New Zealand Travel Blog

After only a few weeks in New Zealand our intrepid Dutch intern, Remy de Jong,  decided to hike the West Auckland 4 Day Hillary Trail – Mid Winter. The Hillary Trail Named after the New Zealand mountaineer, Sir Edmond Hillary (The first to the top of Everest) The Hillary Trail is a tough but worthwhile 4 day 3 night wilderness hike. The 70km (43 Mile) trail is is known for its lush native forests, giant stands of mature kauri and huge dunes that backdrop the volcanic black sands that stretch along endless roaring beaches.

Partake on a delicious journey through New Zealand’s finest wine and food country, experience the 380 kilometer (240 mile) trail as it serves up a delectable array of food and wine experiences. Encompassing Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa and Marlborough the 'Classic New Zealand Wine Trail'.  links three of New Zealand’s leading wine regions that accounts for more than 80 percent of the country’s production.

You are forgiven for thinking you’re facing a James Cameron Sci Fi set; and one certainly not modeled on anything you would expect to find on this planet. Australia has more than it's fair share of  extra terrestrial looking landscapes that have inspired onlookers for millennia. Here are  just a few to inspire you off the beaten track to see beautiful Australian landscape …

The worldwide premiere for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is just minutes away and New Zealand's capital city Wellington has been rushing to complete it's transformation to make it feel homely for folk with hairy feet and pointy ears. Yesterday stars jetted in for the long-awaited first movie of the Hobbit trilogy. Wellington, where much of the post production has been done, has renamed itself "the Middle of Middle Earth". Fans have had costume parties and Wellington city workers have laid a 500 m (550 yards) red carpet.

The sheer size of Australia means there is a wide variation in climate. These range from a ‘wet’ and a ‘dry’ season in the tropical north, an area that is also prone to cyclones to the outback ‘the Red Centre’ that experiences blistering temperatures with severe droughts.  At the same time down south in Tasmania, an icy breeze from the Antarctica can prevail – So planning your holiday is essential.