NEW ZEALAND [TRAVEL + TOURISM]

[briker]

the country side is breathtakingly beautiful.
Ive heard it's very cold down there now? Up north, in Asia, its the total opposite- The humidity is unbearing.

[SYDNEY]

Originally Posted by Burden

Haha wooow they're so cool those in flight safety demo's, small stuff like that will undoubtedly give Air New Zealand the competitive edge.

We have to hand it to them, they are very creative. My fave is still the one with the granny streaking down the aisle

Originally Posted by briker

the country side is breathtakingly beautiful.
Ive heard it's very cold down there now? Up north, in Asia, its the total opposite- The humidity is unbearing.

The South Island is shivering but the upper North Island is doing okay - averaging 14/15 degrees and quite sunny for this time of the year *touch wood* Me thinks that it is time for a visit my friend

[SYDNEY]

We have the best of both Worlds .... Surf + Ski

National Geographic's list of the World's 20 Best Surf Towns:

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high five by Zanthia, on Flickr

Muizenberg, South Africa

Byron Bay, Australia

Florianópolis, Brazil

Tofino, B.C., Canada

Nosara, Costa Rica

Biarritz, France

Bukit Peninsula, Bali, Indonesia

Bundoran, Ireland

Shonan, Japan

Taghazout, Morocco

Raglan, New Zealand

San Sebastián, Spain

Encinitas, CA, US

Santa Cruz, CA, US

New Smyrna Beach, FL, US

Hanalei, Kauai, HI, US

Paia, Maui, HI, US

Montauk, NY, US

Wrightsville Beach, NC, US

La Paloma, Uruguay

RAGLAN .... The surfing world first learned about Raglan, or Whaingaroa as it’s known in the local Maori language, when its empty, seemingly endless left-hand point breaks were featured in Bruce Brown’s seminal surfing film, The Endless Summer. Although you can expect more of a crowd in the lineup today than the Endless Summer boys encountered in 1966, the town itself is a throwback to the golden days of surfing, according to Charlie Young, the director of the Raglan Surfing School. “The old vibe still exists here,” he says. “People still look out for each other.” Lower pressure systems generated in the Roaring Forties (an area between 40° and 49° south latitude that produces some of the strongest and most consistent swells in the world) sends waves to setups that include the beginner- to intermediate-friendly Ngarunui Beach and the more advanced but absolutely classic Manu Bay. When you aren’t in the water, Young recommends checking the avant-garde music and art scene, Maori crafts stores, and locally sourced restaurants and markets.

National Geographic's World's 25 Best Ski Towns

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Whitestar Express, Cardrona by Snow Reports NZ, on Flickr

Girdwood, AK, USA

Fernie, Canada

Zermatt, Switzerland

Bozeman, MT, USA

Wanaka, New Zealand

Chamonix, France

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

Whitefish, MT, USA

Crested Butte, CO, USA

Aspen, CO, USA

Niseko, Japan

Kitzbühel, Austria

Bend, OR, USA

Mont Tremblant, Canada

Taos, NM, USA

Park City, UT, USA

Truckee, CA, USA

Whistler, Canada

North Conway, NH, USA

Banff, Canada

Steamboat Spring, CO, USA

Telluride, CO, USA

Jackson, WY, USA

Stowe, VT, USA

Ketchum, ID, USA

WANAKA .... Quickly developing a reputation as one of the world’s premier adventure towns, Wanaka sits on the shores of sprawling Lake Wanaka amid New Zealand’s Southern Alps. Surrounded by rugged, Lord of the Rings-style alpine scenery, the tranquil town of 5,000 is peppered with hostels, cafes, pubs, and small, luxury eco-lodges. As is customary in New Zealand ski towns, there’s no skiing right there, but four ski areas are within a 40-minute drive, including one, Snow Park NZ—teenage boys with pants that need to be pulled up, take note—that is essentially one big world-class terrain park. Treble Cone, 35 minutes from town, is the best and closest, with more snow and skiable terrain than any other South Island resort. In typical New Zealand style, the entire ski area is above tree line. It’s also steep, offering intermediates an array of plummeting, groomed runs but limiting the options for beginners. Almost half of the runs are rated expert, and the in-bounds, backcountry-style terrain—a collection of wide-open bowls, chutes, and ridges—is what makes the area sing. Cardrona Alpine Resort, a 40-minute drive south, has more beginner terrain, a quality ski school, and on-mountain lodging.

[SYDNEY]

Ski into Winter Wonderland with Peppers Bluewater Resort

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Skis by meurer, on Flickr

Winter is well and truly here, turning New Zealand into a ski bunny’s paradise. Situated close to three of the South Island’s most popular ski fields, Peppers Bluewater Resort Lake Tekapo is the ultimate après ski resort. From Peppers Bluewater Resort Lake Tekapo, it’s just 35 minutes to Roundhill Ski Field, 50 minutes to Mt Dobson and 80 minutes to Lake Ohau Snow Fields – some of the finest snowfields in New Zealand’s Southern Alps. Kick off the winter season in style and luxury with Peppers Bluewater Resort, Lake Tekapo and a two-night Ski Bunny Escape for two. Choose from $258* per night for a Deluxe Lake View room or $278* for a one bedroom Mountain View Villa. On arrival you will be presented with two lift passes for Roundhill ski fields and each morning you will be fuelled up for the day with breakfast for two at Peppers’ signature Rakinui Restaurant.

Roundhill offers easy access, an extensive snowmaking system providing great snow cover and a diverse terrain mix including Australasia’s biggest vertical drop - a whopping 783 metres! Mt Dobson and Lake Oahu also cater for all abilities with miles of both developed trails and off piste tracks for the more adventurous. Peppers Bluewater Resort is set against a backdrop of the stunning turquoise-blue waters of Lake Tekapo and the snow-capped mountains of the Southern Alps. The 142 stylish rooms are all designed drawing inspiration from the majestic surrounding landscape. After an adrenalin filled day on the slopes, kick back in your spacious apartment at Peppers Bluewater Resort Lake Tekapo, the perfect base to relax or explore the surrounding area. Lake Tekapo offers numerous activities including day trips to Tekapo Springs, the perfect tonic for tired and sore muscles, flights with Air Safaris over magnificent Mt Cook and the Mackenzie countryside and star gazing at the clearest night sky in the Southern Hemisphere above Mt John Observatory with Earth and Sky.

Visit www.peppers.co.nz/bluewater

[SYDNEY]

Travel + Leisure: World Best Adwards 2012
World's TOP 50 Best Hotels

No. 16 Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, Matauri Bay, New Zealand

Score: 95.25

image hosted on flickr

The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, luxorium di luxorium, su Flickr

Set in 6,000 acres of rolling North Island countryside and bushland beside the Pacific Ocean, the 22-suite Lodge of Kauri Cliffs is one of three properties owned by the New York-based Robertson family (the other two being Cape Kidnappers at Hawke’s Bay and Matakauri Lodge near Queenstown). Despite its American antecedents, Kauri Cliffs is, lodge-wise, 100 per cent Kiwi. While golf is the main event, you can also take advantage of two Astroturf-surface tennis courts, an infinity pool, and a trio of secluded swimming beaches. In summer, barbeque suppers are held at Pink Beach. In addition to the spacious suites, there's a 4,200-square-foot two-bedroom Owner’s Cottage. The spa, regarded as one of the best in New Zealand, is in a native totara rainforest with indoor and outdoor fireplaces for those chilly Kiwi days.

***

No. 49 Huka Lodge, Taupo, New Zealand

Score: 93.50

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Huka Lodge - Junior Lodge Suite di theedgeproperty.com, su Flickr

Huka is New Zealand’s original, quintessential lodge retreat founded in the 1920s. It set a high standard for other, like-minded, Kiwi luxury properties decades later, and is still doing so. Built beside the Waikato River, which spills into the Huka Falls, the 25-room lodge occupies 17 acres that have been ranked as a prestigious “Garden of National Significance” by the New Zealand Gardens Trust. All of the junior lodge suites overlook the river, while the four-bedroom Owner’s Cottage and two-bedroom Alan Pye Cottage provide secluded accommodation for multiple guests. Huka Lodge includes a range of private and indoor dining venues as well as a subterranean, vaulted wine cellar, the Jetty Pavilion on the riverbank, and a green room with walls of clipped hedging and lit by a suspended, forged metal candelabra.

[SYDNEY]

Travel + Leisure: World Best Adwards 2012
TOP 10 City Hotels in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific

No. 4 The George, Christchurch, New Zealand

Score: 87.76

www.thegeorge.com

***

No. 6 Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa, New Zealand

Score: 86.67

image hosted on flickr

www.sofitelqueenstown.co.nz

[SYDNEY]

Strong visitor night recovery for Queenstown in May

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QUEENSTOWN by Urban+Explorer, on Flickr

Queenstown monthly visitor numbers showed a strong recovery for May 2012 according to Statistics New Zealand figures released today (11 July), with the resort town recording New Zealand’s highest visitor number increase. The Commercial Accommodation Monitor showed guest nights overall were up 14.4 percent (16,000) to 127,964 in May 2012 compared with May 2011. International guest nights were up 24 percent to 76,302, accounting for 59.6 percent of all guest nights in the Queenstown area in May 2012. Domestic guest nights increased 2.7 percent to 51,662 for the same period. The spread was across all accommodation sectors with hotels recording 16.8 percent, motels 11.4 percent, backpackers 9.5 percent, and holiday parks 20.5 percent increases.

This was ahead of the national results which saw an overall guest night decline of 0.3 percent. Destination Queenstown CEO Graham Budd said it was pleasing to see a recovery compared to May 2011 when the resort recorded the lowest number of May guest nights since 2004. “Hosting TRENZ, New Zealand’s premier international trade event, for a second year clearly boosted the result and helped our recovery. “With several months of improved year-on-year results now, we appear to be seeing a sustained, if small, rate of growth overall. “On a full year basis we are now almost back on a par with the prior year-end May result. “Domestic visitors have been the driver of this, so we still have a significant challenge to rebuild international visitor numbers which remain 6.3 percent down year-on-year.”

[Linguine]

lovely set of pics....

[SYDNEY]

Originally Posted by Linguine

lovely set of pics....

Cheers mate

[Erran]

Originally Posted by SYDNEY

Travel + Leisure: World Best Adwards 2012
World's TOP 50 Best Hotels

No. 16 Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, Matauri Bay, New Zealand

Score: 95.25

image hosted on flickr

The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, luxorium di luxorium, su Flickr

Breathtaking pic

[SYDNEY]

Originally Posted by Erran

Breathtaking pic

I wish that I could say it was mine I agree, it is fantastic

[SYDNEY]

Air New Zealand brings the world to Middle-earth

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Middle Earth by Sids1, on Flickr

Air New Zealand is the official airline of Middle-earth with the announcement of a global two-movie partnership with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again, from New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. As part of the two-year partnership, passengers to and from the UK and North America can look forward to flying on two film-branded Boeing 777 aircraft, enjoy a very special edition of the inflight safety video and take part in a wide range of upcoming promotions and experiences. Air New Zealand General Manager Marketing and Communications, Mike Tod, said, “We are excited at the prospect of so many international visitors travelling to Wellington for the 28 November 2012 world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. “New Zealand is clearly established as the home of Middle-earth and Air New Zealand will bring the magic to life for travellers.

“This partnership follows on naturally from the success of Air New Zealand’s relationship with The Lord of the Rings trilogy in raising New Zealand’s profile as an international travel destination. “Similarly, we will be putting millions of dollars of marketing behind the two films based on The Hobbit to promote New Zealand in new and innovative ways across the globe.” Mr Tod confirmed Air New Zealand is working with Weta Workshop to turn a Boeing 777-300 into a flying billboard for the first movie and a Boeing 777-200 for the second movie, and will soon commence filming of a new inflight safety video. “The use of social media has grown exponentially since The Lord of the Rings trilogy and will play a big part in the way we’ll be connecting fans with both The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again and destination Middle-earth over the coming two years, including a series of exclusive competitions and unique fan opportunities,” says Mr Tod.

Sue Kroll, Warner Bros. Pictures’ President, Worldwide Marketing, says Air New Zealand’s involvement is unique. “Just as Peter Jackson is able to transport audiences to the magical world of Middle-earth, Air New Zealand brings people to the breathtaking landscape that has been home to these epic productions. The promotions planned by Air New Zealand in support of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again are both eye-catching and innovative and we look forward to collaborating with them on the campaigns for both films.”

[SYDNEY]

Auckland Airport says aloha to Hawaiian Airlines

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Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330 by Roderick Eime, on Flickr

Hawaiian Airlines announced today that they will commence nonstop flights between Auckland and Honolulu, Hawaii, three times weekly from 14th March 2013, becoming the only US carrier to fly to New Zealand. Auckland Airport General Manager Aeronautical Commercial, Glenn Wedlock, said that the announcement opened up a number of terrific opportunities. “This new service will not only help grow the attractive Hawaiian market across a number of islands, but also offers connections to a wide range of great city destinations in the mainland United States and New Zealand. We believe the New Zealand travel industry will welcome more capacity and connections to Hawaii and mainland United States.

“Hawaii is a very popular holiday spot for many kiwis, plus we think that the dual destination combination of Hawaii and New Zealand offers exciting inbound leisure options for mainland United States visitors. Hawaiian is growing, and we look forward to working with the airline and its partners on this new service.” The flights will provide significant new holiday options for Kiwis, increasing opportunities to fly to Honolulu and providing same carrier connections to the neighbour islands of Maui, Kauai and Hawaii Island, and 11 destinations on the US mainland, including Las Vegas, New York and home of Silicon Valley, San Jose.

“New Zealanders are avid travellers and we believe the introduction of new nonstop flights with our winning brand of service will be welcomed in meeting pent-up demand for a Hawaii vacation,” said Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian’s president and CEO. “At the same time, our new service will offer Hawaii residents easy access to the natural wonders and Maori culture of New Zealand.” Hawaiian’s market research indicates that Hawaii is an underserved market for New Zealand, as tourism figures show there are currently 30 percent fewer visitor arrivals coming from New Zealand than in 1999 when more nonstop flights were offered between the two destinations. In addition, New Zealand residents made more than one million trips to the South Pacific and Asia in 2011.

Hawaiian’s new service will add more than 40,000 seats each way annually between Auckland and Honolulu. Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler welcomed the announcement as a significant step in improving visitor arrivals from the United States and strengthening relations between the two countries. “The United States is a vital market for New Zealand leisure and business travel, and is a key focus for our marketing efforts given the significant potential for growth that exists. However, convenient air links are critical for converting those considering travel into actual bookings,” Mr Bowler said. “The timing of this new service is ideal as the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will heighten interest in New Zealand and no doubt whet Americans’ appetite for travel here.”

Among the attractions of the gateway island of Oahu are world-famous Waikiki Beach, where surfing was invented, historic Pearl Harbour and the USS Arizona memorial, and a vast array of shopping and dining opportunities in Honolulu. The neighbour islands, each served with frequent daily flights by Hawaiian Airlines, offer spectacular natural attractions including the active Kilauea volcano on Hawaii Island, the dormant Haleakala volcano on Maui and Kauai’s rainforests and breath taking Waimea Canyon, known as “the Grand Canyon of the Pacific”. Travellers from New Zealand also have the option to make same carrier connections from Honolulu to a choice of 11 US mainland destinations – Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, San Jose, Oakland, San Diego and Phoenix.

Hawaiian Airlines, a full service leisure airline, will operate its New Zealand flights with wide-body Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, seating 264 passengers - 18 in Business Class and 240 in Economy Class. As well, all passengers flying Hawaiian Airlines from New Zealand will be entitled to a free checked baggage allowance of two items, each weighing up to 32 kilograms – one of the most generous checked baggage allowances in the airline industry. Fares and schedule details will be announced by Hawaiian at a later date. Auckland will be the eighth new destination to which Hawaiian has introduced service or announced new service to since November 2010, following Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Sapporo (October 30, 2012), Japan; Seoul, South Korea; New York City, and Brisbane, Australia (November 27, 2012).

[AJ215]

amazing photos...

[SYDNEY]

Originally Posted by AJ215

amazing photos...

There's some incredible talent out there

[SYDNEY]

June tourist arrivals hit 7 year high

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Mt Taranaki, Taranaki, New Zealand by brian nz, on Flickr

The number of short-term arrivals rose to a seven-year high for the month of June as a flood of Australians and Chinese tourists came to visit last month. Some 151,100 people came to New Zealand for a short-term visit in the month of June, the most for that month since 2005 when the British and Irish Lions toured the nation, Statistics New Zealand said. That was 15 per cent more than in June last year, when flights were cancelled by the Chilean volcanic ash cloud. Annual short-term arrivals rose 5.4 per cent to 2.6 million from a year earlier. The increase was led by a 25 per cent gain in the number of Australian visitors to 64,800, of which 29 per cent were kiwis living across the Ditch, and a 7.4 per cent increase in the number of Chinese tourists to 6,700. ASB Bank economist Daniel Smith said the positive net inflow during June, following on from May's result, suggested a turnaround in net migration flows could be underway. "However, it very much remains to be seen if the very strong permanent arrivals numbers will continue.

The relative performance of the NZ and Australian labour markets will be a key driver over the next year or so, especially as the Christchurch rebuild gains momentum," said Smith. An increase in inflows of migrants would also maintain pressure on the housing market, where issues of limited housing supply were "already starting to bite." The New Zealand tourism industry would be pleased with the stabilisation in visitor arrivals numbers this year, with June result particularly strong, said Smith. New Zealand would need to focus on courting visitors from Asia and Australia as arrivals from the UK and Europe continued to dry up. The figures come after national carrier Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe this week told MPs not enough is being done to promote the country as an attractive destination. The tourism sector has been in the doldrums since the global financial crisis in 2008, when financial markets collapsed and oil prices surged, causing widespread unemployment and eroding people's discretionary spending on long-haul travel.

[SYDNEY]

Australian visitors flock here in record numbers

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New Zealand Bound! by Joshua Cripps, on Flickr

Auckland International Airport, which is targeting Asian arrivals to stoke growth over the next decade, flagged an 11% increase in international arrivals in June over the same month last year. The rise was so large because of the Chilean ash cloud that caused flight cancellations in June 2011. The latest monthly update completes a full 12 months of AIA's financial year, in which it processed more than seven million international passengers, excluding transits, for the first time. China and Australia led the growth, with the 66,098 increase in the number of Australian visitors in the 12 months to June 30 "the largest increase in visitors from a single country".

A total of 715,115 Australians passed through AIA over the 12 months, compared to 649,017 the previous year. For the June month, total international passenger movements, stripping out transits, totalled 536,297 in June from the same month a year earlier, the airport said in a statement. That was led by a 40.1% surge in Chinese arrivals to 9691 and a 20.3% jump in Australian arrivals to 50,041. Domestic passenger movements rose 14.6% to 503,832 in June from the same month a year earlier. There was strong domestic growth across the whole group, with Queenstown Airport, of which Auckland Airport owns quarter, rising 52.4% to 11,525.

[SYDNEY]

The video is WOW

Australian Lara Bingle is Air NZ’s latest Kiwi Sceptic

Air New Zealand has unveiled the latest instalment of its award winning ‘Kiwi Sceptics’ campaign featuring Australian model Lara Bingle teaming up with Kiwi TV host and champion snowboarder Hayley Holt to experience the best of Queenstown. ‘Kiwi Sceptics’ is aimed at changing the perceptions of Aussies who never get around to crossing the ditch. Research shows that each year more than five million Australians seriously consider New Zealand as a destination but only one in five actually makes the trip. The campaign recently won a bronze Lion at Cannes in the branded content, non-fiction category. Self confessed Kiwi Sceptic, Lara Bingle is typical of four out of five Australians who say they’ve always intended to visit New Zealand but never got around to it. “If someone had asked me about New Zealand before the trip I would have said it was just off my radar.

Now, my attitude has completely changed. I fell in love with New Zealand. I would love to be living the laid back New Zealand lifestyle. I really got an opportunity to live the dream during my time in Queenstown.” While in Queenstown, Hayley gave Lara an experience that would have impressed the most sceptical of Aussie snow lovers. The pair went snowboarding on Coronet Peak including a breathtaking helicopter ride to the back bowls of Wanaka where they were left with nothing but untouched powder and their boards for the exhilarating journey down to the base. Lara then spent the night on The Remarkables, sleeping in a snow cave up the mountain. There was plenty of après ski activity. Lara sampled some of the best of Queenstown’s food and wine at eateries such as Botswana Butchery and The Bunker, and played a few games of pool at the local Zephyr Bar. Throughout Lara’s journey, Air New Zealand challenged her misconceptions head-on, transforming her from a Kiwi Sceptic to a lover of all things NZ.

Everyone’s favourite Kiwi and star of Flight of the Conchords, Rhys Darby, narrates the journey adding his own flavour and wit to the script. Kelly Millier, Air New Zealand’s Marketing Manager Australia explains, “Our ‘Kiwi Sceptics’ series gives Australians new reasons to visit this great land of ours. The first four episodes have been well-received and are doing a good job of getting more Aussie bums on Air New Zealand seats. We reckon that Lara’s daredevil nature, Hayley’s down-to-earth Kiwi charm and the breathtaking scenery in this winter edition, will encourage even more Aussies to visit over the coming year.” The Kiwi Sceptics Winter Edition and all the Kiwi Sceptics episodes can be watched at www.kiwisceptics.com . Lara’s Queenstown trip will also feature in her Australian reality TV show, Being Lara Bingle.

[SYDNEY]

New Zealand snow season gets in full swing!

Winter in New Zealand is now in full swing with good conditions
at many resorts and lots of events to look forward to.

“The conditions on the mountains, even prior to the new snow, have been remarkable given the limited natural snow we’ve received,” said Lake Wanaka Tourism’s James Helmore. “A combination of man-made snow and cold temperatures have allowed the resorts to keep their trails in exceptional condition and yesterday’s new snow was a perfect top up". There is fresh morning corduroy to be found across groomed trails on all four mountains (Cardrona, Snow Park, Snow Farm and Treble Cone).

Parks at both Cardrona and Snow Park are all riding well. The quarter pipe at Snow Park opened last week and the Olympic spec halfpipe at Cardrona is under construction now in preparation for the FIS Snowboard and Freestyle Ski Halfpipe World Cups this month. Treble Cone has had excellent skiing on and off piste particularly in the Saddle Basin and off the Summit. The recent snow on Monday has added another 25 cm of coverage and some great fresh lines, while Cardrona has recently opened its new black diamond trail, ‘Powderkeg’, a 1.2km trail located in the Arcadia Valley.

Night Skiing at Coronet Peak resumed last this Friday, after being put on hold last week. “It’s been great to see a return to more normal conditions this week. Temperatures have come down again and we have been able to get the snow guns on” said Coronet Peak Ski Area Manager Hamish McCrostie. Snow Park NZ has 100% coverage with the ability to make snow across all of their terrain. Their popular night skiing run is in peak condition, running three nights a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

The trails at Snow Farm have been sensational later in the day with the colder temperatures at night allowing for excellent cross-country skiing conditions. And, as always, the 360-degree views are breath taking. Over at the remarkable the Ladies Freestyle snowboard camp was a huge success with 55 riders signed up for the day. The action packed day started with transport for everyone up the mountain. After meeting their coaches and group for the day ahead, it was time to hit the freshly groomed mountain and immaculately prepared park thanks to the efforts of the Terrain Park Department.

For some it was their first time in the park, for others it was about taking their skiing or riding ability to the next level, After the morning shred session already full of newly dialed tricks, the girls headed back down the hill for a BBQ lunch laid on by Red Bull. However, it wasn’t long before each and every group was raring to go for the afternoon, which for some meant stepping up their skiing and riding by hitting some bigger lines in the park. Megan Burke, NZSki’s Event Coordinator was thrilled with how the day went. “It was awesome to see so many girls dominating the parks. We had a record number of participants and it was great to see the girls trying new things and gaining more confidence.”

A second and last camp of the season will be taking place on 8th September. The camps cost $120 and can be booked through the Snow Centre in Queenstown or at Remarkables Guest Services. Alternatively, visit www.nzski.com/parklife for a registration form. Over on the North Island the resorts of Whakapapa and Turoa are also attracting female riders with the launch of their ladies weeks which run each week Monday to Thursday with Friday as a contingency day. A 4 day programme by women for women allows you to improve your skiing and riding skills from a female specific perspective. Meet other ski /snowboarding women, & receive great retail discounts. The programme consists of 4 hours per day group coaching with top female instructors. Group will consist of ladies of similar skiing/snowboarding ability. More information can be found on: http://www.mtruapehu.com/winter/ladies_weeks/

Further events happening include The World Heli Challenge, the first of many international competitions on Wanaka’s winter calendar, which kicked off this week, bringing its own breed of legendary skiers and snowboarders to the region. Other international events include the Burton High Fives, The North Face Freeski Open and the FIS Snowboard and Freestyle World Cups (the first qualifying events for the 2014 Winter Olympics).

[aljuarez]

I loooooved the Kiwi Sceptic videos! I've just watched them all. I must confess I used to have similar qualms before seeing all the wonderful photos in this forum about this gorgeous country. Admittedly about Australia too!... You know... hop on a plane for a over a dozen hours to get to yet another English-speaking, white-majority, modern place with little in the way of history or culture... Basically a warmer version of Canada or a slightly exotic version of the U.S. Southern coasts, only way farther away, and that much more expensive to get to.

NZ is still far away, but it's still firmly on the list now!