Travelling the world in luxury for less a week at a time
The Waitomo District on New Zealand’s stunning North Island is an easy 2 ½ hour drive south of Auckland. As one of NZ’s original tourist destinations, Waitomo has plenty to offer visitors but the #1 reason so many visitors make the journey is to experience the dramatic subterranean landscape at Waitomo Caves. I recently spent a unique afternoon underground exploring Ruakuri Cave and Waitomo Glowworm Cave. Read on for all the details …
Rotorua in New Zealand’s North Island is a hot mess. Literally! Everywhere you look the earth is bubbling, hissing and exploding as mother nature flexes her muscles in a dramatic display sure to impress. Te Puia Rotorua is the perfect place for visitors to experience Rotorua’s unique geothermal landscape and gain a greater understanding of the area’s rich Māori culture. Oh and did I mention the fabulous hāngi feast? Read on for all the details …
As part of our recent road trip around New Zealand’s North Island we spent two days in Rotorua. The first thing I tend to consider when I have decided on a destination is where I am going to stay. Even when your days are full with activities where you lay your head for the night can make or break your trip. Rotorua has no shortage of accommodation and we checked them all before deciding on The Regent of Rotorua, a multi-award winning boutique hotel right in the centre of town. Read on for all the details …
Rotorua really turned on the rain for our last night in town. It would have been easy to retreat to our very comfy room at The Regent of Rotorua on such a dismal night but with only two days in town we didn’t have the luxury of time on our side. We braved the rain and headed to Skyline Rotorua. I know what you are thinking, why would you go to a place famous for the views when the city was shrouded in mist? Well two of my favourite things are at the top of Mt Ngongotaha; wine and food, both of which could be enjoyed even with a compromised view. Stratosfare Restaurant Rotorua and Volcanic Hills Winery proved to be the the absolute perfect place to be on a dark stormy night in Rotorua. Read on for all the details …
Rotorua is New Zealand’s coolest hot spot. Part of the Taupo volcanic zone, Rotorua is a geothermal wonderland. Visitors have been fascinated with the area since the early 1800’s and there is no better place to see mother nature at her turbulent best than at Hells Gate Rotorua. Visitors to Rotorua’s most active geothermal park can experience a dramatic landscape littered with boiling hot pools, steaming fumaroles, a mud volcano and even a hot waterfall. Oh and did I mention the mud baths and sulphur pools in the natural spa? Read on for all the details …
Auckland is New Zealand’s most populous city. A young city by global standards, Auckland is like a teenager experiencing a growth spurt. The City of Sails is currently home to 1.4 million people but the population is expected to swell to 2 million by 2031 so significant changes are underway in preparation. City streets are being torn up to accommodate the city rail link and cranes dominate the horizon as a host of new towers take shape. Visitors to Auckland during this metamorphosis will appreciate a haven from which to escape the mayhem on the streets and CityLife Auckland offers exactly that. This completely refurbished all apartment hotel provides all the comforts of home with a raft of facilities that make it so much better. Read on for all the details …
So I’m guessing you are planning a trip to New Zealand. Or at least seriously thinking about it. The land of the long white cloud is a small but diverse nation that is incredibly popular with Aussies. In fact, 470,000 of us visit every year. This is my second trip across the ditch and the first time The Hubs has visited the North Island. Spectacular scenery, friendly locals, fantastic food and countless activities are waiting for you in En Zed (never Zee!), but there are a few things you need to know before hopping on that plane. Starting your research with my New Zealand travel essentials will see you arrive well prepared to enjoy a hassle free stay. Read on for all the details …
I have flown to Melbourne more than 100 times for work over the years. I’m betting those that think business travel is totally glamorous haven’t done much of it. It’s not all swanning around in 5 star hotels and ordering French Champagne from room service you know! In fact, it’s mostly early morning alarms, full days of back to back meetings and numerous transportation failures. And then there is the worst thing of all … the dreaded cab queue. I have spent more time than I care to tally standing out the front of both Sydney and Melbourne airports waiting for a taxi. On a bad day I spend more time in the queue than I do in the air. I have seen the Melbourne SkyBus out of the corner of my eye many times yet I have always shunned it as an option for the business traveller. In my mind SkyBus was reserved for backpackers on a budget, so almost on autopilot I stagger out of the terminal to the designated rank where I wait for up to an hour for the privilege of being transported into the city in a mostly grubby car with an often difficult driver. On a recent flight to Melbourne the cab queue was particularly diabolical. It snaked past the barriers, beyond the terminal door and almost to the SkyBus ticket booth. I realised I was in for a very long wait and after touching down late I didn’t fancy spending another hour cooling my heels in line before ‘starting’ my working day. I say starting in inverted commas because at this stage it had already been 3 1/2 hours since I pulled my front door shut. I think it was fate that my placement at the back of that very long queue put me withing striking distance of Melbourne SkyBus. I could see there was only three people in line with two open windows and a bus waiting to go. That was all the motivation I needed to take the plunge and try Melbourne SkyBus for the very first time. Read on for all the details …