New Zealand Travel Stories

New Zealand - Sea Kayaking the Abel Tasman

The Abel Tasman Coastal Track is one of New Zealand's nine Great Walks. My friends and I made Abel Tasman National Park a two day sea-kayaking destination. Full Story.

New Zealand - Walk in Tongariro National Park

The Tongariro National Park has many claims to fame. For a start, it's the location of one of New Zealand's nine Great Walks. It is also one of the 890 World Heritage Sites. Whether tramping the Mount Tongariro Northern Circuit or not, a visit to Tongariro National Park will almost certainly be anybodys cause for celebration. Full Article.

New Zealand - Trekking Lake Waikaremoana

The Lake Waikaremoana Track is located in the Te Urewera National Park on the North Island of NZ. It is located 614 metres above sea level and is 46 kilometres long. It is one of New Zealand's least tramped Great Walks. Full Story.

New Zealand - Trekking The Heaphy Track

Sitting on a huge drift-log on a very wide beach, I watched the incoming tide occasionally defeat the Heaphy River's narrow mouth, crashing into the outflow and sending waves rippling swiftly along the river for a hundred metres. In the background, spectacular, sonorous waves pounded and plumed over Heaphy Bluff. Full Article.

New Zealand - Waimangu Volcanic Valley

It is a geothermal area in New Zealand, just south of Rotorua in the North Island, and was formed only 118 years ago by a massive volcanic eruption that destroyed a mountain called Tarawera. The exploding Mt Tarawera smothered a nearby settlement, Te Wairoa, now known as The Buried Village and formed the volcanic valley at Waimangu. Full Story.

New Zealand - Lodge Affairs

Envied for their premium cachet and set amid dramatic, blockbuster locations, New Zealand's ultra exclusive 'Super Lodges' continue to earn the praise of luxury travellers and hard-nosed critics alike. In this special report, Rod Eime explores 'the brand of the long white cloud'. Full Story

Up In The Stratusphere

Beyond mere five-star, there exists a level of property that transcends any rating system. A rarefied stratosphere where the experience is valued and remembered long after the account is settled. Rod Eime rose briefly above his station for a glimpse of life at the very top. Full Story.

White Island

Located some 50 kilometres off the coast of Whakatane in the North Island, White Island happens to be New Zealand’s only live marine volcano, enigmatically jutting out of the middle of the ocean. Roughly 200,000 years old, calling this live volcano stunning doesn't quite cut the mustard, as Richard Moore discovered. Full Story.

Mount Taranaki 

Home to some of the most beautiful and imposing natural wonders of the world, Mt Eont peers through a blue sky near  her snow-covered crown which sits 2518 metres above the farmland plains below.  Also the filming destination of the Tom Crusie film The Last Samurai.  Full Story.

Orakei Korako

First you press the buzzer and before long you'll spy a small boat approaching across Lake Ohakuri, as you wait for your journey to Orakei Korako to begin. It is a fairly compact thermal area that you can walk around in an hour, and is home to geysers, huge silica terraces, a sacred cave and mudpools, as Richard Moore discovered. Full Story.

Napier

In 1931 Napier was shaken and pushed around by a massive earthquake lifted the entire city by almost two metres. Out of the rubble the people of Napier recreated their city in the design of the times - Art Deco. For fans of the trendy '30s-style architecture, Napier is one of the best places to visit, as Richard Moore found out. Full Story.

Waiouru Army Museum

Along the central plateau of New Zealand's North Island is the wild terrain of the Desert Road, and as it crosses the alpine desert there is a major training area for the army and an timeless museum at the town of Waiouru, as Richard Moore explains. Full Story.

Wind Farms

In Australia there are 27 wind farms capable of powering a city the size of Canberra, and on a recent trip through the central part of New Zealand's North Island Richard Moore came across the biggest wind farm in the southern hemisphere. Full Story.

Cape Palliser

The southernmost point of New Zealand's North Island is home to not just a picturesque lighthouse, but also a flourishing seal colony. And as Richard Moore found out, both the seals and amazing views combine to create an unforgettable excursion. Full Story.

• Huka Lodge
• Cape Palliser
• Wellington
• Rotorua Adventure Park
• Rotorua Agrodome
• Glenbrook Vintage Railway
• Hobbiton (Lord of the Rings set)
• Wind Farms (Tararua mountain range)
• Whakarewarewa (Thermal Village)
  
• Te Wairoa (the Buried Village)
  

• Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World
• General
  
• North Island
  
• South Island
  
• War Memorial Museum
• Waimangu Volcanic Valley
• Waitomo Glow Worm Caves
• The Sacred Waters of Rotorua
• Napier
• Waiouru Army Museum