Once upon a time, when we were kids, it was all about the car. What car your family had, what your friends had, what it sounded like, and what it smelt like. A highlight of any weekend was helping to wash it, and going anwhere in the car felt like a special treat. Shopping, visiting […]
Auckland Family Activities Read More »
Anyone who has been to Taupo remembers…let’s see, the lake, the hot springs…oh, and a McDonalds in a plane! Not just any plane, but a mighty Douglas DC-3, the aircraft that made commercial passenger flights a viable business. In New Zealand they were once the backbone of our postwar domestic fleet, but their useful
Final Approach – The Last of the Dakota’s Read More »
Not being a frequent visitor to the Manawatu region, I was rather astounded to discover this relic. Just a few minutes south-east of Palmerston North alongside SH56, these are the remains of the longest suspension bridge in New Zealand, the Opiki Toll Bridge. One hundred years ago and more, the soggy swamplands around
At the dawn of the 20th century, a pubescent British colony named New Zealand was struggling to establish a global identity, even perhaps a national one. That’s when someone had the idea of staging a gigantic International Exhibition, a showcase for everything we had become and hoped to be. A grand expression of nationalism, colonialism,
Exhibiting Ourselves Read More »
Ghost towns are always cool. I found these great photos by Len Chapman whilst doing a bit of internet beachcombing, and had to look the place up. As usual, click on photos to enlarge. As it turns out, Tokomaru Bay is a beautiful but desolate 8km arc of beach, 92km north of Gisborne
Ruin With A View – Tokomaru Bay Read More »
Travelling south of Auckland on State Highway 2, you are bound to pass through the modest, utilitarian town of Waihi. Most do. It’s less than two hours from the big smoke on the way to Tauranga, the Mount, and of course the popular summertime hangout of Waihi Beach, which is actually a town in its
Once upon a time Port Chalmers was the third largest port in Australasia, and the birthplace of New Zealand’s modern export trade. Bypassed for nearly a century, it has benefited from (or suffered from, depending on your viewpoint) commercial rediscovery and reinvestment, but in a sense it is bypassed still, by thousands of cruise
Rediscovering Port Chalmers Read More »
The Langham is one of Auckland’s new breed of 5-star hotels. Its placement high on the Karangahape Ridge affords views across the central city and out to the Waitemata Harbour, as well as inland to Grafton, Mt Eden and Parnell. For 22 years this was the Sheraton, until new owners, a new name, and a
“Adventure Capital of the World”, the brochures are prone to gush, and for once this is not be the hollow claim of some bean-counting business association. Queenstown truly is packed with hundreds of thrills for thrill-seekers and spectacles for spectators, and in natural surroundings that are most definitely world class. I’ve long scoffed at the
Queenstown – A Compendium Read More »
Where the hell was he? Tex tilted his hat, shielding his burnished face from the low western sun, and squinted down the empty street. ‘WATERFALL MOUNTAIN’, read the lettering over the courthouse. He didn’t care, anyway. Saddle sore and weary from days on the trail, he ached for a drink, and his horse needed water.
Locations
Useful Links
Contact
If you have any questions or need help or advice about rental cars or your New Zealand travel plans we’re here to help you. Please contact us
New Zealand Free Phone: 0800 800 956
Australian Free Phone: 1800 771 302
Other international enquiries. Find your nearest New Zealand rental cars branch.
Locations
Useful Links
Contact
If you have any questions or need help or advice about rental cars or your New Zealand travel plans we’re here to help you. Please contact us
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New Zealand Free Phone: 0800 800 956
Australian Free Phone: 1800 771 302
Other international enquiries. Find your nearest New Zealand rental cars branch.
