New Zealand Archives

The Top 5 New Zealand Festivals

Sunday, January 22nd, 2012 at 3:55 am  
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New-Zealand

Each year, New Zealand hosts more than 300 different arts, music, food and other-themed festivals which attract natives and international visitors alike. A significant proportion of these festivals (40+) are held in the month of February which is known as festival season in the country and as such, many travellers will book their NZ holiday/s to coincide with this time. However, as a regular visitor of New Zealand I have attended more than a handful of ‘Zealand’s festivals and I can tell you that not all of the best ones are held during the second month of the year! If…

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Book Hotels Online & Save Time & Money

Thursday, August 7th, 2008 at 7:21 am  
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Like most people, I just love to travel and spend as much time as I can on the road or in the air. Finding cheap flights online is the easy part; it’s finding a hotel at a reasonable cost, in the right location with the right facilities that can sometimes be a challenge. Fortunately there are some excellent sites available to help you to choose the right hotel at the right price. In October we are planning to travel to Auckland in New Zealand and then driving down to Queenstown in the South Island. I intend to book only accommodation…

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Reminiscing Over Family Wedding Photos

Sunday, October 14th, 2007 at 10:37 am  
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Our lovely niece Jenny has just emailed through some family photos and amongst them is  of Val and I when we were married and another one of us at Roy and Kays wedding a couple of years later. This is so fantastic for us as  all our photos were lost years ago and we have no photos of when we were young. This photo was taken at the arbor at the Auckland Domain. Because of family reasons we were married in the Auckland Registry Office and our witnesses were Val’s nephew Roy and niece Marilyn.  No one attended from my family…

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A Visit to Torbay

Sunday, September 16th, 2007 at 10:32 pm  
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After arriving back at the hotel we freshen up and pickup the car from the concierge. Then off we go to Torbay to visit my stepfather Derek.  He has recently moved from Glen Innes to Torbay, much to everyone’s relief.  It took a bit of organizing as he and Gwen had lived in the old place for a great many years. So we head over the Auckland Harbour Bridge and onto the Northern Motorway. Of course we don’t have a map that goes out as far as Torbay so it will be a matter of winging it.  Never mind I…

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Kelly Tarlton’s Antartic Encounter Underwater World

Sunday, September 16th, 2007 at 7:48 pm  
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During other visits to Auckland we never seemed to get the time to go to the Aquarium.  This time I was determined to go as the encounter had been recommended by a number of friends who had been and as we had puchased a combined Pass for the Skytower, Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World and  Rainbow world for $69.00 each  we decided to take full advantage of the savings as against when the tickets are purchased separately. There is a free shuttle bus every hour on the hour from 9am-4pm that leaves from just outside the Sky City entrance so we waited with a few others who were…

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Botanical Gardens At The Auckland Museum

Sunday, September 16th, 2007 at 6:52 pm  
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After we had finished looking around the museum we strolled down to the Botanical gardens.  This has been a favourite place of mine since I was a child. There is nothing quite like strolling through gardens with the sound of running water and just taking in the beauty of the surroundings. The fine misty spray is cooling and refreshing as you walk under the ferns hanging in large baskets from the ceiling. The oval pool between the hot house and the cool house has large multicoloured carp swimming lazily through the sun streaked water without a care in the world….

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Much to See at the Auckland War Memorial Museum

Sunday, September 16th, 2007 at 4:15 pm  
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On Sunday we decided to go to visit the Auckland War Memorial Museum.  I particularly wanted to take in the Maori Cultural show, and Val wanted to revisit the war section. I have always loved Maori music and culture and when I was growing up I admired my Maori girlfriends their musical talent and dexterity with the poi. So I booked my ticket and we filled in time by visiting the Polynesian, Maori and Early Childhood  exhibits.  The latter brought back many memories of school days.  When we were at school  in the 1950′s all children were given milk to drink at…

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The Maori Show

Sunday, September 16th, 2007 at 4:06 pm  
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A quick stroll through the dinosaur section to where the mighty Moa stands The Moa was able to be hunted to extinction because it was flightless, this bird didn’t have any wings at all. The giant Moa’s grew to around 12 ft (3.6 metres) and weighed around 550 lbs (259kg), so they were a great meat source for the local tribes. Everyone who has purchased a ticket to see the Maori cultural show is assembled in the foyer of the museum. A Maori maiden and warrior arrive and a conch shell is blown to grab everyones attention. We are ushered…

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A Family Visit to Maraetai

Saturday, September 15th, 2007 at 7:25 pm  
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Today we are heading off to visit my brothers, Derek, Ralph and Gavin and their repective partners, Jackie, Vicky and Gilly.  I am so looking forward to seeing them. We will be having a barbeque and a few drinks and a bit of a yarn in true kiwi fashion. I have managed to get the timer off pat now so I am able to join the group for photos without too much trouble.  So from left to right at the back we have me, Vickie, Gilly, Gavin, Jackie and in the front is Val, Ralph and Derek. Missing from the…

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