July 14th, 2010
Do you want to visit New Zealand’s best wine regions but don’t know where to start?
Do you have the desire to taste delicious award wining Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir that are now gracing wine magazines across the globe? Then you are not alone. Wine tourism in New Zealand is becoming increasingly popular with visitors from around the world taking the opportunity to sample direct from the cellar door and tasting wines that they would never have the chance to otherwise as many of our top label wines produced in New Zealand are rarely exported.
Our winemakers have set the standard high in premium wine production, with many of our red and white wine producers from the Hawke’s Bay, Martinborough and Central Otago challenging the very essence of European craftsmanship.
So where to begin your tour?
Here at Vacations New Zealand we believe that a wine tour means a fully guided Wine Experience. Our guides are fully trained and familiar with our wine regions, wine styles and the process of wine production specific to New Zealand. We have a passion for New Zealand wine, its regions, specialties and stunningly beautiful locations. Our tours are based around wineries that set the bar high in excellence of wine craftsmanship, passion for what they do, and are friendly and approachable in their service.
You will discover the rich history and the wine styles that are particular to each region, have the opportunity to discuss the details with the winemaker or vineyard manager, or just delve into the passion behind the wine.
Your wine tour is tailored to your group size, whether it’s one person on a fully privately guided tour or a wine club of up to 25 people. We work with your budget and time frame, discussing with you the highlights and logistics of travelling around New Zealand. We have created a couple of wine tour itineraries so you can get a glimpse of what we do, and maybe you can gather a few ideas to tailor make it your own.
Visit our New Zealand Wine Tour page for more information about our wine tours and how you can create a customised tour for your holiday or vacation in New Zealand.
June 10th, 2010
Queenstown is a-buzz with new arrivals eagerly awaiting for the lifts to open as the season gets under way here. Coronet Peak is the closest ski area to Queenstown and is the first to open in New Zealand. Plenty of early snow making and cool temperatures have seen excellent conditions this early in the season. Other areas around the country are set to open in the coming weeks with Treble Cone and Cardrona in Wanaka and the Remarkables ski area near Queenstown not far behind.
Skiing in New Zealand can be quite a different experience from those that are used to the Northern hemisphere. Here in New Zealand the access to the mountain is by long access roads, steep, with tight corners and mostly unsealed. Chains on your car are essential if you want to make it home alive!
As well as the open alpine no-trees terrain, many ski areas have only a few high speed chair lifts complemented by T-bars to access the entire ski area. But the great news about skiing in New Zealand is the general lack of crowds and the amount of runs you can achieve in a day will give you a great workout!
Heli skiing in Queenstown and Wanaka has become popular in last few years, as skiers and snowboarders crave for powder turns and face-shots. A great day out is to be had by all on a heli ski trip, with guides and safety equipment on hand to give a incredible day out on our uncrowded mountains.
When’s the best time to go skiing in Queenstown? I would definitely recommend from mid July through to Mid September, as there is plenty of snow coverage. There is so much to do off mountain with festivals, events and ski/snowboard competitions to keep the whole family entertained. The choice of restaurants is endless with quality cuisine the norm and of course a fantastic selection of wineries, day spas, retail therapy and adventure activities to keep your off mountain buddies entertained!
So if you’re looking for a great way to spend some time over winter our 7 day winter ski package should tick all the necessary boxes. Return from Christchurch, New Zealand you will be treated to 6 nights premium accommodation, a private guide to chauffeur you up and down those mountain roads, 2 days ski passes and a day Heli Skiing from Queenstown and much more. Book this tour by 15 June 2010 and get 10% off the tour price….that’s got to be good!
May 8th, 2010
Fox Glacier is located on the West Coast of the South Island, just a half hours drive further south of the more famous Franz Josef Glacier. The Fox is the 3rd largest glacier in New Zealand, and winds its river of ice down to near sea level, located only 20 clicks from the ocean. We are here to ice climb and the guides at Alpine Guides in Fox Glacier township are the team to take you on an incredible experience.
There are two options, you can walk up the valley with your guide who will share with you the history and environment of this unique region, a very good fitness level is required as it takes 50 minutes just to reach the glacier, and then up to an hour of hiking further up the ice to begin your ice climbing session. But the most amazing way to experience the glacier is to go via helicopter. Whisking you up onto the ice in a matter of minutes it’s an exhilarating ride with views of the majestic Southern Alps, Mt Tasman and Mt Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak.
After landing on the ice pad half way up the glacier, wave goodbye to your helicopter for the day. Your ice climbing instructor will show you how to use your crampons for walking, traversing and then for climbing. After you are harnessed up and trained in the use of your ice axes your guide will set up the ropes and anchors letting you can scale some incredible ice walls and pinnacles. As the day progresses you can test your ice climbing skills on all kinds of terrain, from gentle slopes to vertical walls and climbing out of blue ice crevasses. The views are just incredible from here, it’s a photographers paradise – crystal blue caves, water filled crevasses, the mighty Southern Alps mountains and in front of you the Tasman Ocean as far as the eye can see.
Ice climbing is not as hard as you might think, challenge yourself to as much adrenalin as you can handle. Here at Vacations New Zealand, our guided tours of New Zealand and South Island tours all pass via Fox and the Franz Josef glaciers and a days ice climbing can be added in as a optional extra. No previous experience is required….so where’s your excuse?
April 27th, 2010
The Rugby World Cup (RWC) is the premier international rugby union competition. Contested every 4 years, the winning country is awarded the William Webb Ellis Cup which is currently being held by South Africa who won the last tournament in 2007.
New Zealand will host the upcoming RWC in 2011 during the months of September and October with games being played throughout the country. The first match is being played in Auckland on 9 September, kicking off with New Zealand vs Tonga. Venues all across the country are preparing for a influx of both international visitors and locals, it will be a great opportunity for many smaller towns such as Nelson, New Plymouth, Rotorua, Napier and Whanagrei to welcome the players and visitors into their communities with roar of excitement and entertainment.
Major games will be played in the larger venues of Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and the final match in Auckland. Tickets go on sale today for Venue pool packs and team pool packs. Applications for these are available from the official rugby cup site at www.rugbyworldcup.com and individual ticket sales come online in Aug/Sept 2010. Strict ticket sales regulation means you won’t be able to find sales online outside of official sites. Buyer beware.
Here are the match pools:
Pool A – New Zealand, France, Tonga, Canada, Asia 1
Pool B - Argentina, England, Scotland, Georgia, play off winner
Pool C - Australia, Ireland, Italy, Russia, USA
Pool D - South Africa, Wales, Fiji, Samoa, Namibia
New Zealand is welcoming everyone, all visitors and locals to the matches and is encouraging a spirit of pride for each individual country attending and each local town hosting the game. We Kiwi’s are stoked to have you come and visit beautiful New Zealand, take your time, trial some local cuisine maybe some lamb or venison in the South Island or fresh fish delicacies in North Island. Of course there is our world famous wine, Sauvignon Blanc and Central Otago Pinot Noir (see our 4 day Wine Tour) and as many of our best wines are difficult to secure overseas, while you’re here in New Zealand it’s the best time to sample!
Weather wise, September and October are spring months, usually bringing a fair bit of rain to most of the country so bring your brolly, warm coat, flag, kilt and your camera and some mates for a awesome time down under,
Haere mai & welcome!
April 15th, 2010
Autumn is here! And the most spectacular example of fall colour is in Arrowtown, just 20 km from Queenstown. Famous for its gold rush days during the 1860’s it now reflects its heritage with refurbished historic buildings, boutique shopping, a vibrant artistic community and of course its fiery colours of Autumn. To celebrate this time of year Arrowtown holds its annual Autumn Festival, dates this year are 16-25 April. A photographers dream!
If you are in the area during this time of year take a wander down to visit the outdoor museum that represents the historic Chinese shanty town during the gold rush era, watch the golds, reds and bright orange leaves settle, relax with a tasty hot pie from the popular bakery, and stop in a the local wine shop for a superb selection of Central Otago wine.
Arrowtown is a place to wander the cobbeled streets, breath in the fresh air, mingle with the locals, a place to really relax while on your vacation.
