

The high-speed luxury catamaran offers easy access to the water and hot showers. Or do a “Hole in the Rock and Dolphin Viewing Experience” and see dolphins, whales, birds and other wildlife. Visit Otehei Bay on Urupukapuka Island during your island stop and explore this amazing place.

0800 365 744, explorenz.co.nz Dune Rider Unique Adventure Tour Make your way up to Cape Reinga while traveling to the Gumdiggers Park and drive along the famous Ninety Mile Beach. Climb huge sand dunes and boogie board back down on the way and stop at the world famous Mangonui Fish Shop for fish and chips. Departing daily from Paihia.

0800 365 744, explorenz.co.nz Excitor “Hole in the Rock” Adventure One-and-a-half hours, 0800 653 339, excitor.co.nz Lion New Zealand – “The Ultimate Day Sail in the Bay” Join Lion New Zealand, NZ’s most famous maxi yacht. Enjoy a fresh BBQ lunch and activities such as kayaking, snorkelling, natural walks at Otehei Bay or simply kick back and enjoy the island atmosphere.

0800 365 744, bayofislands@explorenz.co.nz

@tnt_downunder Overnight Cruises The Rock 24-hour cruise featuring kayaking, snorkelling with stingrays, fishing for your dinner, dolphin spotting.

0800 762 527, rocktheboat.co.nz Awesome Cape Reinga Via Ninety Mile Beach – learn Maori myths and legends, navigate the quicksand stream, ride the dunes, visit a thousand year old forest. 0800 653 339, awesomenz.com

RUSSELL Catch a ferry to Russell, originally a sprawling fortified Maori settlement.

Information Centre End of the Pier, 09 403 8020

RUSSELL STAY The Coast Road Farm (BBH) Coast Rd, Whangaruru, 09 433 6894, thefarm.co.nz Ferry Landing (BBH) 395A Aucks Rd, Okiato Point, 09 403 7985, ferrylanding@clear.net.nz Wainui (BBH) 92D Te Wahapu Rd, 09 403 8278, stocked@xtra.co.nz

KERIKERI A highlight of the sparsely populated town is the wonderful Maori village.

There is also an historic Maori pa (fortress) and the Kerikeri Mission Station.

Dept of Conservation Office 09 407 8474

KERIKERI STAY Kerikeri Top 10 Holiday Park & Aranga Backpackers Aranga Drive off Kerikeri Rd, 09 407 9326, kerikeritop10.co.nz Hideaway Lodge Wiroa Rd, 0800 562 746 Hone Heke Lodge (BBH) 65 Hone Heke Rd, 09 407 8170, kerikeri.net/honeheke Kerikeri Farm Hostel (BBH) Ph: (09) 407 6989, kkfarmhostel@xtra.co.nz

NRTH BAY OF ISL i-Site Far North South Rd in Jaycee Park.

09 408 0879, kaitaiainfo@xtra.co.nz Farm Backpackers (BBH) End of Lamb Rd, Pukenui, 09 409 7863, farmbackpackers@xtra.co.nz North Wind Lodge Backpackers (BBH) Otaipango Rd, Henderson Bay, 09 409 8515, northwindlodge@xtra.co.nz Pukenui Lodge Hostel (BBH) Cnr SH1 & Wharf Rd, Pukenui, 09 4098837, stay@pukenuilodge.co.nz

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Hamilton Visitor Centre 5 Garden Place, Hamilton 07 958 5960 visithamilton.co.nz

MATAURI BAY A very well-kept tourist secret, Matauri Bay is Maori land, home to the Ngati Kura people, and has beautiful, quiet beaches.

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DOC Office Level 5, Rostrevor St.

The Welcome Swallow Backpackers Off Matauri Bay Road, 09 4051 019, welcomeswallow.com

HAMILTON STAY Colts n Fillies (BBH) 37 Smith Rd, Karamu, 07 825 9809, ktt.co.nz

The Rainbow Warrior A monument to the noble but doomed Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior, sits on the site of a Maori pa on the headland at Matauri Bay. Travellers come here to dive the ship’s wreck.

WHANGAROA This area was once well known for its Kauri forests, but these days it’s more about game fishing. The scenery is ruggedly spectacular and sailing cruises are popular.

Tourist info centre Boyd Gallery, 09 405 0230.

Sunseeker Lodge (BBH) Old Hospital Rd, 09 405 0496, sunseekerlodge.co.nz

DOUBTLESS BAY Less touristy than the Bay of Islands, the area around Doubtless is made up of tiny bays and coves, beach resorts and historical villages.

KARIKARI PENIN The Rusty Anchor (BBH) 1 Tokerau Beach Rd, 09 406 7141, info@rustyanchor.co.nz

TAIPA A tiny village with a boat-dotted harbour. You can swim with dolphins, hire boats or kayaks, and swim at the beautiful Coopers Beach. Taipa is worth visiting for its pretty beach.

KAITAIA The ideal starting point for Cape Reinga and Ninety Mile Beach.

Backpackers Heaven (VIP) Wagener Holiday Park, Houhora Heads, 09 409 8564, wagenerpark@xtra.co.nz Main Street Lodge (BBH) 235 Commerce St, 09 408 1275, mainstreet@xtra.co.nz Pukenui Lodge (YHA) Corner Wharf Rd & State Hwy 1, Houhora, 09 409 8837, yha.co.nz Waitiki Landing Far North Rd, 09 409 7508

KAITAIA DO Ancient Kauri Kingdom Giant kauri tree stumps are fashioned into furniture and other trinkets.

Waterfront Lodge (BBH) 6 Wi Neera St, 07 825 0515, raglanbackpackers.co.nz

Forty Winks (BBH) 267 River Rd, Claudelands, 07 855 2033, forty_winks@ihug.co.nz J’s Backpackers (BBH) 8 Grey Street, 07 856 8934, jsbackpackers.co.nz

CRANK BACKPACKERS 1140 Hinemoa St, Rotorua. Dorms from $22.

An intriguing hostel breaking from the norm in Rotorua. Set in an old mall with co-ed bathrooms and a free gym. Wild, but wonderful.

Rotorua

crankbackpackers.co.nz

Far North Regional Museum Featuring all kinds of goodies, like the skeleton of a giant moa bird and salvages from local shipwrecks.

Pack or Paddle Thoms Landing, 09 4098 445, packorpaddle@hotmail.com

90 MILE BEACH The west coast of the Far North Peninsula is Ninety Mile Beach,a beautiful strip of coastline that takes you way up to Cape Reinga.

AHIPARA This is the best spot for sandtobogganing, located at the south end of Ninety Mile Beach.

Globe Trekkers Lodge (BBH) SH12, Omapere, 09 405 8183.

Waitawa Farm Hostel (BBH) 164 Pukemiro Rd, 09 409 5809, valleyfarm@xtra.co.nz

DARGAVILLE On the road from Hokianga, the famous “Big Trees”, the native kauri trees of Waipoua Kauri Forest. Once in Dargaville, attractions include the masts from the ill-fated Rainbow Warrior and the fascinating bird sanctuary nearby.

Dargaville Info Centre 61 Normanby St, 09 439 8360

DARGAVILLE STAY

YHA Ahipara Backpackers & Motor Camp 168-170 Takehe St, 09 409 4864, yha.co.nz

Dargaville Holiday Park (VIP) 10 Onslow St, 09 439 8296, dargavilleholidaypark@xtra.co.nz

Farm Backpackers (BBH) End of Lamb Rd, Pukenui, 09 409 7863 farmbackpackers@xtra.co.nz

Kaihu Farm (BBH) RD6, Kaihu, 09 439 4004, kaihufarm@clear.net.nz

Endless Summer Lodge (BBH) 245 Foreshore Rd, 09 409 4181, endlesssummer.co.nz

AHIPARA DO Tuatua Tours Guided quad tours of Ninety Mile Beach sand dunes. 3 Main Road, 0800 494 288, tuatuatours.co.nz

HOKIANGA Heading south, you’ll hit Hokianga Harbour and the quiet twin towns of Omapere and Opononi. The Koutu Boulders are worth a look.

Hokianga Information 09 405 8869, hokiangainfo@xtra.co.nz

HOKIANGA STAY Okopako Lodge (BBH) 140 Mountain Rd, South Hokianga, 09 405 8815,

The Greenhouse Hostel (BBH) 13 Portland St, 09 439 6342, m.stevens@clear.net.nz

MATAKOHE Travellers Lodge (BBH) 64 Jellicoe Rd, Ruawai, 09 439 2283 Kauri Country Northland 3hr 4WD eco-adventures, including free ticket to Kauri Museum. Devon Grove, Matakohe, 09 431 6007

WAIKATO Waikato District Info Centre 160 Great South Rd, Huntly, 07 828 6406 Shekinah (BBH) 122 Pungapunga Rd, Pukekawa, 09 233 4464, shekinah@ps.gen.nz

HAMILTON NZ’s largest inland city and is known for its parks and gardens.

Karioi Backpacker Lodge (VIP, BBH) & Raglan Surfing School 5 Whaanga Rd, Whale Bay, 07 825 7873, karioilodge.co.nz Solcape Accommodation Centre (BBH) 611 Wainui Rd, 07 825 8268 Waikatoa Beach Lodge (BBH) 8 Centreway Rd, Sunset Beach, Port Waikato, 09 232 9961, sunsetbeach.co.nz

TE AWAMUTU

HAMILTON DO Waikato Museum of Art & History Cnr Victoria and Grantham Sts. More than 3,000 items, with a permanent Maori War canoe.

Gold coin donations welcomed.

MATAMATA

Given that it calls itself the “Rose Town of New Zealand”, it’s not surprising the 2,000-strong Rose Garden is the town’s major attraction.

Te Awamutu Info Centre 1 Gorst Ave, 07 871 3259.

Te Awamutu District Museum 135 Roche St. 07 872 0085

KAWHIA

Rural town famous for being turned into Hobbiton in those films – some The main attraction of this peaceful port town, 55km south of Raglan, is of the set still stands. the Maketu Marae where you can Hobbiton Backpackers experience the rich cultural tapestry 81 Arawa St, 07 888 9972, of NZ’s indigenous history. steve@hobbitonbackpackers.co.nz

OTOROHANGA

CAMBRIDGE

Just 59km south of Hamilton, many This very Olde English town with its travellers use this small farming town square and abundance of community as a base for visiting the trees is in the heart of Waikato. The Waitomo Caves. region is famous for its horses and Otorohanga Visitor Info Centre jetboating.

26 Maniapoto St, Cambridge Tourist Info Centre otorohanga.co.nz Cnr Queen and Victoria Sts, 07 823 3456

WAITOMO

RAGLAN One of New Zealand’s best-known surfing beaches, Raglan is situated 48km west of Hamilton.

Raglan Information Centre 2 Wainui Rd, 07 825 0556

RAGLAN STAY Ewe Dream’Inn (BBH) 2458 State Highway 22, Glen Murray, 09 233 3144, glenmurray.net Raglan Backpackers & Waterfront Lodge (BBH) 6 Wi Neera St, 07 825 0515, raglanbackpackers.co.nz

Definitely one of the best adventure spots in New Zealand. There are a range of caving adventures, from glowworm ogling, to long dramatic abseils deep towards the centre of the earth and excellent blackwater rafting (jump in an inner tube and let the underwater current carry you).

Waitomo Caves Discovery Centre 21 Waitomo Caves Rd, 0800 474 839. waitomodiscovery.org

WAITOMO STAY Juno Hall (BBH) 07 878 7649

Karioi Backpacker Lodge (VIP, BBH) & Raglan Surfing School 5 Whaanga Rd, Whale Bay, 07 825 7873, karioilodge.co.nz Solcape Accommodation Centre (BBH) 611 Wainui Rd, 07 825 8268 Waikatoa Beach Lodge (BBH) 8 Centreway Rd, Sunset Beach, Port Waikato, 09 232 9961, sunsetbeach.co.nz

Kiwipaka School Rd, 07 878 3395 Rap Raft & Rock Backpackers (BBH) 95 Waitomo Caves Rd, 07 873 9149, rapraftnrock@xtra.co.nz

WAITOMO DO Dundle Hill Walk A two-day walk through native bush; limestone outcrops includes overnight with spectacular views at Kays Cabin.

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NORTHISLAND TE AWAMUTU Given that it calls itself the “Rose Town of New Zealand”, it’s not surprising the 2,000-strong Rose Garden is the town’s major attraction.

Te Awamutu Info Centre 1 Gorst Ave, 07 871 3259.

Te Awamutu District Museum 135 Roche St. 07 872 0085

KAWHIA The main attraction of this peaceful port town, 55km south of Raglan, is the Maketu Marae where you can experience the rich cultural tapestry of NZ’s indigenous history.

OTOROHANGA Just 59km south of Hamilton, many travellers use this small farming community as a base for visiting the Waitomo Caves.

Otorohanga Visitor Info Centre 26 Maniapoto St, otorohanga.co.nz

WAITOMO Definitely one of the best adventure spots in New Zealand. There are a range of caving adventures, from glowworm ogling, to long dramatic

abseils deep towards the centre of the earth and excellent blackwater rafting (jump in an inner tube and let the underwater current carry you).

Waitomo Caves Discovery Centre 21 Waitomo Caves Rd, 0800 474 839. waitomodiscovery.org

WAITOMO STAY Juno Hall (BBH) 07 878 7649 Kiwipaka School Rd, 07 878 3395 Rap Raft & Rock Backpackers (BBH) 95 Waitomo Caves Rd, 07 873 9149, rapraftnrock@xtra.co.nz

WAITOMO DO Dundle Hill Walk A two-day walk through native bush; limestone outcrops includes overnight with spectacular views at Kays Cabin.

0800 924 866 Marakopa Falls, Managapohue Natural Bridge and Piri Piri Cave, 30 minutes drive from Waitomo.

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BOOK NOW! Rap Raft ‘n’ Rock Blackwater adventures combining abseiling, rafting, glowworms, caving and rockclimbing all in one five-hour adventure.

0800 228 372, caveraft.com

Casara Mesa Backpackers (BBH) Mangarino Rd, 07 878 6697, casara@xtra.co.nz

The Legendary Black Water Rafting Co Cave tubing in the blackness of the Ruakuri Cave river. 585 Waitomo Caves Rd, 0800 228 464, blackwaterrafting.co.nz

The King Country is the region south of the Waikato and the Maori influence has remained strong with the opportunity to experience Maoritanga (the Maori way).

Woodlyn Park Pioneer Show, caving adventure, and quirky accommodation in a 1950s train carriage. Waitomo Valley Road, 07 878 6666.

TE KUITI Located 19km south of Otorohanga, Te Kuiti is known as “The Shearing Capital of the World”. There’s also a magnificent Maori marae (meeting house) here.

Te Kuiti Information Centre Rora St, 07 878 8077.

Dept of Conservation 78 Taupiri Street, 07 878 1080.

Tiffany’s Tearooms, Rora St, 07 878 7640

IN HOT WATER

TE KUITI STAY

KING COUNTRY

Tidewater Tourist Park (YHA) 270 Tiki Rd, 07 866 8888, yha.co.nz Tui Lodge (BBH) 60 Whangapoua Rd, 07 866 8237, tuilodge@paradise.net.nz

OPOUTERE This is a good place to go to just chill out. The beach here is glorious and generally empty. Skinny dip anyone?

THAMES A great canyoning spot, with loads of natural pools and waterslides.

Information Thames 206 Poland St, 07 868 7284 DOC Office 07 868 6381 Canyonz Ltd 0800 422 696, canyonz.co.nz

THAMES STAY Dickson Holiday Park Victoria St, 07 868 7308, Gateway Backpackers (BBH) 209 Mackay St, 07 868 6339, gatewayb@wave.co.nz The Sunkist International Backpackers (BBH, VIP, YHA) 506 Brown St, 07 868 8808, sunkist@xtra.co.nz

FOREST PARK

COROMANDEL Some 55km north of Thames is the town of Coromandel, home to the popular Driving Creek Railway.

Coromandel Information Centre Kapanga Rd, 07 866 8598.

CORO STAY

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Lions Den (BBH) 126 Te Tiki St, 07 866 8157

COROMANDEL PEN

There are heaps of walks to choose from. The Colville Range is the most popular but the Department of Conservation in the Kauaeranga Valley is the place to begin.

Though just across the water, the Coromandel Peninsula couldn’t be further from the urbanscape that is Auckland. A mecca for eco-tourism thanks to its beautiful rainforests and stunning beaches – you can’t pass up on a trip out here. Highlights include: Cathedral Cove, Hot Water Beach (pictured) and Whitianga. There’s also the elusive Hairy Moehau, rumoured to be something like a giant ape that lives on the peninsula. It’s a wonder he hasn’t been caught, as summertime can be pretty damn busy. The area is host to kayaking, snorkelling/diving and game fishing, all in crystal clear waters.

Coromandel Town Backpackers (BBH) 732 Rings Road, 07 866 8830

A series of towns loop around the peninsula, broken by rolling green hills. Highlights include Hot Water Beach, Cathedral Cove and the cosy little Coromandel township.

Te Aroha YHA Hostel Miro Street, Te Aroha (south of Thames), 07 884 8739, yha.co.nz

COROMANDEL PENINSULA

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Anchor Lodge Backpackers (BBH) 448 Wharf Rd, 07 866 7992, anchorlodgecoromandel.co.nz

YHA Opoutere 389 Opoutere Rd, 07 865 9072, yha.co.nz

WHANGAMATA A real surfie town, Whangamata has one of the best surf beaches in New Zealand and a laidback atmosphere to match.

Whangamata Info Centre 616 Port Rd, 07 865 8340 Southpacific Accommodation (BBH) Cnr Port Rd and Mayfair Avenue, 07 865 9580, thesouthpacific.co.nz Whangamata Backpackers Hostel (BBH) 227 Beverley Tce, 07 865 8323

WHITIANGA Whitianga, perched on pretty Mercury Bay, is the most popular stop-off point for travellers on the Coromandel. You can learn to make your very own bone carving, dive and surf to your heart’s content.

Whitianga Information Centre 66 Albert St, 07 866 5555 Baywatch Backpackers (VIP) 22 The Esplanade, 07 866 5481, anchorage@ihug.co.nz Cathedral Cove Lodge Villas (VIP) 41 Harsant Ave, Hahei Beach, 07 866 3889.

Cat’s Pyjamas Backpackers (BBH) 12 Albert St, 07 866 4663.

Fernbird (BBH) 24 Harsant Ave, Hahei, 07 866 3080, fernbird@xtra.co.nz

Black Jack Backpackers (BBH) Kuaotunu, 07 866 2988, black-jack.co.nz

On the Beach Backpackers Lodge (BBH, YHA) 46 Buffalo Beach Rd, 07 866 5380, yha.co.nz

Colville Farm (BBH) 2140 Colville Road, Colville, 07 866 6820

Seabreeze Tourist Park (BBH) 1043 SH25 Tairua-Whitianga Rd, 07 866 3050

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CAPTIVATING

MAORI CULTURE As soon as you step off the plane, you will very quickly get the sense that New Zealand is undeniably bi-cultural. On the television, in newspapers and generally all over the country, Maori culture and language overlaps with the rest of the Kiwis. There are plenty of opportunities for tourists to experience traditional practices. There’s the hangi, which is a Maori feast cooked by burying the food under a huge fire. Then there’s the very well known huka, a terrifying war dance adopted by the All Blacks. If you’re especially brave, and don’t mind a permanent souvenir, you can also get a traditional Maori tattoo, or ta moko, drawn onto your body. As a non-Maori you can only get kirituhi, skin inscriptions, inspired by traditional designs.

Become part of the legend with New Zealand’s original Black Water Rafting company. Experience the exhilarating world of ancient caves, rivers, waterfalls and breath taking glowworms.

Climb, leap and float with the Black Labyrinth or descend into the black, bottomless depths with the ultimate caving tour, the Black Abyss. Or try our newest adventure, the Black Odyssey, a caving and high wire ropes tour, that will push you to the limit.

NEW!

BOOK NOW! 0800 228 464 +64 7 878 6219 www.waitomo.com

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NORTHISLAND Tatahi Lodge (BBH) Grange Rd, Hahei, 07 866 3992, dreamland.co.nz/tatahilodge

WHITIANGA DO Hot Water Beach & Cathedral Cove Rated as one of the world’s 10 best beaches, Hot Water Beach is an unusual phenomenon. For two hours either side of low tide you can dig a hole in the sand and sit in your very own thermal spa pool.

MT MAUNGANUI Home to Ocean Beach which, at 15km long, is considered by locals to be among the finest surfing in the country. The town stands at the foot of Mt Maunganui, a slab of rock 232m high, around which you can appreciate stunning views.

Mt Maunganui Visitor Centre Salisbury Ave, 07 575 5099 Te Puke Information Centre 130 Jellicoe St, 07 573 9172

BAY OF PLENTY The Bay of Plenty, extending from the Coromandel Peninsula to the East Cape, was named by Captain Cook in honour of both the fertile nature of the region and the friendly local Maoris he encountered.

Activities include paragliding, sky diving, white water rafting, 4WD safaris, gliding, jet boating and swimming with dolphins.

TAURANGA One of the fastest growing places in NZ, Tauranga combines a young population with a harbourside atmosphere. Enjoy diving, sailing, fishing and surfing.

Tauranga i-site 95 Willow St, 07 578 8103 Department of Conservation 253 Chadwick Rd West, 07 578 7677

TAURANGA STAY Appletree Cottage 47 Maxwell Rd, 07 5767404, appletreebackpackers @hotmail.com Bell Lodge (BBH) 39 Bell St, 07 578 6344, bell-lodge.co.nz Harbourside City Backpackers (BBH) 105 The Strand, 07 579 4066, backpacktauranga.co.nz Just The Ducks Nuts Backpackers (BBH) 6 Vale St, 07 576 1366, justtheducksnuts.co.nz Loft 109 (BBH) 8/109 Devonport Rd, 07 579 5638,

loft109.co.nz

Tuaranga Central Backpackers 64 Willow St, 07 571 6222, tgabackpack.co.nz YHA Tauranga 171 Elizabeth St, 07 578 5064, yha.co.nz

Mount Backpackers (BBH) 87 Maunganui Rd, 07 575 0860, mountbackpackers.co.nz Pacific Coast Backpackers (BBH) 432 Maunganui Rd, 0800 666 622, pacificcoastlodge.co.nz

MAUNGA DO Kiwifruit Country Young Rd, Te Puke, 07 573 6340, kiwifruitcountry.co.nz Te Puke Vintage Auto Barn, 26 Young Rd, 07 573 6547

WHAKATANE For a very different adventure, visit White Island, an active volcano where sulphur-lipped fumeroles and roaring steam vents create a stark wonderland.

Karibu Backpackers (BBH) 13 Landing Rd, 07 307 8276 Lloyds Lodge (BBH) 10 Domain Rd, 07 307 8005 The Windsor (BBH) 10 Merritt St, Whakatane, 07 308 8040, whaka_bpack@xtra.co.nz

WHAKATANE DO Dive White 168 The Strand, 0800 348 394, divewhite.co.nz White Island Tours Departs Whakatane daily.

0800 733 529

ROTORUA

Waimarino Adventure Park 07 576 4233

Rotorua is a must for three reasons: the abundance of accessible Maori culture, the steaming volcanic scenery and adrenalin thrills. Visit the bubbling mud at Whaka, take a dip in a thermal bath and pig out on a hangi at a Maori concert. Even the air here is special – it’s heavy with sulphur. You’ll smell it the moment you arrive.

Coyote Bar and Restaurant 107 The Strand, 07 578 8968, coyotes.com

Tourism Rotorua & Visitor Info Centre 1167 Fenton St, 07 348 5179

TAURANGA DO Butlers Swim With Dolphins 0508 288 537

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MAUNGA STAY Hairy Berry Backpackers (BBH) 2 No One Rd, Te Puke, 07 573 8015, work@hairyberrynz.com

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BOOK NOW! ROTORUA STAY Base Rotorua 1286 Arawa St, 0800 227 369, stayatbase.com Cactus Jack Backpackers (BBH) 1210 Haupapa St, 07 348 3121, cactusjackbp@xtra.co.nz Crank Backpackers 1140 Hinemoa St, 07 348 0852, crankbackpackers.co.nz Crash Palace Backpackers (BBH, VIP) 1271 Hinemaru St, 07 348 8842, info@crashpalace.co.nz Planet Nomad Backpackers (VIP) 1193 Fenton St, 07 346 2831, downtown-rotorua@xtra.co.nz Rotorua Central Backpackers (BBH) 1076 Pukuatua St, 07 349 3285, rcbenquiry@slingshot.co.nz Spa Lodge (BBH) 1221 Amohau St, 07 348 3486, spalodge@wave.co.nz

ROTORUA DO Agroventures Five adrenalin activities in one adventure park, including bungy jumping, sprint boats and a wind tunnel. 1335 Paradise Valley Rd. 07 357 4747, agroventures.co.nz Hell’s Gate Mud baths to heal and stimulate your body 07 345 3151 Kaitiaki Adventures Extreme whitewater activities.

Sledging and rafting trips on the Kaituna and Rangitaiki Rivers, 0800 338 736, kaitiaki.co.nz Off Road NZ Sprint car racing, Monster 4X4, 4WD Bush Safari and more.

07 332 5748, offroadnz.co.nz Polynesian Spa Historical hot mineral water bathing spa on the edge of Lake Rotorua.

07 348 1328, info@polynesianspa.co.nz Raftabout Whitewater rafting and sledging.

0800 723 822, raftabout.co.nz Skyline Skyrides Spectacular Get the best views and luge down 5km of tracks, or take the 150ft skyswing.

07 347 0027, skylineskyrides.co.nz Waikite Hot Pools Natural hot spring water bathing. Provides private spas, BBQ area and campground facilities, 20 minutes south of Rotorua.

07 333 1861 Waimangu Volcanic Valley The location of the Pink and White Terraces which were destroyed in the 1886 volcanic eruption.

Wet ‘n’ Wild Rafting Guided rafting options on five different rivers – the Wairoa, Rangitaiki, Kaituna, Motu and Mohaka. 0800 462 7238, wetnwildrafting.co.nz Zorbing Get harnessed inside the perspex Zorb before rolling head-over-heels downhill.

07 357 5100, zorb.com

MAORI CULTURE

@tnt_downunder Sunset Lodge (BBH) 27 Tremain Ave, 07 378 5962, info@sunsetlodgetaupo.co.nz Base Taupo 7 Tuwharetoa St, 07 377 4464, stayatbase.com Taupo Urban Retreat 65 Heu Heu St, 0800 872 261, tur.co.nz Tiki Lodge 104 Tuwharetoa St, 0800 845 456, tikilodge.co.nz

While you’re here, take the opportunity to see how the Maori lived before European settlment.

The Maori Arts and Crafts Institute in Whakarewarewa is a good place nzmaori.co.nz. to begin .

YHA Taupo 56 Kaimanawa St, 07 378 3311, yha.co.nz

NZ Maori Arts & Crafts Institute 07 348 9047

Craters of the Moon One of the most geothermally active areas in the region, full of boiling mud and steaming craters. Wairakei Park.

Rotoiti Tours 0800 476 864 Tamaki Maori Village New Zealand’s Most Awarded Cultural Experience!

Experience an evening of ceremonial ritual, powerful cultural performance, storytelling & hangi feasting.

Hinemaru St, 07 349 2099 tamakimaorivillage.co.nz

maoriculture.co.nz Whakarewarewa Thermal Village Maori village set amidst a landscape of geothermal wonders. Take a guided tour, see a cultural performance, check out Maori art.

07 349 3463, whakarewarewa.com

LAKE TAUPO Lake Taupo used to be a hidden gem, but nowadays it’s the place to visit in the North Island, thanks to its wicked mix of adrenalin adventures, sedate lake life and after-dark partying.

Taupo Visitor Centre 30 Tongariro St, 07 376 0027 laketauponz.com

TAUPO STAY Berkenhoff Lodge (BBH) 75 Scannell St, 07 378 4909, bhoff@reap.org.nz Blackcurrant Backpackers (BBH) 20 Taniwha St, 07 378 9292, blackcurrantbackpackers@xtra. co.nz Rainbow Lodge (BBH) 133 Summers St, 08 9227-1818, rainbowlodge@clear.net.nz Finns Global Backpackers (VIP) Cnr Tongariro & Tuwharetoa Sts, 07 377 0044, go-global.co.nz Silver Fern Lodge Flash-Packers (VIP) Cnr Tamamutu & Kaimanawa Sts, 07 377 4929, silverfernlodges.co.nz

TAUPO DO

Huka Falls Take a relaxing walk up to Huka Falls where the water pours over the 35ft drop at up to 62,000 gallons per second. The more energetic will enjoy the trek up Mt Tauhara where you will be rewarded with sweeping views.

Hukafalls Jet Jetboating by the falls.

0800 485 2538, hukafallsjet.com Rock ‘n’ Ropes Ropes Courses including the trapeze and Giant Swing. At Crazy Catz on Highway 5. 0800 244 508, rocknropes.co.nz Taupo Bungy Bungy from a platform 47m above the Waikato River. 202 Spa Rd. 0800 888 408, taupobungy.com Tongariro Crossing Transport and National Park Links From Taupo and Turangi during summer months (NovMay). 07 377 0435, thetongarirocrossing.co.nz Taupo Tandem Skydiving Skydive from up to 15,000 feet (over one minute freefall). Free shuttle, DVD and digital photos.

Yellow Hangar, Taupo Airport.

0800 275 934, taupotandemskydiving.com

TURANGI On the southern shores of Lake Taupo, Turangi is known as the trout fishing capital of the world. It offers heaps of outdoor adventure activities and is a good base for venturing into the Tongariro National Park.

Turangi Visitor Centre Ngawaka Place, 07 386 8999

TURANGI STAY A Plus Backpackers (BBH) 41 Iwiheke Pl, Turangi, 07 386 89 79, makoto0305@xtra.co.nz

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facebook/tntdownunder YHA Matai Lodge (BBH) 1 Rata St, Ohakune, 06 385 9169, matai.lodge@xtra.co.nz

navigate grade five whitewater and take the leap of elasticated faith from an 80m bungy.

Extreme Backpackers (BBH) 26 Ngawaka Place, 07 386 8949, extremebackpackers.co.nz

National Park Backpackers YHA (BBH) Finlay St. The hostel runs transport to the Tongariro Crossing, 07 892 2870, npbp.co.nz

The Stockmans Lodge (BBH) 9 Dixon Way, 06 388 1584, stockmanslodge@xtra.co.nz

Riverstone Backpackers (BBH) 222 Tautahanga Rd, 07 386 7004, riverstonebackpackers.com

Plateau Lodge & Motel (BBH) Carroll St, National Park, 07 892 2993, plateaulodge@xtra.co.nz

Club Habitat Backpackers Assoc YHA 25 Ohuanga Rd, 07 386 7492, yha.co.nz

TONGARIRO The World Heritage-listed Tongariro National Park, an extraordinary volcanic landscape which became Mordor in those films. Pop into the national park headquarters in Whakapapa.

Adventure Lodge & Motel (VIP) Carroll Street, National Park, 07 892 2991, adventurenationalpark.co.nz Forest Lodge (BBH) Cnr Omaki and Ohorere Rds, Owhango, 07 895 4773, forest.lodge@xtra.co.nz Howards Lodge (BBH) Carroll St, National Park, 07 892 2827, howardslodge.co.nz

Ski Haus (BBH) Carroll St, McKenzie St, 07 892 2854, skihaus.co.nz

MT RUAPEHU The park’s showcase is Mt Ruapehu, an active volcano towering at 2,796m.

Ruapehu Visitors’ Centre 54 Clyde St, 06 385 8427 Whakapapa Visitor Centre SH 48, Whakapapa Village, 07 892 3729

River Valley Dorms 06 388 1444, thelodge@rivervalley.co.nz

RANGITIKEI DO Mokai Gravity Canyon Extreme flying fox, bridge swing and bungy jump.

0800 802 864 River Valley Rafting and horse trekking. 06 388 1444, thelodge@rivervalley.co.nz

EAST COAST The East Coast is among the first places in the world to see the sun rise each morning. This is a relatively tourist-free area of New Zealand that has so much to offer that it can only be a matter of time before visitors begin to flock here.

RANGITIKEI

OPOTIKI

The Rangitikei District is a top destination for adventure sports.

Amongst stunning scenery, you can

A summer holiday town which was once a large Maori settlement and the indigenous people maintain a

strong presence here.

GISBORNE

Opotiki Information Centre Cnr St John and Elliot Sts, 07 315 3031 Central Oasis Backpackers (BBH) 30 King St, 07 315 5165, centraloasis@hotmail.com Opotiki Backpackers Beach House (BBH) 7 Appleton Rd, Waiotahi Beach, 07 315 5117, hangout@paradise.net.nz

EAST CAPE As you head around the Cape the towns get tinier and the scenery more dramatic. At Te Araroa, you can thead around to the East Cape Lighthouse.

Brians Place (BBH) Potae St, Tokomaru Bay, 06 864 5870, briansplace1@hotmail.com Eastender Backpacker & Horse Treks (BBH) 836 Rangitukia Rd, Tikitiki, 06 864 3820, horsetreks@xnet.co.nz Maraehako Bay Retreat (BBH) SH35, Whanarua Bay, 07 325 2648.

Mel’s Place (BBH) Onepoto Beach Rd, Hicks Bay, 06 864 4694, eastcapefishing@xtra.co.nz

Gisborne is a peaceful surfie town that boasts diving, windsurfing, kayaking and whitewater rafting; try Wainui, Midway and Makarori beaches. You can also soak up the Maori heritage at one of the largest carved maraes in NZ. Flying Nun Backpackers (BBH) 147 Roebuck Rd, 06 868 0461, yager@xtra.co.nz YHA Gisborne 32 Harris St, 06 867 3269, yha.co.nz

WAIROA Wairoa is a large town, great as a stop-over before heading into the area’s main attraction: the gorgeous Te Urewera National Park.

Wairoa Visitor Information Centre Queen St, 06 838 7440 Haere Mai Cottage (BBH) 49 Mitchell Rd, 06 838 6817 DOC office for hut bookings Lake Waikaremoana, 06 837 3900

NAPIER Napier is a beautiful, surprising city.

Its “pleasing to the eye” status is actually the result of an enormous

FOOD AHOY

EATING AND DRINKING IN AUCKLAND Auckland boasts just about every type of cuisine you can think of, at very affordable prices. The cheapest way to find filling food is to head for the food courts that adjoin the larger shopping malls, such as the Downtown Food Court in the Downtown Shopping Centre on QEII Square. For drinking, Queen Street and the roads running off it are the best places to start. You’ll find comedy clubs, pubs and trendy watering holes, many offering deals. The Karangahape Road – or “K Road” – is NZ’s nearest thing to Kings Cross in Sydney or Soho in London. Bars and clubs are set among the bustling red light district of Auckland. You’ll find clubs with everything from 24-hour drinking and pool to trance and hardcore hip-hop. Auckland Viaduct (pictured) is also worth checking out. It’s a beacon for beautiful people and cute yachties, and the pubs are certainly lively when the sailors are in.

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NORTHISLAND earthquake which meant the entire town had to be rebuilt.

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Wanganui Information Centre 101 Guyton St, 06 349 0508, info@wanganui.govt.nz

CHECK IN!

Visitor Info Centre 100 Marine Parade, 06 834 1911

Department of Conservation Office Cnr Ingestre and St Hill Sts, 06 345 2402

Depart of Conservation Office Marine Parade, 06 834 3111

NAPIER STAY

PALMERSTON NTH

Aqua Lodge (BBH) 53 Nelson Cres, 06 835 4523, aquaback@inhb.co.nz

Palmerston North Visitor Centre The Square, 0800 626 292, palmerstonnorth@i-site.org

Criterion Art Deco Backpackers (VIP, Roamfree) 48 Emerson St, 06 835 2059, criterionartdeco.co.nz Napier Prison Backpackers (BBH) 55 Coote Rd, 06 835 9933, getnicked@napierprison.com Waterfront Lodge & Backpackers (BBH) 217 Marine Pd, 06 835 3429, napierwaterfront.co.nz YHA Napier 277 Marine Parade, 06 835 7039, yha.co.nz

HASTINGS Hastings is 20km south of Napier and most notable for its fertile plains, which have given birth to a multitude of beautiful parks, gardens and farms.

A1 Backpackers (BBH) 122 Stortford St, 06 873 4285, a1backpackers@xtra.co.nz Glenross Lodge (BBH) Route 52, Rakaunui, 06 376 7288, glenross@xtra.co.nz

Department of Conservation Office 717 Tremaine Ave, 06 350 9700

CAMBRIDGE HOTEL 28 Cambridge Terrace, Te Aro. Dorms from $21 Located in the heart of Te Aro, in a newly renovated heritage building, this hotel and backpacker hostel has just about everything you need.

Wellington

Travellers Lodge Hastings (BBH) 608 St Aubyn St, West Hastings, 06 878 7108, tlodge.co.nz

WAIRARAPA The Wairarapa is a green, tree-lined region north-east of Wellington, famous for its wine and its many sheep – quintessential NZ.

MASTERTON Home to the impressive Queen Elizabeth Park, the Wairarapa Arts Centre, and the best-tasting icecream in New Zealand.

Chanel Backpackers 14-18 Herbert St, 06 378 2877

TARANAKI Best known for its snow-capped mountain, Mt Taranaki. Peaceful and impressive, Taranaki has skifields, excellent surf beaches, great walking and climbing.

MOKAU Palm House Backpackers (BBH)

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bbh.co.nz

06835 7039, taranaki-bakpak.co.nz

NEW PLYMOUTH Taranaki’s major town is New Plymouth. One of NZ’s finest art galleries is here (the GovettBrewster Art Gallery). It hosts a great café.

Department of Conservation 220 Devon St West, 06 758 0433 New Plymouth Info Centre Puke Ariki Complex, St Aubyn Street, 06 759 6080, info@newplymouth.govt.nz

Lochlea Farmstay (BBH) 344 Lake Rd, Wanstead, 06 8554 816 info@lochleafarm.co.nz The Rotten Apple Backpackers (BBH) 114 Heretaunga St, 06 878 4363, rottenapple.co.nz

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PLYMOUTH STAY Eco Inn (BBH) 671 Kent Rd, between Egmont Village and New Plymouth on SH3.

06 752 2765 Egmont Lodge (BBH, YHA) 12 Clawton St, 06 753 5720, yha.co.nz Seaspray House (BBH) 13 Weymouth St, 06 759 8934, seaspray@maxnet.co.nz Shoestring Backpackers (BBH) 48 Lemon St, 06 758 0404 Sunflower Lodge (BBH) 33 Timandra St, 06 758, 2842 The Missing Leg (BBH) 1082 Junction Rd, Egmont Village, 06 752 2570, jo.thompson@xtra.co.nz

PLYMOUTH DO Taranaki Surf Charters 20 Beach Road, 025 592 306, taracoastal@hotmail.com

MT TARANAKI The Camphouse (BBH) 6 Egmont Rd, 02 74 538 975, camphouse@taranaki-bakpak.co.nz

Taranaki Accommodation Lodge (BBH) 7 Romeo St, Stratford, 06 765 5444, mttaranakilodge@hotmail.com

TARANAKI DO Climbing Mount Taranaki It is possible to climb it and return to civilisation in one day, however the weather is notoriously volatile and you must always notify the DOC. North Egmont Visitors Centre, 06 758 3222.

STRATFORD Stratford Information Centre Broadway Stratford (State Hwy 3), 06 765 6708, stratford@info.stratford.govt.nz Department of Conservation Pembroke Rd, 06 765 5144

SOUTH TARANAKI Information South Taranaki 55 High St, Hawera, 0800 111 323, visitorinfo@stdc.govt.nz Wheatly Downs Farmstay Backpackers (BBH) 484 Ararata Rd, Hawera, 06 278 6523, wheatlydowns@taranakibakpak.co.nz

WHANGANUI Braemar House (YHA) 2 Plymouth St, 06 348 2301, yha.co.nz Tamara Backpackers Lodge (BBH) 24 Somme Pde, 06 347 6300, tamaralodge.com Whanganui National Park The major attraction is the Whanganui River, snaking through picturesque scenery.

Explore with a kayak or riverboat tour.

Grandma’s Place (BBH) 146 Grey St, 06 358 6928, ak1@clear.net.nz Peppertree Hostel (BBH) 121 Grey St, 06 355 4054.

WELLINGTON The nation’s capital is to many people, New Zealand’s most interesting city. Te Papa, the multimillion dollar museum, has sealed its position as cultural capital too.

Wellington has a small centre, is easily navigated on foot and as any Wellingtonian will tell you, it has more cafés per head than New York.

The nightlife in “Welly” is pretty special too.

Wellington Visitor Info Centre Corner of Victoria & Wakefield Sts, 04 802 4860, wellingtonnz.com DOC Information Centre Lambton Quay, 04 472 7356 Ferry to the South Island Boats to Picton on the South Island. Ferries can be booked up well in advance in holiday periods. 0800 802 802, interislandline.co.nz Ferry Tickets Online 186 Victoria St, 0800 500 660, ferrytickets.co.nz

WELLY STAY Base Wellington 21-23 Cambridge Tce. 04 801 5666 stayatbase.com Cambridge Hotel (BBH) 28 Cambridge Tce. 04 385 8829 cambridgehotel.co.nz Downtown Wellington Backpackers (BBH) 1 Bunny St. 04 473 8482 db@downtownbackpackers.co.nz Lodge in the City (VIP) 152 Taranaki St. 04 385 8560 lodgeinthecity.co.nz Maple Lodge (BBH) 52 Ellice St. 04 385 3771 Nomads Capital 118 Wakefield St. 0508 666 237, nomadscapital.com Rosemere Backpackers (BBH) 6 McDonald Cres. 04 384 3041, backpackerswellington.co.nz

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Rowena’s Backpackers (VIP) 115 Brougham St. 0800 80 1414 Wellywood Backpackers 58 Tory St. 0508 00 58 58 Worldwide Backpackers (BBH) 291 The Terrace.

04 802 5590, worldwidenz.co.nz YHA Wellington City 292 Wakefield St. 04 801 7280 yha.co.nz

WELLY DO Cable car Walk down Lambton Quay and you will see a sign for the cable car which departs every 10 minutes past Kelburn Park to the Botanic Gardens, 04 472 2199 Cosmic Corner Funk Store The funkiest store in the universe. Check out the legal highs and chat to the staff, who will happily point you in the right direction for parties, events and scenic spots.

215 Cuba St, 04 801 6970, funk@cosmiccorner.co.nz Karori Wildlife Sanctuary Many of New Zealand’s rarest birds, reptiles and insects are living freely in this awardwinning conservation safe haven. Look for kiwis on a guided tour by torchlight. Times vary and bookings are essential.

Waiapu Rd, Karori. 04 920 9213, sanctuary.org.nz Mount Victoria The views are breathtaking. It’s damn windy so make sure you’re wearing heavy shoes. Walk, drive or bus it.

Museum of Wellington City & Sea Queens Wharf, 04 472 8904 Parliament House Free tours. Visit the Beehive, a uniquely designed centre of government with a distinct style of architecture, 04 471 9503 Te Papa – The National Museum Experience the earthquake simulation room, find out what the early settlers went through and visit Te Marae, Te Papa’s living modern marae.

Free entry, Cable St, 04 381 7000, tepapa.govt.nz Wellington Zoo Located in Newtown and home to a wide variety of weird and wonderful animal and bird life, 04 381 6750 Harbour cruises The harbour is a handsome thing and the best way to fully appreciate its beauty is by boat.

Wellington Rover Tours Small group day tours exploring Wellington, its stunning rugged coastline and the Lord of the Rings locations. 0800 426 211, wellingtonrover.co.nz

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Beaches Wellington’s waterfront has cafés, restaurants and parks.

Oriental Bay is good for a dip, but the water is cold and not always clean. It’s also good for a walk along the foreshore. If you are desperate for a swim, Scorching Bay is good or head up the coast towards Otaki where the best beaches in the region are found.

NORTHISLAND

MUST-VISIT

PLIMMERTON Moana Lodge (BBH) 49 Moana Rd, 04 233 2010, moanalodge.co.nz

KAPITI COAST Tranz Rail The best way to explore the Kapiti Coast is by train and most places along the way can be reached within an hour or so, 04 498 3000 Stillwater Lodge (BBH) 34 Mana Esplanade, Mana, 04 233 6628

PAEKAKARIKI Paekakariki Backpackers (BBH) 11 Wellington Rd, 04 902 5967, wellingtonbeachbackpackers. co.nz

PARAPARAUMU The beach here is glorious and the scene of most of the action in town.

Barnacles Seaside Inn (BBH, YHA) 3 Marine Parade, Paraparaumu, 0800 555 856, yha.co.nz

KAPITI IS A sanctuary for rare native birds.

There’s a good chance of seeing elusive kiwis and blue penguins.

Kapiti Island Nature Tours Tours and accommodation, 06 362 6606, kapitiislandnaturetours.co.nz

LAKE TAUPO For those who come to New Zealand simply for a taste of the extreme sports, then Taupo is a town that you cannot pass by. Almost everything that New Zealand is famous for can be done in this area: skydiving, bungy jumping and whitewater rafting. It’s even within reach of the North Island’s ski fields.

Skydiving prices are very competitive here, and it’s arguably one of the best places to take the leap in New Zealand. Some of the best activities in Taupo are free though, so make a point of heading out to Huka Falls to witness the torrent of impossible blue rapids followed by a warming dip in the Spa Park Hot Spring. It’s near the start of the Huka Falls Walkway and is also free. Taupo Lake is the main feature of the town and is great for swimming in key locations. Other than Hot Water Beach and several geothermal spots though, the lake is notoriously chilly.

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SOUTHISLAND ABEL TASMAN The Abel Tasman National Park has great tramping with 56,000 acres to explore. The Coastal Track is one of the most popular walks in New Zealand, especially in summer when you can cool down at the stunning beaches. Nelson, Motueka and Marahau are all good bases for visiting the park. Sea kayaking is excellent here too.

ABEL DO Wilsons Abel Tasman Sea kayaking, water taxis and lodge accommodation.

0800 223 582, abeltasman.co.nz Abel Tasman Kayaks Ltd 0800 732 529 abeltasmankayaks.co.nz

NELSON Nelson is seen as the “sunshine capital” of NZ. Home to a string of attractive beaches, Nelson is only a short drive away from the famous Abel Tasman National Park. The town boasts great cafés and a strong artistic subculture. Nelson’s great climate is conducive to fruit growing and travellers can find plenty of work in the area.

Nelson Visitor Centre Cnr Trafalgar & Halifax St, 03 548 2304, nelsonnz.com Airport Shuttle 03 547 5782 Nelson City Taxis 03 548 8225

NELSON STAY Abode of the Buddha 181 Nile St East. 03 546 6890, cynthia@abodefthebuddha.co.nz Accents on the Park (BBH/VIP) 335 Trafalgar Square.

03 548 4335, accentsonthepark.com Almond House (BBH) 63 Grove St. 03 545 6455, almondbackpackers.co.nz Alpine Lodge St Arnaud.

03 521 1869, alpinelodge.co.nz Beach Hostel (BBH) 25 Muritai St. 03 548 6817, nelsonbeachhostel.co.nz The Bug (BBH) 226 Vanguard St. 03 539 4227 thebug.co.nz The Customhouse (BBH) 252 Haven Rd. 03 545 8365, customhousenelson.co.nz Footprints by the Sea (BBH) 31 Beach Rd, Tahuna Beach.

03 546 5441, info@footprints.co.nz The Green Monkey (BBH) 129 Milton St. 03 545 7421, thegreenmonkey.co.nz Honey Suckle House (BBH) 125 Tasman St. 03 548 7576

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Hu Ha Bikerpackers (BBH) State Highway 6, Glenhope.

03 548 2707, smidgley@ihug.co.nz The Palace Backpackers (BBH) 114 Rutherford St. 03 548 4691, thepalace.co.nz Paradiso (BBH) 42 Weka St. 0800 269 667, backpackernelson.co.nz Rylands’ Retreat 163 Trafalgar St. 03 548 4691, thepalace.co.nz The Palace Backpackers (BBH) 114 Rutherford St. 03 548 9001, rylands@kol.co.nz

BOOK NOW! MOTUEKA STAY Bakers Lodge (YHA) 4 Poole St. 03 528 0102, yha.co.nz The Barn (BBH) Harvey Road, Marahau.

03 527 8043 Eden’s Edge Backpackers (BBH) 137 Lodder Lane, Riwaka.

03 528 4242, edens.edge@xtra.co.nz Lagoon Lodge (BBH) 500 High St. 03 528 8652, happyapplebackpackers.co.nz

Shortbread Cottage (BBH) 33 Trafalgar St. 03 546 6681

Hat Trick Lodge (BBH) 25 Wallace St. 03 528 5353, hattricklodge.co.nz

Tasman Bay Backpacker Hostel (BBH) 10 Weka St. 03 548 7950, tasmanbaybackpackers.co.nz

The Laughing Kiwi (BBH) 310 High St. 03 528 9229, laughingkiwi.co.nz

Trampers Rest (BBH) 31 Alton St. 03 545 7477 Welcome House (BBH) 108 Parkers Road, Tahunahui.

03 548 5462 YHA Nelson Central 59 Rutherford St. 03 545 9988, yha.co.nz

NELSON DO Abel Tasman Kayaks 0800 527 8022, kayaktours.co.nz Happy Valley 4x4 Motorbike Adventures Tours around spectacular private farm on chunky fourwheel motorbikes.

03 545 0304, happyvalleyadventures.co.nz Kaiteriteri kayaks Free transport from Nelson.

03 527 8383, seakayak.co.nz Skydive Abel Tasman Tandem jumps from 13,000ft over Abel Tasman.

0800 422 899, skydive.co.nz

NELSON LAKES Located 118km south-west of Nelson, the park comprises Lake Rotoroa and Lake Rotoiti, and is surrounded by forests and mountains. Apart from tramping and skiing at Rainbow Valley and Mt Robert in winter, the lakes offer fishing and other water activities.

MOTUEKA This is an alternative hang-out for creative types and those seeking to veer off life’s fast lane. Most people use Motueka as a base to launch an assault on Abel Tasman National Park, but if you take the time to look around your efforts will be well rewarded. Try Marahau Beach and Cobb Valley.

Motueka i-SITE Visitors Centre 20 Wallace St, 03 528 6543, motuekaisite.co.nz

Old Macdonald’s Farm Holiday Park 03 527 8288, oldmacs@xtra.co.nz The White Elephant (BBH) 55 Whakarewa St. 03 528 6208, whiteelephant.co.nz Vineyard Tourist Units & Cabins 28 High St. 03 528 8550

MOTUEKA DO Wilsons Abel Tasman 265 High St, 0800 223 582, abeltasman.co.nz Southern Exposure Abel Tasman Sea Kayaking & Water Taxis 0800 695 292, southern-exposure.co.nz

follow us on The Nook (BBH) Abel Tasman Dr. 03 525 8501, thenook@paradise.net.nz

The Jugglers Rest (BBH) 8 Canterbury St. 03 573 5570, info@jugglersrest.com

River Inn (BBH) Golden Bay. 03 525 9425

Picton Lodge (VIP) 9 Auckland St. 03 573 7788, pictonlodge.co.nz

Shambhala (BBH) Hwy 60, Onekaka. 03 525 8463, shambhala.co.nz

KAHURANGI NP The second-largest national park in NZ, Kahurangi includes the Heaphy Track. There are more than 100 bird species and an impressive cave system to be seen here. For info see the Nelson DOC office.

COLLINGWOOD North-west of Takaka is the tiny community of Collingwood (the people aren’t particularly small, their numbers are), a good base for expeditions to Farewell Spit.

The Innlet (BBH) Main Rd, Pakawau.

03 524 8040, goldenbayindex.co.nz/theinnlet Somerset House (BBH) Gibbs Rd. 03 524 8624, backpackerscollingwood.co.nz

FAREWELL SPIT Arching east from the top of Golden Bay, this is a sand bar of epic proportions, home to some of the largest sanddunes in the world and some amazing birdlife.

Golden Bay Visitor Centre 03 525 9136

TAKAKA

MARLBOROUGH

Known as the “Heart of the Parks”, the much underrated Golden Bay region is a place of considerable natural beauty. If you venture slightly out of Takaka you will see the Te Waikoropupu (Pupu Springs), one of the largest freshwater springs in the world.

The Marlborough Sounds are a beautiful labyrinth of islands and bays, serving as an impressive gateway to the South Island. Hire a kayak to paddle the coves in style, or go swimming with the dolphins.

Information Centre Willow St, 03 525 9136 Dept of Conservation Office 62 Commercial St, 03 525 8026

TAKAKA STAY Annie’s Nirvana Lodge (BBH, YHA) 25 Motupipi St. 03 525 8766, nirvanalodge@paradise.net.nz Aquapackers (BBH) Anchorage Bay, Marahau, Abel Tasman National Park. 0800 430 744, aquapackers.co.nz Golden Bay Barefoot Backpackers (BBH) 114 Commercial St. 03 525 7005, bare-foot.co.nz

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Anakiwa Backpackers (BBH) 410 Anakiwa Rd. 03 574 1388, anakiwabackpackers.co.nz Hopewell (BBH) Kenepuru Rd. 03 573 4341, hopewell.co.nz The Partage Resort Hotel Kenepuru Sound. 03 573 4309, portage.co.nz

PICTON This pretty town is the opening to the South Island, where the North Island ferry comes in, a centre for the many activities in Queen Charlotte Sound.

Airport shuttle bus 03 573 7125

PICTON STAY

Kiwiana (BBH) 73 Motuipipi St. 03 525 7676

Atlantis Backpackers (BBH) London Quay.

03 573 7390, atlantishostel.co.nz

Kanuka Ridge (BBH) 21 Moss Rd, Marahau, Abel Tasman National Park. 03 527 8435, abeltasmanbackpackers.co.nz

Bayview Backpackers (BBH) 318 Waikawa Rd. 03 573 7668, truenz.co.nz/bayviewbackpackers

Sequoia Lodge (BBH, VIP) 3 Nelson Sq. 03 573 8399, sequoialodge.co.nz Picton Lodge (VIP) 9 Auckland St. 03 573 7788, pictonlodge.co.nz The Villa (BBH) 34 Auckland St. 03 573 6598, thevilla.co.nz Tombstone Backpackers (BBH) 16 Gravesend Place. 03 573 7116, rest@tombstonebp.co.nz Wedgwood House (YHA) 10 Dublin St. 03 573 7797, yha.co.nz

PICTON DO Dolphin Watch Encounters Picton Foreshore, 03 573 8040, naturetours.co.nz Marlborough Sounds Adventure Company 03 573 6078 Southern Wilderness NZ Guided walk, wine trek and sea kayaking specialists.

0800 666 044, southernwilderness.com Waka Whenua Tours Wine tours. Sightseeing/ historical/ cultural tours also available.

03 573 7877

QUEEN CHARLOTTE On the road-free outer Queen Charlotte Sound, everyone and everything travels by boat. The Queen Charlotte Track covers 71km and passes through magnificent forest, at times allowing spectacular views over the Marlborough Sounds. The whole track can be walked in four days, though you can also ride it by mountain bike.

Endeavour Express Water Taxi Day-trips, round-trips and luggage transfers.

03 573 5456

HAVELOCK Nestled at the head of Pelorus Sound, Havelock is the best place from which to explore the Marlborough Sounds. For trampers and mountain bikers there’s the beautiful Nydia Track.

DOC Office Mahakipawa Rd, 03 574 2019 Explore Pelorus Sea Kayaks 03 576 5251

HAVELOCK STAY Bluemoon Lodge (BBH) 48 Main Rd. 03 574 2212, bluemoonhavelock.co.nz

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Nikau Cottages 48 Main Rd. 03 443 9010 Rutherford YHA Hostel 46 Main Road. 03 574 2104, yha.co.nz

Albatross Backpacker Inn (BBH) 1 Torquay St. 03 319 6090, albatross-kaikoura.co.nz

BOOK NOW!

Bad Jelly Backpackers (BBH) 11 Churchill St. 03 319 5538, duskyjack@hotmail.com

PELORUS SOUND

Dolphin Lodge (BBH) 15 Deal St. 03 319 5842, dolphinlodge@xtra.co.nz

The largest waterway within the Marlborough Sounds, it can be accessed from Havelock, Linkwater or Rai Valley.

Dusky Lodge (BBH) 67 Beach Rd. 03 319 5959 The Lazy Shag (BBH) 37 Beach St. 03 319 6662

BLENHEIM The largest town in Marlborough, and considered (ahem, also) the“sunshine capital of New Zealand”. Whitewater rafting on the Buller and Gowan Rivers is great fun.

REAVERS LODGE 56 Hamilton Rd, Queenstown. Dorms from $25 Fully renovated less than two years ago, Reavers offers one of the most modern, cozy and comfortable hostels in all of Queenstown.

Blenheim I-Site 8 Sinclair Street Railway Station 03 577 8080

Queenstown

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Honi-B-Backpackers (BBH) 18 Parker St. 03 577 8441, honi-b.com

Peacehaven Backpackers (BBH) 29 Budge St. 03 577 9750, hrnz@naver.com

mountain range. You can also snorkel with dolphins or swim with the inquisitive NZ fur seals (Sept-May).

Koanui Backpackers (BBH) 33 Main St. 03 578 7487, koanui.co.nz

Stoney Acre 9 Marldene Avenue, Seddon. 03 578 6303, enquiries@stoneyacre.co.nz

Kaikoura Visitor Info Centre, West End, 03 319 5641

Leeways Backpackers (BBH) 33 Lansdowne St. 03 579 2213, leewaysbackpackers.co.nz

Enjoy the sight of the magnificent albatross so close to the boat you can almost touch them. 96 Esplanade, 0800 733 365 albatrossencounter.co.nz

KAIKOURA Kaikoura is famous for its large sperm whale population and picturesque

KAIKOURA STAY Adelphi Lodge (BBH, VIP) 26 West End. 0800 423 574, adelphilodge.co.nz

Lyell Creek Lodge (BBH) 193 Beach Rd. 03 319 6277, jedwards120@hotmail.com Sunrise Lodge (BBH) 74 Beach Rd. 03 319 7444 Top Spot Backpackers (BBH) 22 Deal St. 03 319 5540 YHA Kaikoura, Maui 270 Esplanade. 03 319 5931, yha.co.nz

Dolphin Encounter Swim with the acrobatic dusky dolphins or if you prefer, join the tour to view them from the boat. 96 Esplanade, 0800 733 365, dolphin.co.nz Fyffe House 62 Avoca St, Kaikoura’s oldest building, 03 319 5835.

Kaikoura Kayaks Paddle with the playful fur seals, dusky dolphins and marine life of Kaikoura. Seal kayaking, kayak school, hire, retail and kayak fishing.

19 Killarney St, 0800 452 456, kaikourakayaks.co.nz Seal Swim Kaikoura Swim with wild NZ Fur Seals. 58 West End, 0800 732 579, sealswimkaikoura.co.nz

KAIKOURA DO

CHRISTCHURCH

Kaikoura is famous for its large sperm whale population and picturesque mountain r

Christchurch is the South Island’s major city and a lively, pretty base with a distinctly English feel to it.

Throw in Mount Cook and Mount Hutt with their skifields (early June

Albatross Encounter

THE OTHER ISLAND

STEWART ISLAND The jump from Invercargill to Stewart Island is one that many travellers won’t find the time to do, but if you happen to make it you’ll be greatly rewarded. Known as a haven for birdlife and general outdoors beauty, it’s also a fantastic place to try to spot a kiwi in its natural habitat. The weather is notoriously temperamental, so weatherproof yourself appropriately. Kayaking and tramping are the main activities, allowing you to explore New Zealand’s wilder side. If you’re crazy/brave you could even take a dip in the chilly waters from one of the many isolated coves.

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SOUTHISLAND to late October) and the Canterbury area is well worth spending some time discovering.

The Hanmer Connection Christchurch to Hanmer Springs buses.

0800 242 663

BOOK NOW!

Christchurch & Canterbury i-Site Visitor Centre Rolleston Avenue (Next to the Canterbury Museum) Christchurch 8011 03 379 9629 christchurchnz.com

HANMER STAY Hanmer Backpackers (BBH) 41 Conical Hill Rd. 03 315 7196, info@hanmerbackpackers.co.nz

Department of Conservation 4/195 Hereford Street (03) 371 3700

Kakapo Lodge (YHA) 14 Amuri Avenue.

03 315 7472, yha.co.nz

C’CHURCH STAY Around the World Backpackers 314 Barbadoes Street. 03 365 4363 aroundtheworld.co.nz

NOAH’S ARK BACKPACKERS 16 Chapel St, Greymouth. Beds from $27 Once a monastery and now a brilliant animal-themed hostel. Great freebies, including bikes and fishing rods. Camping sites available.

At The Right Place 85 Bealey Street. 03 366 1633 atrp.co.nz

Greymouth

Avon City Backpackers Worcester Street. 03 389 6876, avoncitybackpackers.com Canterbury House (BBH) 257 Bealey Ave. 03 377 8108, canterburyeh257@hotmail.com

Skydivingnz.com Skydiving and training courses, 0800 697 593 skydivingnz.com Up Up and Away Hot air ballooning, 03 381 4600, ballooning.co.nz

Foley Towers (BBH) 208 Kilmore St. 03 366 9720, backpack.co.nz/foley

SUMNER

Jailhouse Accommodation (BBH) 338 Lincoln Rd. 0800 524 546 jail.co.nz Kiwi Basecamp (BBH) 69 Bealey Ave. 03 366 6770 stay@kiwibasecamp.com Kiwi House 373 Gloucester St. 03 381 6645 kiwihouse.co.nz Marine Backpackers 26 Nayland St. 03 326 6609 themarine.co.nz Point Break Backpackers (BBH) 99 Seaview Road.

03 388 2050 pointbreakbackpackers.co.nz

This surf beach is also a great place to chill for a while. If you’re feeling adventurous, mountain biking, paragliding and surfing are just some of the activities you can try.

The Marine Backpackers (BBH) 26 Nayland St. 03 326 6609, themarine.co.nz

BANKS PENINSULA Banks Peninsula is a beautiful region with a stunning coastline chock full of mountains and wildlife.

The two harbours of Akaroa and Lyttelton are craters of a once majestic volcano.

LYTTELTON

The Old Countryhouse (BBH) 437 Gloucester St. 03 381 5504 oldcountryhousenz.com

Lyttelton is a quaint township with a beautiful scenic harbour and historic buildings. The harbour is a great place for boating, while the surrounding hills are good for mountain biking and walking.

Tranquil Lodge (BBH) 440 Manchester St. 03 366 6500 tranquil-lodge.co.nz

Lyttelton Information Centre 20 Oxford St, 03 328 9093

Rucksacker Backpacker Hostel (BBH) 70 Bealey Ave. 03 377 7931 rucksacker.com Vagabond Backpackers (BBH) 232 Worcester St. 03 379 9677 vagabondbackpackers @hotmail.com

C’CHURCH DO Black Cat Cruises Wildlife Cruises on Lyttelton Harbour. Free shuttle bus from Christchurch, 03 328 9078. blackcat.co.nz

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Chester Street Backpackers (BBH) 148 Chester St East.

03 377 1897, chesterst.co.nz

Haka Lodge 518 Linwood Ave. 03 980 4252 hakalodge.com

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AKAROA Swim with dolphins, horse-ride and paraglide. If your tastes are a little more sedate, the foreshore is lined with cafes, galleries and boutiques.

Akaroa Information Centre 80 Rue Lavaud, 03 304 8600

AKAROA STAY Bon Accord Backpackers (BBH) 57 Rue Lavaud.

03 304 7782, bon-accord.co.nz Chez La Mer (BBH) 50 Rue Lavaud. 03 304 7024, chezlamer.co.nz Double Dutch (BBH) 32 Chorlton Road, Okains Bay. 03 304 7229, doubledutch.co.nz Halfmoon Cottage (BBH) SH25 Barrys Bay. 03 304 5050, halfmoon.co.nz Onuku Farm Hostel (BBH) 03 304 7066, onukufarm.com

AKAROA DO Akaroa Museum 71 Rue Lavard, 03 304 1013 Black Cat Cruises Offer a number of cruises in Akaroa. See Akaroa Harbour or swim with dolphins.

03 328 9078.

Dolphin Experience Swim with dolphins in Akaroa Harbour. 61 Beach Rd, 0508 365 744, dolphinsakaroa.co.nz

LEWIS PASS About 200km north of Christchurch, the Lewis Pass connects the west and east coasts on the SH7, with stunning surrounding scenery.

HANMER SPRINGS

Akaroa Shuttle Christchurch to Akaroa buses.

0800 500 929

Hanmer Springs boasts the Hanmer Springs Thermal Reserve, where the water can reach 40°C (03 315 7511, hotfun.co.nz). Mt Lyford offers good winter skiing and is a cheaper option to the South Island resorts.

Akaroa French Connection Tours and shuttle bus, 0800 800 575

Department of Conservation Cnr Amuri Rd & Jacks Pass Rd, 03 315 7128

Le Gite Backpackers (BBH) 3 Devon St. 03 315 5111, legite.co.nz Waipara Sleepers (BBH) 12 Glenmark Dr, Waipara.

03 314 6003, lewaiparasleepers.co.nz

CASTLE HILL Gateway to the Craigieburn Range.

Chill Adventures Multi-mountain snow passes. chillout.co.nz Springfield Hotel State Highway 73, Springfield. 03 318 4812, springfieldhotel.co.nz

ARTHUR’S PASS This township is the HQ for the magnificent national park which offers tramping expeditions to skiing.

National Park Visitor Centre 03 318 9211 Rata Lodge Backpackers (BBH) State Highway 73, Otira Arthur’s Pass National Park.

03 738 2822 Smylies Accommodation (YHA) 03 318 9258, yha.co.nz

METHVEN Methven is a small, friendly town popular with fishermen, hunters and backpackers. The area provides a variety of adrenalin thrills, including hot air ballooning, bungy jumping and skydiving. Mt Hutt also has the longest ski run in Australasia.

Methven i-SITE Visitor Centre 121 Main St, Methven, 03 302 8955, NZ Ski.com Info on Coronet Peak, the Remarkables and Mt Hutt. nzski.com

METHVEN STAY

@tnt_downunder Kowhai House (BBH) 17 McMillan St. 03 302 8887, kowhaihouse.co.nz Mt Hutt Bunkhouse (BBH) 8 Lampard St. 03 302 8894, mthuttbunks.co.nz Pinedale Backpacker Lodge (BBH) 11 Alford St. 0800 638 483, pinedalelodge.co.nz Redwood Lodge (BBH) 3 Wayne Place. 03 302 8964, skired@xtra.co.nz Skiwi House (BBH) 30 Chapman St. 03 302 8772, skiwihouse.com Snow Denn Lodge (YHA, VIP) Cnr Bank & McMillan Sts. 03 302 8999, yha.co.nz

TIMARU Despite being industrial, it’s picturesque with views of the Southern Alps, plains and sea.

1873 Wanderer Backpackers (BBH) 24 Evans St. 03 688 8795 Old Bank Backpackers 232 Stafford St. 03 684 4392 Timaru Backpackers 44 Evans St. 03 684 5067 Toru Toru Wha Backpackers 334 Stafford St. 03 684 4729

GERALDINE As well as a wonderful old movie theatre and whitewater rafting on the Rangitata River, visiting the mighty Emily Falls is recommended.

Geraldine Information Centre Talbot Street, 03 693 1006 4x4 New Zealand Wilderness adventures and The Lord of the Rings tours, 03 693 7254, 4x4newzealand.co.nz Rangitata Rafts Peel Forest, 0800 251 251 Rawhiti Backpackers (BBH) 27 Hewlings St. 03 693 8252 rawhitibackpackers.co.nz/

FAIRLIE Mt Dobson Ski Area, 03 685 8039, dobson.co.nz Tallyho Lodge & Backpackers 7 School Rd. 03 685 8723

LAKE TEKAPO

Big Tree Lodge (BBH) 25 South Belt.

03 302 9575, bigtree@xtra.co.nz

A stunning turquoise-coloured lake, 100km west of Timaru. The tiny Church of the Good Shepherd, built in 1935, frames the view beautifully.

Activities include walking, watersports, fishing and skiing.

Backpacker Heaven (YHA) Cnr Bank & McMillan Sts. 03 302 8999, yha.co.nz

Tailor-Made-Tekapo Backpackers (BBH) 9-11 Aorangi Cres. 03 680 6700, rtailor-made-backpackers @xtra.co.nz

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Lake Tekapo Backpackers (VIP) SH8. 03 680 6808, stay@laketekapo.bix YHA Lake Tekapo 3 Simpson Lane. 03 680 6857, yha.co.nz

MT COOK Mount Cook National Park is part of a World Heritage area that forms one of the most amazing sights anywhere in New Zealand. The showcase is the majestic Mt Cook (Aoraki). NZ’s greatest climber Sir Edmund Hillary used it as a practice ground before conquering Mt Everest, but Mt Cook has claimed the lives of more than 160 people.

Discuss climbing plans with park rangers before you go.

Department of Conservation Visitor Information Centre Aoraki/Mt Cook Alpine Village, 03 435 1819 The Cook Connection Day trips to Mt Cook from Tekapo.

Ph: 021 583 211, cookconnect.co.nz

MT COOK STAY Mountain Chalets (VIP) Wairepo Rd, Twizel.

03 435 0785, mt.chalets@xtra.co.nz

YHA Mt Cook Cnr Bowen and Kitchener Drives. 03 435 1820, yha.co.nz

WEST COAST Rugged is the word often used when it comes to the South Island’s west coast. It’s quite an amazing place, sparsely inhabited, untouched in many areas and studded with geographical wonders. Don’t miss the two mighty glaciers, Fox and Franz Josef, or the Pancake Rocks.

KARAMEA Karamea contains pleasant walks, interesting caves and the Oparara River, a great trout fishing spot.

Walk along the wonderful Fernian Track or, try the more challenging hike up Mt Stormy.

Karamea Information Centre Bridge St, 03 782 6652 Rongo (BBH) 03 782 6667, rongo@actrix.co.nz

MURCHISON With crazy terrain skewed by mining and earthquakes, one of the major attractions of Murchison is its proximity to Buller Gorge, a wonderfully scenic cluster of cliffs

and trees. Activities include rafting on the Gowan River and mountain biking on the Matakitaki.

Beaconstone (BBH) Birds Ferry Road, Charleston. 03 715 5760

Buller Gorge Swingbridge Adventure and Heritage Park 03 523 9809, bullergorge.co.nz

Berlins Café & Lodgings (BBH) 1205 Lower Buller Gorge, Inangahua Junction.

03 789 0295, info@xtremeadventures.co.nz

The Lazy Cow Accommodation (BBH) 37 Waller St. 03 523 9451, lazycow@paradise.net.nz

Pounamu Backpackers (BBH) Section 406, S H’way 6m Charleston. 03 789 8011, paulhoney@xtra.co.nz

REEFTON The centrepiece of the town is Victoria Forest Park, the largest forest park in New Zealand.

Reefton Visitor Centre 67 Broadway, 03 732 8391 Reefton Backpackers 64 Shiel St. 03 732 8133, armsstat@hotmail.com The Old Nurses Home (BBH) 204 Shiel St. 03 789 8881

WESTPORT Visitor Information Westport 1 Brougham St, 03 789 6658 Basils Hostel (VIP) 54 Russell St. 03 789 6410, basils.backpackers@xtra.co.nz

Barrytown Knife Making 2662 Coast Road, Barrytown, 03 731 1053, barrytownknifemaking.com

PAPAROA STAY Punakaiki Beach Hostel (BBH) 4 Webb St. 03 731 1852, punakaikibeachhostel.co.nz Te Nikau Retreat (BBH, YHA) 03 731 1111, tenikauretreat.co.nz

Robyn’s Nest Hostel 42 Romilly St. 03 789 6565, robyns.nest@xtra.co.nz

All Nations Hotel & Backpackers (VIP) SH6, Barrytown.

03 731 1812, allnations@xtra.co.nz

Swaines (BBH) Inangahua Landing Bridge, Highway 69, Inangahua Jnctn. 03 789 0226, cathy.swaine@gmail.com

GREYMOUTH

TripInn (BBH) 72 Queen St. 03 789 7367

The west coast’s largest town is dominated by the Grey River.

Highlights include the Monteith’s brewery tour, as well as aquatic activities like rafting and canyoning.

The Old Slaughterhouse (BBH) Highway 67, Hector.

03 782 8333

Visitor Information Herbert and Mackay Sts, 03 768 5101

PAPAROA NP This park is home to the amazing Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki. These are a series of eroded limestone rocks moulded into what appears to be a giant stack of pancakes.

Visitor Information Punakaiki 03 731 1895

TranzAlpine Scenic railway from Christchurch to Greymouth, travelling through Canterbury Plains and the Alps. Departs 9am every morning.

0800 872 467 tranzscenic.co.nz

DON’T MISS

NELSON There’s a lot to be said for Nelson, not only is it the most ‘liveable’ city in New Zealand, but also the self-proclaimed craft-brewing capital. It’s rife with creativity as well, with art galleries, great restaurants, great wine and the home of the World of WearableArt Awards show. If refined tastes and culture aren’t your bag there’s still plenty to get your adrenalin going, plus the beach is fantastic for kitesurfing and other wind propelled activities. Nelson itself is perched on top of three national parks, Nelson Lakes, Kahurangi and Abel Tasman, making it ideal for nature lovers. Tourists flock here in the summer, though the weather is pretty great any time of year.

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SOUTHISLAND GREYMOUTH STAY The west coast’s largest town is dominated by the Duke Backpackers (BBH) 27 Guiness St. 03 768 9470

hours. 197 Revell St, 03 755 7612, madkiwi.co.nz

WHATAROA About 35km south of Harihari and one of the South Island’s prime fishing spots. Also the magnificent white heron (Kotuku) colony which thrillseekers can reach by jet boat.

Global Village (BBH) 42-54 Cowper St, 03 768 7272, globalvillage@minidata.co.nz The Hairy Lemon 128-130 Mawhera Quay, 03 768 4022, Neptunes International Backpackers (BBH) 43 Gresson St, 0800 003 768, info@neptunesbackpackers.co.nz Noahs Ark Backpackers (BBH) 16 Chapel St, 03 768 4868, noahsark@xtra.co.nz The Ranch 37 MacDougall Ave, 03 762 7801, dunolliebackpackers@hotmail.com YHA Greymouth Kainga-ra 15 Alexander St, Ph: (03) 768 4951, yha.co.nz

HOKITIKA Greenstone, a form of practically indestructible rock that was used by the Maori to make weapons and ornaments, is the main attraction here. There’s also the Westland Water World for all things wet, the Glowworm Dell and some excellent whitewater rafting.

Hokitika Visitor Info Centre Carnegie Building, corner of Hamilton & Tancred Street, 03 755 6166

HOKITIKA STAY Beach House BPs 137 Revell St, 03 755 6859 Birdsong (BBH) 124 SH6, 03 755 7179 Drifting Sands Backpackers (BBH) 197 Revell St, 03 755 7612, madkiwi.co.nz Mountain Jade Backpackers (BBH) 41 Weld St, 03 755 8007, mtjade@minidata.co.nz Riverview Cabins (BBH) 154 Kaniere Rd, 03 755 7440 Stumpers Accommodation 2 Weld St, 03 755 6154, stumpers.co.nz

HOKITIKA DO Alpine Rafts Freephone: 0800 223 456.

The Just Jade Experience Design and create your own treasures with NZ jade/ greenstone. Allow at least 6-10

50

OKARITO The tiny beach settlement of Okarito, near Franz Josef Glacier, sits at the mouth of New Zealand’s largest unmodified wetland – the Okarito Lagoon. Hike up to the Okarito Trig for excellent views.

Okarito Nature Tours 03 753 4014, kayaks@okarito.co.nz Royal Hostel (BBH) The Strand, 03 753 4080, okaritohostel.com YHA Okarito Palmerston St, Whataroa, 03 753 4347, yha.co.nz

FRANZ JOSEF

BOOK NOW! Glacier Country Kayaks Explore the glaciers from the water 03 752 0230, glacierkayaks.com Skydive Franz At 18,000ft, they currently offer NZ’s highest skydive.

0800 458 677, skydivefranz.co.nz The Guiding Company 0800 800 102, nzguides.com

FOX GLACIER Similiar activities to Franz Josef only with fewer crowds. The best walk is up to the Welcome Flat Hot Springs. For stunning views, head up the wonderfully scenic Chalet Lookout Walk. Look out for the beautiful kea (grey-green mountain parrot). Nearby is Lake Matheson, with its stunning twin mountain reflection.

DOC Visitor Centre State Hwy 6, 03 751 0807

FOX STAY

The glacier is about 12km long and offers a wide variety of challenging activities. To get the ultimate perspective on the magnitude of Franz Josef, head for Sentinel Rock, which gives a sweeping view over both the Waiho Valley and the mighty glacier.

Fox Glacier Inn 03 751 0088

DOC Visitors Information Centre Westland National Park, Hwy 6, 03 752 0796

Fox Glacier Guiding Guided walks and heli-hikes on the FoxGlacier.

0800 111 600, foxguides.co.nz

FRANZ STAY Black Sheep (VIP) SH 6, 03 752 0007 Chateau Franz (VIP, BBH) 8-10 Cron St, 0800 728 372, chateaufranz.co.nz Glow Worm Cottages (BBH) 27 Cron St, 0800 151 027, budgetaccommodation.co.nz

Ivory Towers (BBH) 03 751 0838, ivorytowerslodge.co.nz

FOX DO

Glacier Country Kayaks 20 Cron St, 0800 423 262, glacierkayaks.com Skydive NZ: Fox Glacier 0800 751 0080, skydivingnz.co.nz

HAAST PASS

Montrose (BBH) 9 Cron St, 03 752 0188, montrosebackpackers@xtra. co.nz

Running through Mt Aspiring National Park, this stretch of road is among the most scenic that you’ll come across in New Zealand, showing off pristine lakes, magnificent forests and waterfalls.

Rainforest Retreat (VIP) Cron St, 0800 873 346

DOC Centre Cnr SH 6 and Jackson Bay Rd, 03 750 0809

YHA Franz Josef 2-4 Cron St, 03 752 0754, yha.co.nz

Haast Highway Accommodation Marks Rd, 03 750 0703

FRANZ DO Alpine Adventure Centre Footage on a helimax screen, 03 752 0793 Franz Josef Glacier Guides Guided walks and heli-hikes on the Franz Josef Glacier 0800 484 337, franzjosefglacier.com

Wilderness Backpackers (BBH) Marks Rd, 03 750 029, whitesnalex@xtra.co.nz

SOUTHLAND The top of your chest will quickly get sore as the South Island’s jaw-dropping scenery becomes more prevalent. From the adrenalin thrills of Queenstown

to the achingly beautiful Milford Sound, there’s never a dull moment down south. Stop frequently, take deep breaths and enjoy one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Mt Aspiring National Park Visitor Info Centre Cnr Ballantyne Rd & Ardmore St, 03 443 8372

LAKE WANAKA The cosy town and its crystal-clear waters which reflect the dramatic landscape is the gateway to Mount Aspiring Park. The World Heritage area has magnificent tramping and mountaineering.

Lake Wanaka boasts almost as many adrenalin-tastic activities as neighbouring Queenstown, such as mountain biking, jet-boating, canyoning, and whitewater sledging. It’s a favourite with snowboarders in winter, and has lively nightlife year-round.

Boasting the most sceneray from those films with wizards and hairy-footed hobbits, there are great Lord of the Rings tours, too.

Lake Wanaka Visitors Centre The Log Cabin, Lakefront, 100 Ardmore Street.

03 4431 1233

WANAKA STAY Albert Town Lodge (BBH) Cnr SH6 and Kingston St, Albert Town, 03 443 9487, alberttownlodge.co.nz Holly’s Backpackers (BBH) 71 Upton St, 03 443 8187, hollys@xtra.co.nz Mountain View Backpackers (BBH) 7 Russell St, 0800 112 201, stay@mtnview.co.nz The Purple Cow (BBH) 94 Brownston St, 03 443 1880, purplecow.co.nz Wanaka Bakpaka (BBH) 117 Lakeside Rd, 03 443 7837, wanakabakpaka@xtra.co.nz YHA Wanaka 181 Upton St, 03 443 7405, yha.co.nz

WANAKA DO Adventure Consultants Mountaineering instruction courses and guided ascents, 03 443 8711, adventure.co.nz Aspiring Guides Guided mountain climbing and ice climbing instruction courses, 03 443 9422, aspiringguides.com Classic Flights Vintage Tiger Moth flights over Lake Wanaka. 03 443 4043, classicflights.co.nz Deep Canyon Canyoning in the Matukituki Valley. Adventure Wanaka, 23 Dunmore St, Wanaka.

03 443 7922, deepcanyon.co.nz

Frogz Have More Fun Sledge down either the Clutha, Hawea or Kawarau Rivers.

0800 437 649, frogz.co.nz The Silver Demon Aerobatic flights. 03 443 4043, silverdemon.co.nz Skydive Lake Wanaka Freefall from 12,000 or 15,000ft with views of NZ’s highest mountains. 0800 786 877, skydivenz.com Treble Cone Ski Field 03 443 7443, treblecone.co.nz Wanaka Rock Climbing One, three and five-day rock climbing courses for everyone.

03 443 6411, wanakarock.co.nz Wanaka Flightseeing Milford Sound flight and cruise from Wanaka, 03 443-8787, f lightseeing.co.nz Wanaka Sightseeing Includes Lord of the Rings tours, 2 Anderson Rd, 03 338 0982, wanakasightseeing.co.nz

LAKE HAWEA Thirty-five kilometres long and more than 400m deep, Lake Hawea is a great source of salmon and rainbow trout.

QUEENSTOWN Paradise for the energetic traveller, Queenstown is one of the world’s most action-packed towns.

The town, which is surprisingly small compared to its big reputation, is located on Lake Wakatipu and rises up to the peaks of the aptly-named Remarkables (which you can ski in winter). In winter, the town is a centre for nearby skifields and in summer adventure activities and tramping take over. There’s also a hectic social scene which extends well into the wee small hours.

Info & Track Walking Centre 37 Shotover St, 03 442 9708 Peterpans Adventure Travel 27 Shotover St Queenstown. peterpans.com.au Queenstown Travel & Visitor Centre Corner of Shotover & Camp Sts, 03 442 4100

Q’TOWN STAY Alpine Lodge (BBH) 13 Gorge Rd. 03 442 7220, alpinelodge@xtra.co.nz Aspen Lodge (BBH) 11 Gorge Rd. 03 442 9671, aspenlodge.co.nz Base Discovery Lodge Queenstown 49 Shotover St. 03 441 1185, stayatbase.com

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Black Sheep Lodge (BBH/VIP) 13 Frankton Rd. 03 442 7289, blacksheepbackpackers.co.nz Bungi Backpackers (VIP, BBH) 15 Sydney St. 0800 728 286, bungibackpackers.co.nz Butterfli Lodge (BBH) 62 Thompson St. 03 442 6367, butterfli.co.nz Cardrona Alpine Resort Between Queenstown and Wanaka. 03 443 7341, cardrona.com Deco Backpackers (VIP, BBH) 52 Man St. 03 442 7384, decobackpackers.co.nz Flaming Kiwi Backpackers (BBH) 39 Robins Rd. 03 442 5494, flamingkiwi@xtra.co.nz Hippo Lodge (BBH) 4 Anderson Hts. 03 442 5785, hippolodge.co.nz Nomads Queenstown 5-11 Church St. 03 441 3922, nomadshostels.com Pinewood Lodge (VIP) Queenstown’s best value accommodation. We offer an excellent variety of accommodation, everything from deluxe en-suite rooms with private bathroom

amenities, inexpensive double and twin rooms, dorm beds and self-contained family cabins. 48 Hamilton Rd. 0800 746 396, 03 442 8273, pinewood.co.nz Resort Lodge (BBH) 6 Henry St. 03 442 4970, resortlodge.co.nz Scallywags Traveller’s Guesthouse (BBH) 27 Lomond Crescent.

03 442 7083 Southern Laughter (BBH, VIP) 4 Isle St. 0800 728 448, southernlaughter.co.nz The Last Resort (BBH) 6 Memorial St. 03 442 4320, thelastresort@xtra.co.nz

appreciate the beauty of the region, take a scenic flight, or even jump out the plane.

Haka Adventure Snow Tours 03 980 4250, hakatours.com

AJ Hackett Bungy Queenstown Jump off one or all of New Zealand’s most well-known sites. Nevis Highwire Bungy, the highest in New Zealand – 134m above the Nevis River. The Kawarau Bridge, the world’s first bungy – 43m above the Kawarau River. The 47m Ledge, 400m above the town which you can jump day or night.

Access is by Skyline Gondola.

0800 286 4958 bungy.co.nz

Mad Dog River Boarding River sledging & other actionpacked water activities, 03 442 7797, riverboarding.co.nz

Thomas’s Hotel & BPs (VIP) 50 Beach St. 03 442 7180

Awesome Foursome Bungy (Nevis – 134m), jetboat, helicopter, whitewater rafting, 03 442 7318

YHA Queenstown Central 48A Shotover Street.

03 442 7400, yha.co.nz

Dart River Safaris Jetboating wilderness tours, 0800 327 8538, dartriver.co.nz

YHA Queenstown Lakefront 88-90 Lake Esplanade.

03 442 8413, yha.co.nz

Fat Tyre Adventure Mountain biking/heli biking, 0800 328 897, fat-tyre.co.nz

Q’TOWN DO There are hundreds of activities to keep you occupied in Queenstown.

Bungy, jetboating and rafting are all experiences not to be missed, and in winter, skiing the Remarkables is a must. To really

Fergburger Best burgers in NZ. Shotover St, 03 441 1232 Flight Park Tandem Paragliding Operates from Coronet Peak 0800 467 325, tandemparagliding.com

cruises. Te Anau glow-worm cave excursions. TSS Earnslaw vintage steamship cruises and Walter Peak High Country Farm.

0800 65 65 01, realjourneys.co.nz

Milford Sound Flightseeing Scenic flights to Milford Sound, 0800 65 65 01, realjourneys.co.nz Nevis Snowmobile Safaris Helicopter ride & snowmobile adventure, 03 442 4250, snowmobilenz.com NZONE Skydive Skydive from 15,000ft. 35 Shotover St, 03 442 5867, nzone.biz NZ Ski.com Info on Coronet Peak, the Remarkables and Mt Hutt, nzski.com Queenstown Rafting Raft the Shotiver, Kawarau and Landsborough rivers. 35 Shotover St. 03 442 9792 rafting.co.nz Real Journeys Visitor Centre Doubtful Sound & Milford Sound daytime and overnight

Shotover Canyon Swing Jump or be released 109m off the world’s highest cliff jump.

0800 279 464, canyonswing.co.nz Shotover Jet Jetboat ride. 0800 746 868 shotoverjet.com Sky Trek Hang Gliding 03 442 9551, skytrek.co.nz Vertigo Mountain Biking Heli-bike and gondola downhill.

0800 837 8446, vertigobikes.co.nz

GLENORCHY Just out of Queenstown is Glenorchy (or “Isengard”) which has some of the best walks in the area, including the Greenstone and Caples tracks.

Department of Conservation Beech St, 03 442 7933 Glenorchy Backpackers Retreat (VIP) Cnr Mull and Argyle Streets, Glenorchy, Ph: (03) 442 9902

the best

day OF yOUR

LIFE

wedding da y first child Fra nz Jos ef gla cie r adventu re! aLL eQUIPMeNt PROVIded heLI hIKes INCLUde hOt POOLs eNtRy

Freephone: 0800 GUIdes www.franzjosefglacier.com

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SOUTHISLAND

Milford Track Day Walk Lake cruise and guided walk, 0800 656 501

CHECK IN

Rosco’s Milford Sound Sea Kayaks 0800 476 726, roscosmilfordkayaks Skydive Fiordland Dive 44 Caswell Rd, Te Anau, 0800 829254, tawakidive.co.nz Tracknet 03 249 7737, res@tracknet.net.au

ANAU TO MILFORD POINT BREAK BACKPACKERS 6 Union Street, New Brighton. Beds from $25 Cosy dorms and private rooms available in a friendly, well equipped hostel with easy access to the city. Why would you go anywhere else?

Christchurch

pointbreakbackpackers.co.nz

Kinloch Lodge (BBH) 862 Kinloch Rd, 03 442 4900, kinlochlodge.co.nz

ARROWTOWN Poplar Lodge (BBH) 4 Merioneth St, 03 442 1466, stay@poplarlodge.co.nz Riverdown Guesthouse (BBH) 7 Bedford St, 03 409 8499

TE ANAU Home to the second largest lake in NZ, Te Anau is a beautiful little town, a good jumping off point for the World Heritage Fiordland National Park. The park is the largest in New Zealand and offers some spectacular sightseeing. The Milford Track is one of the most famous in the world, but often booked out. The Routeburn, ReesDart and Kepler are ace alternatives. doc.govt.nz Fiordland I-site Visitor Centre Lakefront Drive, Te Anau, 03 249 8900

Barnyard Backpackers (BBH) 80 Mt York Rd, Rainbow Downs, 03 249 8006, rainbowdowns@xtra.co.nz Bob & Maxines (BBH) 20 Paton Place, 03 931 3161, bob.anderson@woosh.co.nz Grumpy’s Backpackers Te Anau-Milford Sound Highway, 03 249 8133, grumpys@xtra.co.nz Rosies Backpacker Homestay (BBH) 23 Tom Plato Drive, 03 249 8431, backpack@paradise.net.nz Steamers Beach Backpackers (BBH) 77 Manapouri Rd, 03 249 7457, teanau.info Te Anau Lakefront Backpackers (BBH) 48 Lakefront Dr, 03 249 7713, teanaubackpackers.co.nz YHA Te Anau 29 Mokonui St, 03 249 7847, yha.co.nz

TE ANAU DO

Department of Conservation 03 249 8514

Adventure Fiordland 72 Town Centre, 03 249 8500

Te Anau Glowworm Caves realjourneys.co.nz

Fiordland Ecology Holidays 3-10 day cruises, all Southern Fiords. Mammal watching permit, 0800 249 660, fiordland.gen.nz

Air Fiordland Flights to Queenstown, Milford and Mt Cook, 03 249 7505 Real Journeys Coaches to Milford Sound, 0800 656 503 Scenic Shuttle Daily between Te Anau and Invercargill in summer months, twice weekly in winter.

Connects with the Catlins Coaster from Invercargill to Dunedin 0800 277 483 Top Line Tours Coach to and from Te Anau and Queenstown, 03 249 8059

52

TE ANAU STAY

High Ride Adventures Quad riding and scenic horse trekking. 03 249 8591, highride.co.nz Luxmore Jet Jetboating on the Waiau River, 0800 253 826, luxmorejet.co.nz Real Journeys Doubtful Sound daytime wilderness, small boat and overnight cruises. Milford Sound daytime, overnight scenic, nature and small boat cruises. 0800 656 501, realjourneys.co.nz

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The distance between Te Anau and Milford Sound may be 119km but the breathtaking scenery along the way makes the journey extremely enjoyable. Along the road watch out for the Mirror Lakes and the disappearing mountain. Another highlight is the 1.2km rough-hewn Homer Tunnel. It’s pitch black, having no lighting plus it’s pretty darn steep – a thrilling experience for those afraid of the dark.

MILFORD SOUND Green, wet and breathtakingly beautiful, Milford Sound is one of the most picturesque sights in the world. Much of the action in the Milford Sound takes place on the water and the best way to appreciate the beauty on show is on a cruise or kayak. Bottlenose dolphins, New Zealand fur seals and Fiordland crested penguins all hang out there.

Milford Sound Lodge (BBH) 03 249 8071, milford.sound.lodge@xtra.co.nz

MILFORD DO Real Journeys 0800 656 501, reservations@realjourneys.co.nz Great Sights On and under the water, 03 442 9445 Kiwi Reel Rifle Guided fishing & hunting.

Kayaking on Lakes Te Anau, Manapouri and Milford Sound.

Rental kayaks and mountain bikes, 03 249 9071 Milford Sound Underwater Observatory Discover a coral reef beneath Milford Sound, 03 249 9442 Milford Sound Cruise & Observatory Visit 0800 656 501 Milford Wanderer Cruises Day and overnight options with kayaking, etc. Coach connections, 0800 656 501, realjourneys.co.nz Tawaki Dive See Fiordland’s unique marine life on a day-trip with two guided dives in Milford Sound.

Rental gear available, max four divers. 0800 829254, tawakidive.co.nz TSS Earnslaw & Walter Peak Farm tours, barbecue lunches, horse treks and cycling. realjourneys.co.nz

Wanaka Flightseeing Milford Sound flight and cruise, 0800 105 105, flightseeing.co.nz 

MANAPOURI Manapouri is the proud owner of arguably New Zealand’s most beautiful stretch of water. This is where the boat trip on Doubtful Sound leaves from – most start the trip in Queenstown or Te Anau.

From the boat you may see seals and possibly dolphins and penguins.

@tnt_downunder

Stewart Island Flights Flights to Stewart Island, 03 218 9129, sif@xtra.co.nz

INVERCARG STAY Kackling Kea Backpackers (BBH) 225 Tweed St, 03 214 7950 Southern Comfort (BBH) 30 Thompson St, 03 218 3838

Adventure Charters and Hires 03 249 6626

Tuatara Lodge (VIP) 30 Dee St, 03 214 0956, tuataralodge.co.nz

Real Journeys 0800 656 502

SOUTHERN SCENIC

MANAPOURI STAY Freestone Backpackers (BBH) 270 Hillside Rd, 03 249 6893, freestone@xtra.co.nz Manapouri Lakeview Backpackers (VIP) 68 Cathedral Drive, 03 249 6652, manapouri@clear.net.nz Possum Lodge (BBH) 13 Murrel Ave, 03 249 6623.

DOUBTFUL SOUND If you’re not one for crowds, an alternative Fiordland option is Doubtful Sound – the deepest of the fiords, made up of 100km of waterways. Where Milford is all pointy peaks and endless cascading falls, Doubtful is rounded mountains – a serene sanctuary, inhabited by loads of interesting critters.

Real Journeys Daytime wilderness, small boat and overnight cruises.

0800 656 502 Fiordland Navigator Pearl Harbour, Manapouri 03 249 6602, yha.co.nz Deep Cove Hostel Doubtful Sound, 03 249 7713, hostel.co.nz

INVERCARGILL The southernmost city in New Zealand, Invercargill is a farmingorientated community with a pleasant collection of parks and museums to keep you busy.

Invercargill I-site Visitors Centre 108 Gala St, 03 214 6243 Dept of Conservation Office Don St, 03 214 4589 Catlins Coaster Invercargill to Dunedin via the Catlins with many stops to the main natural attractions and wildlife encounters. Farmstay options are available, 0800 304333, catlinscoaster.co.nz

The beautiful road west of Invercargill towards Fiordland is known as the Southern Scenic Route.

The Dubliner (BBH) 105 Tiverton St, Palmerston, 03 465 1896, andreas69@xtra.co.nz Dustez Bak Paka’s (BBH) 15 Colac Bay Rd, Riverton, 03 234-8399 dustez@xtra.co.nz The Globe Backpackers (VIP) 144 Palmerston St, Riverton, 03 234 8527, globebackpackers@xtra.co.nz Harbison Backpackers (BBH) 5 Harbison St, Otautau, 03 225 8715, michdale@xtra.co.nz Shooters Backpackers 73 Main St, Tuatapere, 03 226 6250

GORE Gore spans the Mataura river and boasts some lovely scenery in the Hokonui Hills and the Country and Western festival each June.

Old Fire Station Backpackers (BBH) 19 Hokonui Dr, 03 208 1925, oldfirestation@ispnz.co.nz Anglem House 20 Miro Crescent, 03 219 1552, yha.co.nz

THE CATLINS The beautiful Catlins is a sprawling mass of bush, forest and rivers, stretching all the way from Waipapa Point in Southland to Nugget Point in Otago. The best bit about the Catlins is the abundance of wildlife.

Catlins Community Info Centre 3 Main Rd, Owaka, South Otago, 03 415 8371, info@catlins-nz.com Elm Lodge Wildlife Tours Two-day camping trips, 0800 356 563, elmwildlifetours.co.nz

CATLINS STAY

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Blowhole Backpackers (BBH) 24 Main Rd, Owaka, 03 415 5635, catlinsbackpackers@xtra.co.nz

Hogwartz (BBH) 277 Rattray St, 03 474 1487, hogwartz@actrix.co.nz

Curio Bay Backpacker Accommodation (BBH) 501 Curio Bay Rd, 03 246 8797.

The Jolly Poacher (BBH) 54 Arthur St, 03 477 3384, jollypoacher@ihug.co.nz

The Falls Backpackers (BBH) Purakaunui Falls Rd, Owaka, 03 415 8724, sparx@es.co.nz Fernlea Backpackers (VIP) Moana St, Kaka Point, 03 412 8834 The Split Level (BBH) 9 Waikawa Rd, Owaka, 03 415 8304, brianwayne@clear.net.nz Surat Bay Lodge (BBH) Surat Bay Rd, New Haven, 03 415 8099, suratbay.co.nz Penguin Paradise Holiday Lodge (BBH) 612 Waikawa-Niagara Rd, Waikawa Village South Catlins, 03 2468 552, dolphinsurf@xtra.co.nz

Penguin Patch 9 the Octagon, 03 471 8571, Email: penguinpatch@xtra.co.nz

DUNEDIN STAY The Asylum Lodge (BBH) 36 Russell Rd, Seacliff, 03 465 8123 Bus Stop backpackers (BBH) 252 Harrington Point Rd, Portobello, 03 478 0330, backpacker@slingshot.co.nz

03 434 5008,

yha.co.nz Swaggers Backpackers (BBH) 25 Wansbeck St, 03 434 9999,

ADVENTURE QUEENSTOWN HOSTEL 36 Camp St, Queenstown. Dorms from $29 Spotless hostel, with modern kitchens and run by experienced travellers. Free bicycles, frisbees and then some.

Pennys Backpackers (BBH) 6 Stafford St, 03 477 6027, info@pennys.co.nz Queens Garden Backpackers (VIP) 42 Queens Garden, 03 479 2175, dunedinbackpackers@xtra.co.nz

DUNEDIN DO Baldwin Street In the Guinness Book of Records as the steepest street in the world.

Cadbury World 280 Cumberland St, 0800 223 2879, cadbury.co.nz Cosmic Corner Funk Store Check out the legal highs and chat to the staff about where to go for parties, events and the beautiful parts of New Zealand.

355 George St, 03 479 2949 Dunedin Public Art Gallery 30 The Octagon, 03 474 3240, dpagmail@dcc.govt.nz Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony View blue penguins just metres away every evening at dusk.

Waterfront Rd, 1-1/2 hrs north of Dunedin, 03 433 1195, penguins.co.nz Parachute Experience Skydiving from a great height 03 489 4113, dropzone.com

Dunedin Central Backpackers (BBH) 243 Moray Pl, 03 477 9985, duncb_nz@yahoo.co.nz

Sinclair Wetlands and Educational Centre Freedom or conducted walks over 5km of walkways.

Backpacker and camping facilities. Rapid no 854 Clarendon/Berwick Rd (signposted on SH1 30km south of Dunedin), 03 486 2654

The Jolly Poacher (BBH) 74 Elm Row, 03 477 3384

Speights Brewery Heritage Tours 03 477 7697, speights.co.nz

Chalet Backpackers (BBH) 296 High St, 03 479 2075

Corner of Reed and Cross Sts,

On Top Backpackers (BBH) 12 Filleul St, cnr Moray Pl, 03 477 6121.

Wright’s Mill Lodge (BBH) 865 Tahakopa Valley Rd, 03 204 8424 catlinsaccommodation.co.nz

Dept of Conservation Office 77 Stuart St, 03 477 0677

October to May/June only).

Manor House (BBH) 28 Manor Place, 03 477 0484, manorhousebackpackers.co.nz

YHA Dunedin, Stafford Gables 71 Stafford St, 03 474 1919, yha.co.nz

Dunedin Visitor Centre 48 The Octagon, 03 474 3300

Seasonal (open September/

Leviathan Heritage Hotel 27 Queens Gardens, 0800 773 773, leviathan@xtra.co.nz

Thomas Catlins Lodge & Holiday Park, 03 415 8333, yha.co.nz

Dunedin is Celtic for “Edinburgh” and many Scottish principles endure here. One thing the locals do much better than their Scots ancestors is play rugby, so if there’s a game on at Carisbrook (the “House of Pain”) while you’re in town, beg, borrow or steal to get yourself there.

BOOK NOW!

Kiwis Nest (BBH) 597 George St, 03 471 9540.

Ramsay Lodge (BBH) 60 Stafford St, 03 477 6313, ramsay.lodge@xtra.co.nz

DUNEDIN

YHA Oamaru, Red Kettle

swaggers@es.co.nz

Queenstown

MOERAKI Just 30km south of Oamaru lies a

aqhostel.co.nz

Royal Albatross Centre 03 478 0499, albatross.org.nz

OTAGO PENINSULA The Otago Peninsula is a beautiful stretch of rugged coast, home to a fascinating collection of rare and native birds such as the albatross and yellow-eyed penguin.

Billy Browns (BBH) 423 Aramoana Rd, Port Chalmers, 03 472 8323, billybrowns@actrix.co.nz McFarmers Backpackers (BBH) 774 Portobello Rd, Portobello, 02 5206 0640, mcfarmersbackpackers @hotmail.com

OTAGO DO Historic Fort Taiaroa An underground complex built in the 1880s, this fortified stronghold has been inhabited since earliest Maori settlement of the area. Tours available at the Visitor Centre. Fletcher House, Broad Bay, 03 478 0180 Larnach Castle Australasia’s only castle. The architecture is amazing and the intricate details (including a foyer ceiling that took nearly seven years to build) are breathtaking.

NZ Marine Studies Centre and Aquarium Run by the University of Otago, the Portobello Aquarium and Marine Biology Centre (near Quarantine Point) is a refuge for a diverse collection of fish and reptile life.

03 479 5826 Elm Wildlife Tours 0800 356 563, elmwildlifetours.co.nz

TAIAROA HEAD Taiaroa Head is the place to see the albatross colony, the only mainland colony in the world inside the bounds of a city.

remarkable collection of eerie giant boulders.

Olive Grove Lodge (BBH)

ALEXANDRIA

2328 SH1, Waianakarua,

Alexandra and Roxburgh are the two main towns for fruit-picking work in the Central Otago region.

03 439 5830,

Two Bob Flashpackers (BBH) Marshalll Rd, | 03 449 3188, twobobs@xtra.co.nz

The Dubliner

info@olivebranch.co.nz

105 Tiverton St, Palmerston,

ROXBURGH

03 465 8123

Villa Rose Backpackers (BBH) 79 Scotland St, 03 446 8761, remarkableorchards@xtra.co.nz

KUROW Glenmac Farm Hostel (BBH)

OAMARU A charming little place noted for both its interesting collection of white granular limestone buildings and its large penguin population.

Visitor Information Centre Thames St, 03 434 1656

Empire Hotel (BBH) 13 Thames St, 03 434 3446, empirehotel@hotmail.com Old Bones Backpackers (BBH) Rapid Number 468 Beach Rd, Kakanui, 03 434 8115, simon@oldbones.co.nz

glenmac@xtra.co.nz

The third major island of New Zealand, Stewart is home to wide array of wildlife and some good

Chillawhile Backpackers (BBH) & Art Gallery 1 Frome St, Roberts Park, 03 437 0168, chillawhile.co.nz

Buscot Station (BBH) 732 Omarama, 03 438 9646, buscotstn@xtra.co.nz

03 436 0200,

STEWART ISLAND

Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony View blue penguins at dusk.

Waterfront Rd, 03 433 1195, penguins.co.nz

Coastal Backpackers (BBH) The Hall, Waianakarua Rd, All Day Bay, 03 439 5411, coastalbackpackers.co.nz

Gards Rd,

tramping. Much of Stewart Island is uninhabitable, not surprising given that the island contains 1,680km2 of thick, unrelenting bush.

DOC Stewart Island Visitor Centre Main Rd, Half Moon Bay, 03 219 0002 Real Journeys Stewart Island Ferry Services, Paterson Inlet cruises (including Ulva Island), village and bays tours, guided walks and rental services (motor scooters, mountain bikes and cars),

realjourneys.co.nz

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ONWARDSFIJI NADI & WEST Aquarius Pacific Hotel +679 672 6000 Beach Escape Villas +679 672 4442, beachscape@ connect.com.fj Cathay Hotel +679 666 0566,

fiji4less.com

Horizon Beach Resort +679 672 2832, horizonbeachfiji.com Nadi Bay Resort Hotel +679 672 3599, fijinadibayhotel.com Nadi Down Town Backpackers Inn +679 670 0600, pacvalley@connect.com.fj Nadi Hotel +679 670 0000, ndht@connect.com.fj

Coconut Bay Resort +679 666 6644 coconutbay_fiji2002@yahoo.com Korovou Eco Tour Resort +679 666 6644 korovoultk@connect.com.fj Kuata Resort +679 666 6644 Long Beach Backpackers Resort +679 666 6644 Manta Ray Island +679 672 6351 mantarayisland@connect.com.fj Nabua Lodge +679 666 9173 nabualodge@connect.com.fj Oarsmans Bay Lodge +679 672 2921 nacula@hotmail.com

Nomads Skylodge Hotel +679 672 2200

Octopus Resort +679 666 6337 reservations@octopusresort.com

Saweni Beach Apartment Hotel +679 666 1777, fiji4less.com

Sunrise Lagoon Resort +679 666 6644

Smugglers Cove Beach Resort +679 672 6578, smugglers beachfiji.com

Wayalailai Island Resort +679 672 1377 wayalailai@connect.com.fj

Travellers Beach Resort +679 672 3322, beachvilla@connect.com.fj

White Sandy Beach Dive Resort +679 666 4066

YASAWA ISLANDS Awesome Adventures Fiji +679 675 0499, awesomefiji.com

MAMANUCA ISL Beachcomber Island Resort +679 666 1500, beachcomberfiji.com

follow us on

BOOK NOW! Bounty Island Resort +679 666 6999, fiji-bounty.com Rau Kini’s Hostel +679 672 1959, rtkinihostel@connect.com.fj The Funky Fish Beach Resort +679 628 2333, funkyfishresort.com The Resort Walu Beach +679 665 1777, walubeach.com

CORAL COAST

Tsulu Luxury Backpackers & Apartments +679 345 0065, tsulu.com Vakaviti Motel & Dorm +679 650 0526, bulavakaviti@connect.com.fj Vilisite Place +679 650 1030

SUVA Colonial Lodge +679 92 75248, sailevukaga@yahoo.co.nz

Beachouse +679 653 0500, fijibeachouse.com

Lami Lodge Backpackers +679 336 2240, volau@connect.com.fj

Mango Bay Resort +679 653 00690, mangobayresortfiji.com

Leleuvia Island Resort +679 331 9567, eleen@leleuvia. com

Pacific Safaris Club +679 345 0498, safariclub@connect.com.fj Rendezvous Dive Resort +679 628 4427, surfdivefiji.com Robinson Crusoe +679 629 1999, robinsoncrusoeislandfiji.com Seashell Cove Resort +679 670 6100, seashellresort.com Tabukula Beach Bungalows +679 650 0097, fiji4less.com The Uprising Beach Resort +679 345 2200, uprisingbeachresort.com

Raintree Lodge +679 332 0562, raintreelodge.com Royal Hotel +679 344 0024 royal@connect.com.fj South Seas Private Hotel +679 331 2296, fiji4less.com Tailevu Hotel +679 343 0028

NORTH VITI LEVU Bethams Cottage +679 669 4132, bethams.com.fj Macdonalds Beach Cottages +679 669 4633

@tnt_downunder

Morrison’s Beach Cottagess +679 669 4516, tipple@connect.com.fj Safari Lodge Fijis +679 669 3333 safarilodge.com.fj Volivoli Beach Resort +679 669 4511, volivoli.com

VANUA LEVU Bayside Backpacker Cottage +679 885 3154, tripntour@connect.com.fj Hidden Paradise Guest House +678 885 0106 Naveria Heights Lodge +679 851 0157, justnaveria@connect.com.fj Savusavu Hot Springs +679 885 0195, hotspringshotel@connect.com.fjj

TAVEUNI Albert’s Sunrise +679 333 7555 Matava Resort +679 330 5222, matava.com Reece’s Place +679 362 6319 Waisalima Beach Resort +679 738 9236, waisalima.com

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Overrun with a diverse population of wildlife, Otago Peninsula is one of the best and most accessible places to get a good look at penguins, albatross, fur seals and sea lions. The Royal Albatross Centre has all the info you could need on the massive seabird, and you can’t beat the feeling of seeing those huge wings soaring above you on the way in or out. Windy days are the best for sightings, usually in the afternoon too. After 4pm, in key locations, you can see the yellow-eyed penguins coming ashore after a hard day of fishing. There are hides built for your convenience, so stay out of the dunes, keep your voice down and turn that damn flash off! As for sea lions, they are best viewed from a tour or at Sandfly Bay and Allans and Victory Beaches.

54

Photo: Getty Images

OTAGO PENINSULA

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Exford Hotel 199 Russell St. 03 9663 2697, exfordhotel.com.au

SYDNEY STAY Base Sydney 477 Kent St. CBD. 02 9267 7718, stayatbase.com

CHECK IN!

Flinders Station Hotel 35 Elizabeth St. 03 9620 5100, f lindersbackpackers.com.au

Big Hostel 212 Elizabeth St. CBD. 02 9267 7718, bighostel.com Bounce Budget Hotel 28 Chalmers St. CBD. 02 9281 2222, bouncehotel.com.au

Sydney Harbour YHA 110 Cumberland Street. The Rocks.

02 9261 1111, yha.com.au Westend Backpackers 412 Pitt St. CBD. 1800 013 186 nomadshostels.com Boomerang Backpackers 141 William Street, Kings Cross.

02 8354 0488, boomerangbackpackers.com

DISCOVERY MELBOURNE 167 Franklin St Melbourne. Beds from $25 Located right in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD this hostel has just about everything you could possibly need in one place, including a rooftop.

Melbourne CBD

discoverymelbourne.com

Manly Backpackers 24-28 Raglan St. Manly. 02 9977 3411 manlybackpackers.com.au Cammeray Gardens 66 Palmer St, North Sydney. 02 9954 9371 sydneyboardinghouse.com

BRISBANE STAY

Dlux Hostel 30 Darlinghurst Rd, Kings Cross. 1800 236 213 dluxbudgethotel.com.au

Aussie Way Backpackers 34 Cricket St. 07 3369 0711, aussiewaybackpackers.com

Kangaroo Bak Pak 665 South Dowling St. Surry Hills.

02 9261 1111

Banana Bender Backpackers 118 Petrie Terrace.

07 3367 1157, bananabenders.com

Avalon Beach Hostel 59 Avalon Pde, Avalon Beach. 02 9918 9709, avalonbeach.com.au

Base Brisbane Embassy 214 Elizabeth St. 07 3166 8000, stayatbase.com

Bondi YHA 63 Fletcher Street.

Tamarama. 02 9365 2088, yha.com.au

Base Brisbane Central 308 Edward St. 07 3211 2433, stayatbase.com

Lamrock Lodge 19 Lamrock Ave. Bondi.

02 9130 5063, lamrocklodge.com

Brisbane Backpackers Resort 110 Vulture St, West End. 1800 626 452, brisbanebackpackers.com.au

Lochner’s Guesthouse 8 Gowrae Ave. Bondi.

02 9387 2162,

Brisbane City Apartments 1800 110 443, brisbanecityapartments.com

Aegean Coogee Lodge 40 Coogee Bay Rd. Coogee.

04 0817 6634, aegeancoogee.com.au

Brisbane City Backpackers 380 Upper Roma St 1800 062 572, citybackpackers.com

Coogee Beachside 178 Coogee Bay Rd, Coogee. 02 9315 8511, sydneybeachside.com.au Surfside Backpackers 186 Arden Street. Coogee.

02 9315 7888, surfsidebackpackers.com.au Glebe Point YHA 262-264 Glebe Point Road. Glebe. 02 9692 8418, yha.com.au Boardrider Backpacker Rear 63, The Corso, Manly.

02 9977 3411 boardrider.com.au The Bunkhouse 35 Pine St, Manly.

1800 657 122, bunkhouse.com.au

Elkes Backpackers 112 Mitchell St. 1800 808 365, elkesbackpackers.com.au Frogshollow Backpackers 27 Lindsay St. 1800 068 686, frogs-hollow.com.au

Habitat HQ 333 St Kilda Road, St Kilda. 1800 202 500, habitathq.com.au

City Resort Hostel 103-105 Palmer St. Woolloomooloo 02 9357 3333, cityresort.com.au

Sydney Central YHA 11 Rawson Place. CBD. 02 9218 9000 yha.com.au

Darwin YHA 97 Mitchell St. 08 8981 5385, yha.com.au

The Greenhouse Backpacker Level 6, 228 Flinders Lane.

1800 249 207, greenhousebackpacker.com.au

Easy Go Backpackers 752 George St. CBD. 02 9211 0505, easygobackpackers.com.au

The Furnished Property Group 02 8669 3678, furnishedproperty.com.au

DARWIN STAY Banyan View Lodge Darwin 119 Mitchell St. 08 8981 8644, banyanviewlodge.com.au

Brisbane City YHA 392 Upper Roma St 07 3236 1947, yha.com.au Chill Backpackers 328 Upper Roma St. 1800 851 875, chillbackpackers.com Bunk Backpackers Cnr Ann & Gipps Sts, Fortitude Valley.

1800 682 865, bunkbrisbane.com.au The Deck Budget Accommodation 117 Harcourt Street, New Farm.

04 3377 7061 Tinbilly Travellers Cnr George and Herschel Sts. 1800 446 646, tinbilly.com

CAIRNS STAY Bohemia Central Cairns 100 Sheridan St. 1800 558 589, bohemiacentral.com.au Bohemia Resort Cairns 231 McLeod St. 1800 155 353, bohemiaresort.com.au Calypso Backpackers 5 Digger St. 1800 815 628, calypsobackpackers.com.au Dreamtime Travellers Rest 189 Bunda St. 1800 058 440, dreamtimehostel.com Gilligans Backpackers and Hotel Resort 57-89 Grafton St. 1800 556 995, gilligans.com.au JJ’s Backpackers Hostel 11 Charles St. 07 4051 7642, jjsbackpackers.com NJOY Travellers Resort 141 Sheridan St. 1800 807 055, njoy.net.au Nomads Beach House 2 39 Sheridan St. 1800 229 228, nomadshostels.com Nomads Cairns 341 Lake St. 1800 737 736, nomadshostels.com Nomads Esplanade 93 The Esplanade. 1800 175 716, nomadshostels.com Northern Greenhouse 117 Grafton St. 1800 000 541, northerngreenhouse.com.au

MELBOURNE STAY All Nations Backpackers Hotel & Bar 2 Spencer St. 1800 222 238, allnations.com.au Base Melbourne 17 Carlisle St, St. Kilda.

1800 242 273, stayatbase.com Central Melbourne Accommodation 21 Bromham Place, Richmond.

03 9427 9826, centralaccommodation.net

Home at the Mansion 66 Victoria Parade. 03 9663 4212, homemansion.com.au Home Travellers Motel 32 Carlisle St, St Kilda.

1800 008 718, hometravellersmotel.com.au Hotel Bakpak Melbourne 167 Franklin St. 1800 645 200, hotelbakpak.com Melbourne Central YHA 562 Flinders St. 03 9621 2523, yha.com.au

Gecko Lodge 146 Mitchell St. 1800 811 250, geckolodge.com.au Melaleuca on Mitchell 52 Mitchell St. 1300 723 437, momdarwin.com Youth Shack 69 Mitchell St. 1300 793 302, youthshack.com.au

HOBART STAY Central City Backpackers 138 Collins St. 1800 811 507, centralbackpackers.com.au

Nomads Melbourne 198 A’beckett St. 1800 447 762, nomadshostels.com

Hobart Hostel 41 Barrack St. 1300 252 192, hobarthostel.com Montgomery’s YHA 9 Argyle St. 03 6231 2660, yha.com.au

Space Hotel 380 Russell St. 1800 670 611, spacehotel.com.au The Spencer 475 Spencer St. 1800 638 108, hotelspencer.com

Narrara Backpackers 88 Goulburn St. 03 6234 8801, narrarabackpackers.com

Urban Central 334 City Rd, Southbank. 1800 631 288, urbancentral.com.au

Pickled Frog 281 Liverpool St. 03 6234 7977, thepickledfrog.com Transit Backpackers 251 Liverpool St. 03 6231 2400, transitbackpackers.com

PERTH STAY Billabong Backpackers Resort 381 Beaufort St. 08 9328 7720, billabongresort.com.au

ADELAIDE STAY

Britannia on William 253 William St, Northbridge. 08 9227 6000, perthbrittania.com

Adelaide Oval Home to the Adelaide Backpackers Inn 112 Carrington St. 1800 24 77 25, adpi.com.au

Emperor’s Crown 85 Stirling St, Northbridge. 1800 991 553, emperorscrown.com.au

Adelaide Central YHA 135 Waymouth St. 08 8414 3010, yha.com.au

Globe Backpackers & City Oasis Resort 561 Wellington St. 08 9321 4080, globebackpackers.com.au

Adelaide Travellers Inn 220 Hutt St. 08 8224 0753, adelaidebackpackers.com.au

Ocean Beach Backpackers 1 Eric St, Cottlesloe. 08 9384 5111, oceanbeachbackpackers.com.au One World Backpackers 162 Aberdeen St, Northbridge.

1800 188 100, oneworldbackpackers.com.au

Annie’s Place 239 Franklin St. 1800 818 011, anniesplace.com.au Backpack Oz 144 Wakefield St. 1800 633 307, backpackoz.com.au Blue Galah Backpackers Lvl 1, 52-62, King William St. 08) 8231 9295, bluegalah.com.au

Perth City YHA 300 Wellington St. 08 9287 3333, yha.com.au The Old Swan Barracks 6 Francis St. 08 9428 0000, theoldswanbarracks.com

Glenelg Beach Hostel 5-7 Moseley St. Glenelg. 1800 359 181, glenelgbeachhostel.com.au Hostel 109 109 Carrington St. 1800 099 318, hostel109.com My Place 257 Waymouth St. 1800 221 529, adelaidehostel.com.au

Underground Backpackers 268 Newcastle St, Northbridge.

08 9228 3755, undergroundbackpackers.com.au The Witch’s Hat 148 Palmerston St. 08 9228 4228, witchshat.com

Shakespeare Hostel 123 Waymouth St. 1800 556 889, shakeys.com.au

TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

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TOTALLYTRIVIAL

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WHO TO BLAME

AND THEIR FAVOURITE THING TO DO IN NZ?

ACTING EDITOR

ANDREW WESTBROOK [Jump off stuff]

DEPUTY ED

HUGH RADOJEV [Go Zorbing]

RORY PLATT [Walking in the Abel Tasman NP]

AUSSIE RULES GENERAL KIWIFOOTBALL QUIZ a) Green strawberry b) Appleberry c) Chinese gooseberry d) Fur fruit

INTERN

TASH LEVY [Night out in Auckland]

DESIGN & PRODUCTION LISA FERRON [Queenstown luge]

a) Russell Crowe b) Sam Neill c) Rachel Hunter d) Peter Jackson

Q

WHAT WE’RE DOING THIS MONTH WE’RE ACTUALLY A RATHER CULTURED BUNCH HERE AT TNT, SO WE’LL BE CHECKING OUT NELSON AND TAURANGA ARTS FESTIVALS DO A SPOT OF FISHING ON BEAUTIFUL LAKE TAUPO – OH, AND SKYDIVING OF COURSE! RIPPING INTO SOME SERIOUS FOOD AND WINE AT FEAST GISBORNE – LOOSEN THE BELT TIME

56

Which island is commonly known to Q 8.locals as the ‘mainland’?

a) Thongs b) Crocs c) Jandals d) Gumthongs

a) Aloha b) G’Day c) Kia ora d) None of these

SUDOKU PUZZLE 2

4

KIWI-ISM

3

3

9

2

“BACH”

7

5

8

2

1

6

2

3

7

5

3 8

9

1

a) South Island b) North Island c) Stewart Island d) Auckland Island

Q 9. Flip flops are called what in NZ?

Q 5. What is the Maori word for ‘hi’?

6

NZ lake is the largest?

Q 7.a)Which Lake Wakatipu b) Lake Tasman c) Lake Ohau d) Lake Taupo

3. Who is NZ’s prime minister? a) John Key b) John Lock c) Helen Mirren d) Helen Clark

dive spot but in what year was it sunk? a) 1980 b) 1975 c) 1990 d) 1985

MARKETING + EVENTS EXECUTIVE

GEORGINA PENGELLY [Eat Tip Top Icecream]

Q 4. The Rainbow Warrior is a famous NZ

ACCOUNT MANAGER

JUSTIN STEINLAUF [Smash a Fergburger]

a) 1.5 million b) About 3.3 million c) Over four million d) 2.34 million

2. Which celebrity wasn’t born in Q New Zealand?

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TOM WHEELER [Relax at Hamner Springs]

6. How many people live on New Q Zealand’s North Island?

By what name was the Kiwi fruit Q 1.originally known?

ANSWERS: 1. b 2. b 3. a 4. d 5. c 6.b 7. d 8. a 9. c

INTERN

6

2

5

If a Kiwi tells you they’re going to a bach for the weekend, it doesn’t mean they’re visiting a single, male friend. A bach in New Zealand is a holiday home and it’s worth befriending someone who has one.

TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

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