Results tagged “New Zealand” from Intelligent Travel Blog
Grant Martin raises a glass to the charming class of cocktail mixers who don't phone it in on a Monday night.
There isn't much to do on a Monday night in Wellington, New Zealand.
As many travelers know, socializing is an important part of any cross-country trip - meeting new locals, absorbing culture and evolving your itinerary as you learn. Monday is just not a day for merrymaking; bars tend to close early, clubs don't open at all and everyone takes a collective breath from a good long weekend.
And so, at 9 p.m. on a Monday night, the traveler who is all caught up on email, postcards, journal entries and ramen noodles finds himself alone at one of the only open bars in town. In Wellington, you find yourself at Matterhorn.
Here you meet Claire, the Scottish bartender with dark flowing hair tied in a ponytail, wearing an olive drab, short sleeve, button-down shirt and tattoos from her shoulders to her elbows. Only Claire isn't busy like she is on Fridays, bouncing from snifter to dishwasher to customer, pouring Woodford or 42 Below. It's a slow night, and as you watch her patiently clean barware and meticulously line up bottles you know she's got time to talk.
Sidecar. Vodka tonic. Gin and tonic. With careful measure she pours each drink into a mixer, properly chills the concoction and deposits it into a prepared glass. "Where are you headed?" she'll ask you, in a light Scottish accent that's starting to fade into Kiwi.
No plans.
"It's poker night at Havana," she suggests. "Up Cuba Street, down a dark alley. You could walk right by it." She smiles. And so you go.
There isn't much to do on a Monday night in Wellington, New Zealand.As many travelers know, socializing is an important part of any cross-country trip - meeting new locals, absorbing culture and evolving your itinerary as you learn. Monday is just not a day for merrymaking; bars tend to close early, clubs don't open at all and everyone takes a collective breath from a good long weekend.
And so, at 9 p.m. on a Monday night, the traveler who is all caught up on email, postcards, journal entries and ramen noodles finds himself alone at one of the only open bars in town. In Wellington, you find yourself at Matterhorn.
Here you meet Claire, the Scottish bartender with dark flowing hair tied in a ponytail, wearing an olive drab, short sleeve, button-down shirt and tattoos from her shoulders to her elbows. Only Claire isn't busy like she is on Fridays, bouncing from snifter to dishwasher to customer, pouring Woodford or 42 Below. It's a slow night, and as you watch her patiently clean barware and meticulously line up bottles you know she's got time to talk.
Sidecar. Vodka tonic. Gin and tonic. With careful measure she pours each drink into a mixer, properly chills the concoction and deposits it into a prepared glass. "Where are you headed?" she'll ask you, in a light Scottish accent that's starting to fade into Kiwi.
No plans.
"It's poker night at Havana," she suggests. "Up Cuba Street, down a dark alley. You could walk right by it." She smiles. And so you go.
Continue reading A Sip of New Zealand Cocktail Culture.
IT Contributor Andrew Evans offers an all-inclusive guide to all things penguin.
Penguins are never passé. Be they marching or tapping their happy feet toward another sequel, the little black and white birds are still very much in everybody's minds and hearts. I also imagine that kids who play with plastic penguins in their Happy Meals grow up to be bigger kids who want to see the birds in real life, in the wild.
Admittedly, live penguins are so astonishingly cool--the way they tilt their heads from side to side to get a good look at you, the strange braying chorus they sing, and that distinctive penguin smell that's part fishy dishwasher detergent and part dusty, old attic. Travelers often bemoan the fact that penguin Grand Central is in almost-inaccessible Antarctica, a destination better suited for scientists, explorers, and millionaires. Still, that doesn't mean you have to cross wild penguins off your wish list. The southern hemisphere is filled with alternatives for seeing wild penguins in their natural habitats.
The following locations offer options for safe and sustainable human interaction with wild penguins:
1. Isla Magdalena, Chile: This lone clump of rocks in the Strait of Magellan is home to over 50,000 breeding pairs of adorable Magellanic penguins. After a one-hour ferry ride from the city of Punta Arenas, the boat drops you off for a good 90-minute visit with the birds. A marked path guides you safely through the penguin nests and up to the island's lighthouse for a remarkable view. (Insider's tip: in case you're tempted to use your hands to climb up those giant mountains of yellow 'dirt' for a better view, don't. That isn't dirt.)
2. Galápagos Islands, Ecuador: The Galápagos penguin is the world's northernmost penguin species. They live right on the equator, but look and act a lot like the penguins from colder climes. The best viewing spots are on Isabela island (the largest in the archipelago) and the west coast of Fernandina island.
3. Boulders Beach, Simon's Town, South Africa: Gigantic granite boulders and tropical-looking turquoise inlets are the exotic home for the African or jackass penguin. A system of raised wooden walkways leads you right into the heart of penguin territory, including the penguins' own sandy beach. Afterwards, enjoy a swim at the people's beach next door.
Penguins are never passé. Be they marching or tapping their happy feet toward another sequel, the little black and white birds are still very much in everybody's minds and hearts. I also imagine that kids who play with plastic penguins in their Happy Meals grow up to be bigger kids who want to see the birds in real life, in the wild. Admittedly, live penguins are so astonishingly cool--the way they tilt their heads from side to side to get a good look at you, the strange braying chorus they sing, and that distinctive penguin smell that's part fishy dishwasher detergent and part dusty, old attic. Travelers often bemoan the fact that penguin Grand Central is in almost-inaccessible Antarctica, a destination better suited for scientists, explorers, and millionaires. Still, that doesn't mean you have to cross wild penguins off your wish list. The southern hemisphere is filled with alternatives for seeing wild penguins in their natural habitats.
The following locations offer options for safe and sustainable human interaction with wild penguins:
1. Isla Magdalena, Chile: This lone clump of rocks in the Strait of Magellan is home to over 50,000 breeding pairs of adorable Magellanic penguins. After a one-hour ferry ride from the city of Punta Arenas, the boat drops you off for a good 90-minute visit with the birds. A marked path guides you safely through the penguin nests and up to the island's lighthouse for a remarkable view. (Insider's tip: in case you're tempted to use your hands to climb up those giant mountains of yellow 'dirt' for a better view, don't. That isn't dirt.)
2. Galápagos Islands, Ecuador: The Galápagos penguin is the world's northernmost penguin species. They live right on the equator, but look and act a lot like the penguins from colder climes. The best viewing spots are on Isabela island (the largest in the archipelago) and the west coast of Fernandina island.
3. Boulders Beach, Simon's Town, South Africa: Gigantic granite boulders and tropical-looking turquoise inlets are the exotic home for the African or jackass penguin. A system of raised wooden walkways leads you right into the heart of penguin territory, including the penguins' own sandy beach. Afterwards, enjoy a swim at the people's beach next door.
Continue reading Penguin Places.
Did you know that in every issue of the magazine, we publish a playlist
of tunes tied to a different destination? This month, we take you to New Zealand. Our own music critic Tom Pryor comes up with a
list of must-downloads. "If all you know about New Zealand's music scene is opera star Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, then it's time to take another look," he says, choosing a mix that includes fierce Maori hakas and traditional choral music to fertile indie rockers Flight of the Conchords, which we featured last week. We'd like to hear what tunes you'd add
(or subtract).You can download our March playlist for New Zealand on iTunes here. See the complete list of songs after the jump.
Continue reading Playlist: New Zealand.
The Church of the Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo, New Zealand. Photo: Neil Gardner
The diverse New Zealand landscape is among the most beautiful in the world: pristine beaches, rolling green fields, awesome mountains. But residents in Tekapo aren't so much concerned with what surrounds them on the ground, they're much more interested in preserving what shines down from above.
The small South Island town of about 800 people is on a mission to receive UNESCO's approval to become the first starlight reserve, an idea first generated four years ago. Locals have been darkening their Canterbury town since 1965, and have since restricted lighting use within a 19-mile radius of the town. Today residents use low-energy sodium streetlamps and household lamps that face down. Even the local skating rink installed special lighting that prevents ultraviolet rays from reflecting into the night sky, according to the Associated Press. The AP also reports that more than two-thirds of people in the U.S. and about one-fifth of the world's population cannot see the Milky Way from their homes, a statistic that the folks of Tekapo hope to change.
For more places to see the night sky, check out other Dark Sky Destinations.
Photo: Neil Gardner
The Photographer: E. Paul Huisking, of Asheville, North Carolina
Getting the Shot: I took this on Feb 22, 2000, while independently traveling for five weeks through New Zealand. During my travels I visited the Fox Glacier on the South Island, and while there took a helihike. Twenty-two of us, along with several guides, were transported onto the glacier by helicopters for a three hour hiking excursion. Once we were dropped, we split into two groups. I was with the more adventuresome group, and the culmination of our hike was a descent into this ice cave from the surface of the glacier. The cave exploration involved slogging knee deep through ice melt waters. To get this shot I stepped back away from the others in a small side tunnel.
The Details: One should never let cold feet stand in the way of a good adventure! It was a warm sunny day, so many of my fellow hikers were dressed in light clothing, but we were all supplied with boots, ice creepers and walking staffs. The light in the cave, filtering through from the surface, was awe inspiring. The experience was one of the highlights of my trip.
The Camera: My camera at the time was an old Canon A-1 SLR with a 28-200 zoom lens and Kodak Royal Gold 200 film. This image was then printed as a 8x12 and digitally scanned with an Epson 4490 scanner.
We Love: How surreal the shot looks - doesn't it look like another planet?
Think you've got a photo worthy of Global Eye? Add it to our Flickr pool, and you could have your photo featured on our site!
Getting the Shot: I took this on Feb 22, 2000, while independently traveling for five weeks through New Zealand. During my travels I visited the Fox Glacier on the South Island, and while there took a helihike. Twenty-two of us, along with several guides, were transported onto the glacier by helicopters for a three hour hiking excursion. Once we were dropped, we split into two groups. I was with the more adventuresome group, and the culmination of our hike was a descent into this ice cave from the surface of the glacier. The cave exploration involved slogging knee deep through ice melt waters. To get this shot I stepped back away from the others in a small side tunnel.
The Details: One should never let cold feet stand in the way of a good adventure! It was a warm sunny day, so many of my fellow hikers were dressed in light clothing, but we were all supplied with boots, ice creepers and walking staffs. The light in the cave, filtering through from the surface, was awe inspiring. The experience was one of the highlights of my trip.
The Camera: My camera at the time was an old Canon A-1 SLR with a 28-200 zoom lens and Kodak Royal Gold 200 film. This image was then printed as a 8x12 and digitally scanned with an Epson 4490 scanner.
We Love: How surreal the shot looks - doesn't it look like another planet?
Think you've got a photo worthy of Global Eye? Add it to our Flickr pool, and you could have your photo featured on our site!
Rainer Jenss and his family are currently on an around-the-world
journey, and they're blogging about their experiences for us at
Intelligent Travel. Keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts, and follow the boys' Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids.
It's nearly impossible to travel anywhere outside of a major city in New Zealand without catching an eye-full of sheep within easy view of your car window. It's well documented that there are about 40 million of them grazing the country, or ten times more than the four million human inhabitants of the North and South Islands. So why, after spending more than three weeks exploring this British Commonwealth nation, would we want to spend our final week surrounded by 300 more of them? Because a farm-stay offered us a chance to pack away the suitcases for a while and experience the country's traditional way of life, not to mention its heart and soul: their people.
Having searched the Internet for just the right one, we realized shortly after pulling into the driveway of Maggie's Cottage that Carol discovered a gem when she booked us on the Harris Hill Farm just outside the city of Nelson on the South Island. Unlike the countless farms we saw driving through New Zealand's countryside, this small farm was perched high over a major city and had a view that would rival any in the region.
Harris Hill encompasses 475 acres of rolling hills and native bush overlooking Tasman Bay and the surrounding mountains. It's run by Sue and Mike, along with their five children and numerous in-laws. Their guests have the option to help out if they wish, so Tyler and Stefan found their own unique way to lend a hand. After every meal, they raced to feed the resident pig with our leftovers and scraps. If this boar's size is any indication, Harris Hill's guests and residents must leave quite a lot on their plates! Although we couldn't actually participate (for fear that we might seriously do harm to ourselves or the sheep), watching Mike and his son-in-law shear their sheep was certainly an impressive feat.
It's nearly impossible to travel anywhere outside of a major city in New Zealand without catching an eye-full of sheep within easy view of your car window. It's well documented that there are about 40 million of them grazing the country, or ten times more than the four million human inhabitants of the North and South Islands. So why, after spending more than three weeks exploring this British Commonwealth nation, would we want to spend our final week surrounded by 300 more of them? Because a farm-stay offered us a chance to pack away the suitcases for a while and experience the country's traditional way of life, not to mention its heart and soul: their people. Having searched the Internet for just the right one, we realized shortly after pulling into the driveway of Maggie's Cottage that Carol discovered a gem when she booked us on the Harris Hill Farm just outside the city of Nelson on the South Island. Unlike the countless farms we saw driving through New Zealand's countryside, this small farm was perched high over a major city and had a view that would rival any in the region.
Harris Hill encompasses 475 acres of rolling hills and native bush overlooking Tasman Bay and the surrounding mountains. It's run by Sue and Mike, along with their five children and numerous in-laws. Their guests have the option to help out if they wish, so Tyler and Stefan found their own unique way to lend a hand. After every meal, they raced to feed the resident pig with our leftovers and scraps. If this boar's size is any indication, Harris Hill's guests and residents must leave quite a lot on their plates! Although we couldn't actually participate (for fear that we might seriously do harm to ourselves or the sheep), watching Mike and his son-in-law shear their sheep was certainly an impressive feat.
Continue reading Jenss Family Travels: Harris Hill Farm.
Rainer Jenss and his family are currently on an around-the-world
journey, and they're blogging about their experiences for us at
Intelligent Travel. Keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts, and follow the boys' Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids.
I realize I misspoke in my last blog post--we hadn't quite yet taken all possible forms of transportation on this trip--I forgot about helicopters!
For us, Thanksgiving fell during our second week of cruising New Zealand's South Island by camper van, so to celebrate, we set our sights on the village of Franz Josef to visit one of only three glaciers in the world that meets a temperate rain forest. In fact, it almost reaches the ocean. One of the others, Fox Glacier, is just 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) down the road. So to make it memorable, we treated ourselves with the ultimate way to experience these imposing ice flows: a 40-minute aerial "flightseeing" tour over Westland National Park, which included a loop past Mt. Cook, the tallest peak in the country. Simply put, it was spectacular and easily one of the highlights of New Zealand, if not the entire yearlong trip. And in a country with so much awe-inspiring natural wonder, that's saying a lot.
Now if we included hang gliders, four-wheel ATVs, speedboats, gondolas, and a luge on this list of mobile options, they too would have been checked off after our visit to Queenstown, the home of every kind of wild thrill imaginable, all amidst a magnificent scenic backdrop. The boys have never been ones for extreme adventure, so going to the top of Bob's Peak via a slow-moving gondola to see the city from a dizzying height was perfectly suited for their age level. Even better, however, was the half-mile-long winding Skyline track that hurled them down the hill on hand-controlled luge carts.
One of the city's premiere adrenaline-inducing activities, besides bungee jumping (the commercial version of which originated twenty years ago at the nearby Kawarua Bridge) is jet boating. We're not talking about simply flying down a river at breakneck speeds. Operators like Shotover Jets will launch you down river surrounded by tall canyon walls while doing multiple 360-degree spins. Although they would gladly have taken our 9- and 11-year-olds for the 30-terror-stricken-minute ride, I decided the less harrowing, lengthier and more picturesque Dart River Jet Safaris, a two-hour drive north of Queenstown in Glenorchy, was the better bet. It proved to be a wise move because the Dart River passed by several areas used in the filming of The Lord of the Rings and our driver was more than happy to provide us with the occasional full spin to add some sheer excitement into the mix.
I realize I misspoke in my last blog post--we hadn't quite yet taken all possible forms of transportation on this trip--I forgot about helicopters! For us, Thanksgiving fell during our second week of cruising New Zealand's South Island by camper van, so to celebrate, we set our sights on the village of Franz Josef to visit one of only three glaciers in the world that meets a temperate rain forest. In fact, it almost reaches the ocean. One of the others, Fox Glacier, is just 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) down the road. So to make it memorable, we treated ourselves with the ultimate way to experience these imposing ice flows: a 40-minute aerial "flightseeing" tour over Westland National Park, which included a loop past Mt. Cook, the tallest peak in the country. Simply put, it was spectacular and easily one of the highlights of New Zealand, if not the entire yearlong trip. And in a country with so much awe-inspiring natural wonder, that's saying a lot.
Now if we included hang gliders, four-wheel ATVs, speedboats, gondolas, and a luge on this list of mobile options, they too would have been checked off after our visit to Queenstown, the home of every kind of wild thrill imaginable, all amidst a magnificent scenic backdrop. The boys have never been ones for extreme adventure, so going to the top of Bob's Peak via a slow-moving gondola to see the city from a dizzying height was perfectly suited for their age level. Even better, however, was the half-mile-long winding Skyline track that hurled them down the hill on hand-controlled luge carts.
One of the city's premiere adrenaline-inducing activities, besides bungee jumping (the commercial version of which originated twenty years ago at the nearby Kawarua Bridge) is jet boating. We're not talking about simply flying down a river at breakneck speeds. Operators like Shotover Jets will launch you down river surrounded by tall canyon walls while doing multiple 360-degree spins. Although they would gladly have taken our 9- and 11-year-olds for the 30-terror-stricken-minute ride, I decided the less harrowing, lengthier and more picturesque Dart River Jet Safaris, a two-hour drive north of Queenstown in Glenorchy, was the better bet. It proved to be a wise move because the Dart River passed by several areas used in the filming of The Lord of the Rings and our driver was more than happy to provide us with the occasional full spin to add some sheer excitement into the mix.
Continue reading Jenss Family Travels: South Island Road Trip.
Rainer Jenss and his family are currently on an around-the-world
journey, and they're blogging about their experiences for us at
Intelligent Travel. Keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts, and follow the boys' Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids.
Of all the modes of transportation we will take this year, and that very well might include them all, the campervan we had reserved in New Zealand for two weeks was easily the most eagerly anticipated. The boys literally counted down the days until they would be in their rolling mobile home. They were not too concerned about where it would actually take them, it was all about being in a vehicle that they could chill out in during long drives and camp out in at night. We even nicknamed it "Tourtelvis"--Tour for its main mission and Elvis after the pompadour-like overhead compartment hanging over its front end (not to mention the name of Dread Zeppelin's lead singer).
Seeing New Zealand by campervan is widely considered one of the best ways to explore the country. Its popularity stems largely from the fact that there's just so darn much beautiful nature to see here, and unlike in the United States, it's all compressed into a relatively small amount of real estate. Almost one-third of the country is designated as national parkland, and on the South Island, you can see turquoise blue ocean, temperate rain forest, rolling farmland, and snow-covered mountains all within a couple hours drive. The infrastructure is also quite hospitable and easily handles all the tourists who choose this option, making it very manageable and convenient for first time renters like us.
One of the main draws, besides the fact that it would provide us with a terrific family bonding opportunity (12 months on the road together already offers plenty of that), was the luxury of having a single place to call home for an extended period of time. But I think we were smart in taking our travel agent's advice to spend a little extra money to get the six-person model campervan. There were several less-expensive four-person models to choose from, but we were urged to consider that the space in the six-person unit would be far more comfortable and accommodating. Given the amount of luggage we had along, this certainly proved to be the case, particularly given the sleeping arrangements, which included three double beds, two of which we assembled each night. If we actually had six persons on board, I think it would be quite cozy, to put in kindly.
Of all the modes of transportation we will take this year, and that very well might include them all, the campervan we had reserved in New Zealand for two weeks was easily the most eagerly anticipated. The boys literally counted down the days until they would be in their rolling mobile home. They were not too concerned about where it would actually take them, it was all about being in a vehicle that they could chill out in during long drives and camp out in at night. We even nicknamed it "Tourtelvis"--Tour for its main mission and Elvis after the pompadour-like overhead compartment hanging over its front end (not to mention the name of Dread Zeppelin's lead singer). Seeing New Zealand by campervan is widely considered one of the best ways to explore the country. Its popularity stems largely from the fact that there's just so darn much beautiful nature to see here, and unlike in the United States, it's all compressed into a relatively small amount of real estate. Almost one-third of the country is designated as national parkland, and on the South Island, you can see turquoise blue ocean, temperate rain forest, rolling farmland, and snow-covered mountains all within a couple hours drive. The infrastructure is also quite hospitable and easily handles all the tourists who choose this option, making it very manageable and convenient for first time renters like us.
One of the main draws, besides the fact that it would provide us with a terrific family bonding opportunity (12 months on the road together already offers plenty of that), was the luxury of having a single place to call home for an extended period of time. But I think we were smart in taking our travel agent's advice to spend a little extra money to get the six-person model campervan. There were several less-expensive four-person models to choose from, but we were urged to consider that the space in the six-person unit would be far more comfortable and accommodating. Given the amount of luggage we had along, this certainly proved to be the case, particularly given the sleeping arrangements, which included three double beds, two of which we assembled each night. If we actually had six persons on board, I think it would be quite cozy, to put in kindly.
Continue reading New Zealand By Campervan.
Rainer Jenss and his family are currently on an around-the-world
journey, and they're blogging about their experiences for us at
Intelligent Travel. Keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts, and follow the boys' Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids.
While researching our around-the-world trip, I read through more than a fair share of material on cultural shock. Being a pretty seasoned traveler, I doubted that I could possibly be susceptible to the psychological or even physical effects, which include anxiety, fear, and insomnia. But I wondered about the kids, whose lives for the most part have revolved around a single point of reference: Nyack, New York.
The thought of culture shock left my mind as we said good-bye to Asia after having been there for more than two months. So much to my surprise, the first three days we spent in Auckland actually felt like a case of reverse culture shock. We all found it awkward being in a more familiar Westernized environment again. Our first case of jet lag didn't help matters either.
After we regained our bearings, Carol and I started to really savor the fact that we could actually settle down a bit, versus feeling like we were on an extended whirlwind tour. The boys picked up on this too, and appreciated that New Zealand was the ideal place to fall into a bit more of a normal routine. They didn't even protest getting haircuts, which would normally be accompanied by a lot of complaining. We also bought our own groceries, used a washer and dryer, and I turned on the TV again. In fairness, I watched quite a bit of CNN and BBC during the presidential election, but this time, it was New Zealand's turn to talk politics. After nine years of Labour Party rule, John Key of the National Party was elected prime minister just four days after Obama's huge victory. It might not have been as newsworthy around the world, but the Kiwis are abuzz at the prospect of some change of their own. So even though we are as far away from home as we'll get this year, we somehow started feeling more connected to the lives we left behind.
While researching our around-the-world trip, I read through more than a fair share of material on cultural shock. Being a pretty seasoned traveler, I doubted that I could possibly be susceptible to the psychological or even physical effects, which include anxiety, fear, and insomnia. But I wondered about the kids, whose lives for the most part have revolved around a single point of reference: Nyack, New York. The thought of culture shock left my mind as we said good-bye to Asia after having been there for more than two months. So much to my surprise, the first three days we spent in Auckland actually felt like a case of reverse culture shock. We all found it awkward being in a more familiar Westernized environment again. Our first case of jet lag didn't help matters either.
After we regained our bearings, Carol and I started to really savor the fact that we could actually settle down a bit, versus feeling like we were on an extended whirlwind tour. The boys picked up on this too, and appreciated that New Zealand was the ideal place to fall into a bit more of a normal routine. They didn't even protest getting haircuts, which would normally be accompanied by a lot of complaining. We also bought our own groceries, used a washer and dryer, and I turned on the TV again. In fairness, I watched quite a bit of CNN and BBC during the presidential election, but this time, it was New Zealand's turn to talk politics. After nine years of Labour Party rule, John Key of the National Party was elected prime minister just four days after Obama's huge victory. It might not have been as newsworthy around the world, but the Kiwis are abuzz at the prospect of some change of their own. So even though we are as far away from home as we'll get this year, we somehow started feeling more connected to the lives we left behind.
Continue reading Kia Ora - Welcome to New Zealand!.
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