Would you like to tour NZ by coach and eat for free?
Posted on 03. Aug, 2009 by Campbell.
There has been some cold weather down here in New Zealand this year, great news for those skiing, and enjoying the spectaular winter scenery, but not so good for us that have to work! It’s that busy time for us again when everyone starts to book their places on our summer tours before it’s too late. [...]
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New hotels for Auckland in time for Rugby World Cup 2011
Posted on 24. Jul, 2009 by Campbell.
Auckland Airport Novotel Announced The long-awaited details of an international-branded hotel for Auckland Airport have been announced. Auckland International Airport Ltd has entered into a joint venture with Accor Hospitality and Tainui Group Holdings to build and operate a new four-star Novotel. The 263-room, 12-storey hotel, which is expected to be ready in time for [...]
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Earthquake Felt in South Island
Posted on 16. Jul, 2009 by Campbell.
An earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, and causing a small tsunami (of 17 centimetres) in the southern Fiordland region was felt last night. New Zealand has between 10,000 and 15,000 earthquakes every year, so locals are used to feeling the earth move. This particular undersea quake was located about 160 kilometres west of [...]
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Best Months to View Dolphins and Whales
Posted on 16. Jul, 2009 by Campbell.
The Dolphin & Whale viewing guide below is for the Bay of Islands in the North Island of New Zealand. As you can see every month is good to seeing something, but the winter months (May-July) probably give the greatest range, including the occasional Orca Whale! Kiakoura on the east coast of the South Island is [...]
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11 Day South Island Christmas Tour
Posted on 10. Jul, 2009 by Campbell.
Luxury coach holiday specialist Grand Pacific Tours has just released an 11-day South Island Tour incorporating the festive season. The tour, on a luxurious 20 seat Ultimate Coach, departs on the 22nd Deceber 2009. The Ultimate Coach is a regular sized coach, designed to exacting standards with 20 leather reclining seats, entertainment consoles with 4 [...]
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On The Way To The Glaciers
Posted on 09. Jul, 2009 by Campbell.
Our small group travelled from Christchurch on the east coast of the South Island to Greymouth on the west coast onboard the TranzAlpine train. At the end of the train journey we were met by Craig, our driver, who had followed in the coach. It had taken just under 5 hours. It is so relaxing to travel by train and I [...]
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New Zealand Touring July Specials
Posted on 01. Jul, 2009 by Campbell.
Well another month has rolled on by – and it’s New Zealand’s winter has now officially started, but it’s also one month closer to our summer season. We find at this time of year our ’organised’ (future) clients begin investigating their travelling options in New Zealand. They are clever to do so, because not only do they achieve great Earlybird savings [...]
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Queenstown Winterfestival Starts in 2 Days
Posted on 24. Jun, 2009 by Campbell.
The Southern Hemisphere’s biggest winter party is the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival and this year it runs from 26 June to 5 July. The Queenstown Winter Festival attracts some 60,000 people for a frenzy of concerts, balls, competitions, races, fireworks, bands, comedy, debates, food, wine… you name it. Thirty five years ago a bunch of [...]
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2009 Ski Season Has Now Begun
Posted on 23. Jun, 2009 by Campbell.
What is your idea of the perfect ski holiday? Great snow? Gentle slopes, or steeps for thrills? A variety of resorts? A buzzing après scene and the backdrop of picturesque scenery? Look no further as New Zealand has all this plus more, and is about to become the ideal winter paradise for your next ski [...]
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Party Central
Posted on 22. Jun, 2009 by Campbell.
The Rugby World Cup 2011 is creeping up very fast, and progress is finally being made on many of the infrastructure developments required to make this the best World Cup ever. Speaking at the TRENZ tourism event in Auckland, Prime Minister John Key announced that Auckland’s Queens Wharf will be used as ‘party central’ during [...]
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Our Latest Touring Specials Rolled Over Into June
Posted on 01. Jun, 2009 by Campbell.
Due to popular demand we have rolled over our May Specials into June! This is for a limited time only so we suggest you get in early. In this case the ‘earlybird’ really does catch the worm! With ALL self drive New Zealand tours over 5 days long in length you can add a day to your tour and [...]
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Spotlight on Sauvignon Blanc Wine – New Zealand Variety
Posted on 28. May, 2009 by Campbell.
New Zealand has emerged as a prime area for Sauvignon Blanc wines, and what they have accomplished is the envy of many world wine producing regions.
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Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses on New Zealands South Island
Posted on 19. May, 2009 by Campbell.
Relaxing Journeys have recently added Hapuku Lodge to our range of boutique properties offered on our premium self drive tour range. Premium self drives touring the east coast of the South Island have the opportunity to experience this unique lodge. Situated in one of the most spectacular settings in New Zealand, nestled between the Kaikoura [...]
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Update on Swine Flu
Posted on 18. May, 2009 by Campbell.
Health authorities are warning that Influenza A (H1N1) remains of concern, although it has dropped out of the headlines. Border authorities are continuing to screen arriving passengers into New Zealand and a number of people remain in quarantine, although all New Zealanders with confirmed cases of H1N1 have recovered. Source: Tourism New Zealand
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Safe Close-up Glacier View
Posted on 08. May, 2009 by Campbell.
Tourists are now able to safely get up close for “spectacular” views of Franz Josef Glacier, which had for the past three years been much less accessible to visitors. The Otago Daily Times reports that a team from the Department of Conservation (DoC) and Franz Josef Glacier Guides have set up a new viewing area [...]
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New Zealand Swine Flu Update
Posted on 05. May, 2009 by Campbell.
The New Zealand government has moved quickly to respond to cases of Swine Flu in New Zealand. A small number of people in New Zealand have tested probable or are suspected of having the illness – all have been isolated and treated promptly. As soon as the Government was notified in late April of suspected [...]
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New Zealand Swine Flu
Posted on 29. Apr, 2009 by Campbell.
The New Zealand government has moved quickly to respond to cases of Swine Flu in New Zealand. A total of 14 people in New Zealand have tested positive for Influenza A today (Wednesday April 29, 2009) and are being treated as having Swine Flu. As soon as the Government was notified of suspected cases from [...]
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Just Released – Special Interest Coach Touring
Posted on 08. Apr, 2009 by Campbell.
Relaxing Journeys released 9 new specialist escorted coach tours today. Each tour has been specifically designed to showcase New Zealand with a focus on an event or style of travel. We expect these to be very popular and with Guaranteed Departure dates and limited availability we recommend our clients get their decision caps on quickly! [...]
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New Zealands Autumn 2009 Highlights
Posted on 02. Apr, 2009 by Campbell.
Calm settled weather, vibrant colour-filled landscapes and a long list of seasonally charged events make autumn a prime time to visit New Zealand. While the country settles into an après-summer phase where business is in full swing, parliament sitting and school back in session – visitors have free reign to explore at leisure. With pleasant [...]
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Relaxing Journeys Receives Top AAT Kings Award
Posted on 07. Mar, 2009 by Campbell.
Well another travel season has come and gone and now we are ready to crack down and focus on the next. But before the hard work commences Georgina, Craig and I were invited to attend ‘AAT Kings Annual Champions Trip’ in Cairns with a two night stop over on Dunk Island. As expected, AAT Kings [...]
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Earlybird Season has arrived
Posted on 01. Mar, 2009 by Campbell.
One more month of the official summer season and then we reach April when the weather tradtionally turns a little colder and Kiwis ready themselves for the winter. Nowadays of course, the summer could easily roll on into April and beyond – the weather is that unpredicatable! Visitors to our fine shores this season have [...]
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NZ ‘love at first sight’ for Dawn French
Posted on 26. Feb, 2009 by Campbell.
British comedian Dawn French has given New Zealand a glowing report in a UK Telegraph celebrity travel column, describing her visit to the country as love at first sight. French says she discovered New Zealand “a dozen or so years ago” when she visited with husband Lenny Henry after he’d toured Australia. “For a start [...]
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Tasman Glacier calving provides voyage of a lifetime
Posted on 12. Feb, 2009 by Campbell.
Tourists at the Tasman Glacier terminal face, in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, witnessed a three-metre high wave as a giant iceberg plunged from the glacier into the terminal lake on Tuesday (10.02.09). The wave surging down the lake was the first indicator of the largest single ice ‘calf’ from the glacier in 25 years. [...]
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NZ ski season shaping up for repeat record
Posted on 09. Feb, 2009 by Campbell.
While New Zealand bathes in sunshine and high temperatures, winter sports enthusiasts have cooler conditions in mind. Last year rated as best on record for New Zealand skifields and, with many skiers and snowboarders already planning their winter recreation, the Ski Areas Association NZ expects 40,000 winter 09 passes to sell pre-season. International sales, particularly [...]
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Milford Sound ups global ranking
Posted on 30. Jan, 2009 by Campbell.
New Zealand’s iconic Milford Sound has moved up the rankings in a global search for the ‘Seven Wonders of Nature’ as on-line voters help to heat up competition. The popular South Island tourist destination now lies fifth in the seascapes category in a race to find the world’s greatest scenic marvels. Run by a Swiss [...]
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NZ hotels on world’s hot list
Posted on 20. Jan, 2009 by Campbell.
Five of New Zealand’s top hotels have made it onto the list of 500 best hotels in the world just published by international magazine Travel + Leisure. Queenstown’s five-star Millbrook Resort scores a spot on the magazine’s sixth annual ‘500 best hotels’ list, as do Rotorua’s Treetops Lodge, Taupo’s Huka Lodge, Auckland’s new Hyatt Regency [...]
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Waiheke Island wins 2009 smart travel pick
Posted on 20. Jan, 2009 by Campbell.
Waiheke – a little island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf celebrated for its beaches, artists, award-winning wines and olive oil – gets the tick of approval and no. 2 placing on Frommer’s top destinations list for 2009. Just released, the 2009 list from international trip advisors Frommers.com focuses on smart travel choices, places that are affordable [...]
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Tourists get chance to rave about NZ
Posted on 12. Dec, 2008 by Campbell.
Tourism New Zealand is going on the road with a world-leading tourism marketing initiative using visitors to spread the word to friends and family through social networking. NZ Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, John Key has launched the new marketing concept that uses a mobile recording studio to capture visitors’ stories about their time [...]
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Telegraph readers say NZ ‘always delivers’
Posted on 26. Nov, 2008 by Campbell.
New Zealand is a destination which always delivers, according to 25,000 readers of the UK Daily Telegraph, who have just voted New Zealand one of their favourite destinations on earth. The paper says, “To coin a phrase from our Antipodean friends, New Zealand has now become the ‘mailman’ for Telegraph readers – it always delivers”. [...]
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‘Youngest Country’ scores 1 million YouTube viewers
Posted on 17. Nov, 2008 by Campbell.
More than 1 million people have watched Tourism New Zealand’s television commercial ‘Youngest Country’ on YouTube in the past year. The number of views of the latest 100% Pure New Zealand commercial reached 1 million earlier this month (November 2008). Another 13,000 people have already watched it since, reflecting the steady stream of viewers the [...]
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News, Views & Videos
Posted on 10. Nov, 2008 by Campbell.
New Zealand Travel News & Views, what’s that all about? We have created this section of our website to provide our clients and those involved in New Zealand’s travel industry, with the latest news and views on everything and anything to do with tourism in our wonderful country. We’ll provide you with up to date [...]