Travel

The council says the aim of the review is to modernise facilities and services at the camping grounds at Oakura, Belt Rd, Fitzroy, Waitara, Onaero and Urenui - and to ensure their futures are secure. The review is also suggesting that New Plymouth would need to attract private investment of up to $11.6 million for this revamp to take place, with the council contributing another $3.5 million on both the upgrade projects and to ensure each has adequate open space for the public to enjoy. And if what is proposed does go ahead, there may be some unhappy people. People permanently living in cabins, caravans and converted buses would be thrown out and their accommodation removed, and there would be big decreases in the availability of camping sites at three of the district's most popular grounds - Oakura, Belt Rd and Urenui. Changes proposed for Fitzroy will almost certainly spark opposition among householders with properties overlooking the beach. The council wants to see the camping
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My first experience with the little blood-suckers came as I scaled the track of what TIMEasia magazine described in 2004 as the "best urban hiking trail". Arched across steep terrain, on a leafy piece of Hong Kong Island jutting out in to the South China Sea, the Dragon's Back trail is touted as the city's "finest and most surprising ramble". It is a glorious place where you feel miles away from the city, but reminded of it at each peak on the track, where tips of 30-storey-high skyscrapers play peek-a-boo behind a tree-covered horizon. The choice of access to the walk is, rather grimly, to begin either at a cemetery or a prison. We chose to start at the Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institute on Shek O Road; essentially cutting out a very large hill, with a very large number of concrete steps, and therefore making the trip slightly shorter (six kilometres), taking about 2½ hours. Both entrances to the walk are easily accessed by public transport; a
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Tourism Radio will feature New Zealand music, entertaining radio shows with a distinctive local flavour and area information relevant to the region a tourist is travelling through. Tourism Radio's managing director New Zealand and Australia Hayden Braddock said today the innovative service would act as a "virtual tour guide", using integrated GPS to broadcast content in real time relative to the location of the listeners. "Tourism Radio's unique IntelliPoint system draws the driver's attention to prominent landmarks and highlights as the vehicle approaches them, making sure the tourist doesn't miss any key attractions. "Whether it's the closest visitor centre, an historical insight or information on New Zealand slang and local music, Tourism Radio aims to provide a comprehensive information and entertainment service to travellers," Mr Braddock said. Primarily aimed at the tourist rental market the hardware is fitted into rental vehicles.
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discovers that there are better meals than dehydrated curry while tramping. An army marches on its stomach, French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte once said. The same applies to trampers travelling any of New Zealand's spectacular walks where hearty yet portable food is required for stays in isolated Department of Conservation (DOC) huts. Earlier this year, I walked the Milford Track and was envious of the gourmet foods people carried with them over the more than 50-kilometre track. It seemed that many of the army of people walking one of New Zealand's most popular tracks wanted their taste buds tantalised as well as their stomachs filled. The Milford Track generally takes four days to walk, with stays in three DOC huts. On the first evening after tramping a leisurely 5km, I prepared dinner in the communal cooking area by pouring a cup of boiling water into my dehydrated Thai chicken curry pack. As I waited the 10 minutes for my curry to cook, I was astounded to see one of the
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The new charges, already described as a "tax grab" and "revenue gathering exercise", were announced by the British Government yesterday as part of a 21 billion pound ($59 billion) economic package aimed at reinforcing the country's economy. Currently, passengers flying out of Britain are charged a departure tax of 40 pounds (NZ$111.61). That would increase to 55 pounds in November next year and 85 pounds in November 2010, taking the total cost of taxes and surcharges to 235 pounds (NZ$655). The increases were expected to hit New Zealand's inbound tourism, which was already down 10 per cent in the past two years. Prime Minister and Tourism Minister John Key and Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton were set yesterday to host the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh and London mayor Boris Johnson in the $4 million inflatable rugby ball installed in London for the promotion of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. It was unclear whether Mr Key or Mr
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Forget everything you thought you knew about this city. Beyond its choked motorways and mega-malls lies a string of rare gems that will put a sparkle into anyone's shopping trip. Here's a three-day itinerary that mixes the quirky with the quintessential. Start your excursion with a spellbinding whale and dolphin safari to put you in your very best shopping mood. Explore NZ's high-speed luxury catamaran leaves Viaduct Basin at 8.30 each morning for a marine adventure on the Hauraki Gulf. Its clued-up crew promise to seek out the most exciting marine activity. Returning replete with wonder and inspiration, jump on a smart circle-line Link bus to Newmarket and take a stroll down Broadway to browse everything from high fashion to leisureware. A little detour will find you in Nuffield Street, where you'll find Lucie Bouchier's colourful retail emporium. The self-proclaimed "wacky" designer is selling up to move to the United States, and is offering
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But Air New Zealand is holding fire, citing good business on its main trunk routes. Documents obtained by The Independent today show Qantas will cut its 114 domestic flights a week by 29 or 25.4 per cent, to 85 by the end of January. It will start paring back services from December 6 on routes from Auckland to Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown and from Christchurch to Queenstown and to Rotorua. Some of these flights are traditionally reduced at this time of year, particularly peak time business services. But the airline says it does not at this stage intend increasing the schedules again once the Christmas holiday period is over. Qantas said in a statement the cutbacks are a result of the global economic situation. "There are no plans for staff reductions as a direct result of this decision," it said. "However, in the current prevailing market conditions, Qantas continues to review all aspects of its business."  Air New Zealand group general manager for
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Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) said tourism industry was likely to become a casualty of the recession although how big the fallout would be was still not clear. Geoff Gabites, from tourism company Adventure South, said tourism was expected to be down 10 percent this season although it was "not yet a meltdown". "There are still a surprising number of inquiries from groups but there are a higher percentage of tyre-kickers, which could affect the end of the summer season," he said in the latest issue of TNZ's magazine, Tourism News. Dave Hawkey from South Island company Real Tours said they were in for a challenging period and the drop in visitors would result in a summer like the industry had never seen before. "We are predicting it will be tough for at least a couple of years," he told the magazine. TNZ chief executive George Hickton said while many tourism markets were down, the country had to look to where it could generate volume and growth.
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Diggerland, in County Durham, England, is a fantastic concept. It's essentially a big patch of dirt filled with construction vehicles, but all of the diggers, JCBs (such as backhoes), mini-loaders and trucks have been converted into rides of varying descriptions. It's heaven for little boys of a certain age. And in Nick's case, that age is 28. With the entrance fee paid, he rushes straight for the nearest piece of yellow machinery. It's one of the smaller ones on display, a novel twist on a hoary fairground sideshow. The digger's arm has a hook on the end of it and the aim is to use it to catch as many plastic ducks as possible from the pond beneath it. We're all given brief instructions on how to move the arm around and manoeuvre the hook and then we whir and clank away. It's utterly ridiculous, of course, but the competitive instinct instantly takes over and much goading is aimed at anyone not getting the immediate hang of it. Once we've got the
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Guests at the Malibu Beach Inn and the Sky Hotel, both in California, can order food, drinks, wake-up calls, spa treatments, concierge services and transportation, all from a special application on their iPhone or iPod Touch. If they don't have either of the devices at check-in, guests are provided with a 16GB iPod Touch that has the "Hotel Evolution" application already loaded. The application also allows guests - after logging in with their room number and security code - to look up information on shopping, nightlife and local restaurants, as well as check their messages. There is an option to request DO NOT DISTURB, room cleaning, or additional linens, towels and toiletries. Hotel Evolution's developer, Runtriz, said the system was also being installed in several hotels in Las Vegas, Orange County, Miami and New Jersey, but further details have yet to be announced. "We would love to expand outside of the states to luxury properties in Australia but as of yet
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