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Posts Tagged ‘New Zealand’

Travel To New Zealand – Land Of The Long White Cloud

October 30th, 2009 No comments

While it is located at the bottom of the world, New Zealand is one of the world’s top travel destinations. Known as the land of the long white cloud, New Zealand is filled with great travel experiences including extreme sports, rich Maori culture and divine food and wine. Planning a trip to this beautiful country? Here are the top picks of places to go and things to do when you travel to New Zealand.

Most visitors who travel to New Zealand start their journey in Auckland. The waters around Auckland are considered one of the most biologically diverse marine areas is the world. One of the best ways to get up close and personal with some New Zealand natives is by taking a whale and dolphin cruise in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf. For a bird’s eye view of the city sign up for the Auckland Harbor Bridge Climb – guaranteed exhilaration and Auckland from an entirely different perspective.

Think of the bridge climb as an appetizer for the adrenaline rush that is Queenstown. If you are an adventure lover, then this is your Mecca. Queenstown is in the business of serious fun. Here you can try bungee jumping, skiing, snowboarding, jet boating and many other activities not for the weak of stomach.

So much adrenaline makes a person thirsty, so it is handy that the Queenstown Wine Trail is right near by. This is a great way to let the nerves wind down and sample some of New Zealand’s best wines.

From Queenstown you can travel through the beautiful scenery of Otago to New Zealand’s highest mountain, Mt. Cook. Taking a helicopter ride over the mountains is a once in a lifetime experience and a chance to appreciate the magnificent beauty of New Zealand.

The Maori people are the country’s indigenous group and they have a proud heritage and rich culture that is very much alive and well in contemporary New Zealand. When you travel to New Zealand there are plenty of opportunities to get to know the Maori, their customs and traditions.

Ko Tane is a living Maori village located inside the Willowbank Nature Reserver outside of Christchurch. This is the perfect place to see how Maori lived before the Europeans arrived. Here you can see many Maori ceremonies, dance and traditions come to life before your eyes.

Rotarua, on the north island, is a hot spot for geothermic activity. At Wai Ora natural hot springs you can experience the healing mud baths that have been invigorating visitors to the area for around a thousand years.

New Zealand has so much to offer a visitor: fun, action, great food and wine, natural beauty and rich culture all rolled into an accessible and cost effective location. Travel to New Zealand and you will arrive home with lifelong memories.

Learn more about New Zealand holidays. Stop by Dorcas Chras’s site where you can find out how you can travel to New Zealand and have a great vacation.

Things That Would Add To Your Experience In New Zealand

February 11th, 2009 No comments

New Zealand is an island country comprising of two major islands identified as the north and south islands. New Zealand is located in the southern hemisphere in the south west of the Pacific Ocean. The flightless kiwi bird is an inhabitant of New Zealand and also considered as its national bird. New Zealand was a colony, and is still a member colony of the United Kingdom.

Auckland is considered to be the largest city on the north island of New Zealand. It is believed that there are more boat owners than car owners in Auckland because the public of Auckland are in love with the sea. There are various places to visit in and around Auckland. Auckland has a museum and a zoo as well; however the place to visit is the Kelly Tariton’s Antarctica and underwater world where you are able to see unlimited variety of fish and a remarkable Antarctica finding. Where else on earth would you get a chance to find penguins living in fresh snow and ice!

The sky tower of Auckland rises 328 meters and has a number of fine dining restaurants and a casino on the ground floor. The view from the top of the tower of Auckland and its surroundings is magnificent. The Victoria park market is over a century old and still throbs with the typical life of a market. The shops and stalls sell handicrafts, artwork, and a whole lot of mementos.

On the west coast is the biggest all weather glacier center and is the only one of its sort in the southern hemisphere. You can go for indoor ice climbing which would be an exclusive experience in its own. To experience a real outdoor trip on a glacier whilst on the west coast, take a guided tour along the longest glacier on the west coast. Those who love the nature there are amazing trails and walking tracks that offer some breath taking views on the west coast.

New Zealand has unlimited attractions, and the options differ depending on the frame of mind and interest of the tourist. From exploration to wineries with sheep farming, there is definitely something for every individual. New Zealand has one of finest maritime parks and offers an unusual treat to sea whales, dolphins, and penguins.

In the south island also, there are plenty of interesting places to visit. New Zealanders love the sea and there are plenty of spots for diving, sailing, swimming, and enjoying other water sports. There are sight seeing tours, visits to scenic places, and of course plenty of golf courses for golfers.

Travelling around New Zealand is not at all difficult as it has excellent air and transportation systems. There is a lot of accommodation available in New Zealand. New Zealand is entirely developed and has a booming economy.

New Zealanders adore sports, mainly rugby and cricket. There striking rivals are the Australians who are also their closest neighbors. It’s a wonderful country to visit, and there are lots to see and do in New Zealand.

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Tanzania Travel: Dar es Salaam and the Southern Safari Circuit

February 9th, 2009 No comments

Many people visiting Dar es Salaam also take tours to such Tanzania national parks and game reserves as Ruaha, Mikumi, Udzungwa, and Selous. These parks are part of Tanzanias southern safari circuit. It takes only a few hours drive to get to Mikumi national park from Dar es Salaam. Getting to Zanzibar from Dar es Salaam takes two hours by ferry, and an even shorter time by flight. Some hotels in Dar es Salaam (e.g. Bahari Beach Hotel and White Sands Hotel) can also arrange day trips to nearby islands for visitors.

Mikumi national park is home to a great variety of African wildlife including elephant, buffalo, lion, wildebeest, hartebeest, warthog, African crocodile, hippos, monitor lizards and a considerably high number of the endangered African wild dogs. The park also has a prolific bird life especially during the wet season when up to 300 species of Eurasian migratory birds flock the area. The Mikumi flood plain is undoubtedly the most prominent land feature in the game park. The flood plain is neighbored on one side by the Uluguru mountains, and on another side by the Lumango hills range. The national park borders Selous game reserve, and forms part of a 75,000 sq. km. wilderness ecosystem covered by open grasslands in the plains and miombo woodlands in the higher grounds.

Unlike several other destinations in the southern safari circuit, Mikumi is accessible throughout the year. The park is only four hours by road and one hour by flight from Dar es Salaam. If you are on a budget safari, you can take a bus ride to the park gate then organize game drives from there. You can get limited accommodation at the few luxury lodges and tented camps in the park. There are also three campsites. Mikumi is the ideal wildlife safari destination if you find yourself in Dar on a weekend.

Lying 348 km west of Dar es Salaam and 65 km southwest of Mikumi is the Udzungwa mountains national park. The mountains are part of the Eastern Arch Mountains found southeast of Kilimanjaro. Having been purposely created to conserve plant life, this unique Tanzania national park hosts many rare plants in its forest. The forest is also inhabited by several primates, including the endemic Sanje crested mangabey and Iringa red colobus monkey. Also found in the plateaus are elephants, lions, buffaloes and hunting dogs, though in smaller numbers compared to other parks and reserves. Udzungwa is also an important African sanctuary for bird life In recent times, four previously unknown bird species have been discovered by scientists here. The period between June and October, i.e. the dry season is the best time to visit this park. Hiking trails get unpleasantly slippery during the wet season.

The Ruaha National Park is rightly named after its lifeblood- the Great Ruaha River. Occupying 12,950 sq km, it is Tanzanias second largest national park and the world’s biggest elephant sanctuary. Home to numerous crocodiles and hippo, the Great Ruaha draws many thirsty water buck, leopard, buffalo, reed buck, wild dogs, lion and hyena to its banks. Plain animals such as zebra, greater and lesser kudu, sable and roan antelope, impala and giraffe are found on the plains stretching from the rivers edge. The topography is agreeable to hiking and walking safaris are allowed. In wet season months of March to April and October to November the bird population peaks and the park has over 370 bird species, including some Eurasian migrants.

Ruaha has a very diverse flora, with over 1650 plant species found there. The plant and animal life in Ruaha is a unique mixture of eastern Africa and southern Africa flora and fauna. This national park has a hot and dry climate with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius in October. Located 128 km west of Iringa town in central Tanzania, Ruaha national park was previously inaccessible, but there are roads today enabling year round access. It takes 10 hours by road and one and a half hours by charter flights from Dar es Salaam to Ruaha. The dry season from May to December is the best time for a safari to Ruaha. During that season, thirsty animals flock the Ruaha river banks, with the ensuing drama (feeding, courting and mating, and fighting) being a spectacle to behold. Accommodation in Ruaha is rather limited, with only one luxury lodge and a few campsites and self-catering chalets.

Selous Game Reserve is the star of the southern safari circuit. The reserve is named after the intrepid Fredrick Courtney Selous, a celebrated Victoria era explorer and naturalist. He met his end here in a sideshow of the First World War. The Great War had spilled over from Europe as the Germans then ruled parts of todays Tanzania. Located 500 km to the southwest of Dar, the reserve occupies a staggering 55,000 sq km ” larger than Switzerland- and is the largest of its kind in Africa. The Selous was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982 due to the significance of both its flora and fauna. This immense wilderness has a diversity of habitats including savanna woodlands, swamps, open grasslands and forests.

There over 2,100 plant and tree species in Selous. Rufiji river is the lifeblood of the game reserve and has many oxbow lakes and tributaries suitable for boating safaris. Lions, elephants, black rhinos, buffaloes, hippos, wild dogs, elands, impala, water bucks, giraffes, zebras, greater kudu, baboons, and bush bucks are just some of the wild animals found in Selous. Birdwatchers also have an exciting tour in Selous, with over 420 bird species. Just like in Ruaha, game animals in Selous are widely scattered due to the large size of the reserve. The best game watching experience is attained by taking a slow pace, preferably 3-4 days. Visitors can enjoy a rewarding photographic safari in Selous, with Stiegler’s gorge being a favorite spot also favored by leopards.

From Dar, you arrive after a 1-” hour charter flight or by traveling for 7 hours by road. Travel by road is not advised, except for the most adventurous souls. Selous is near the coast and is just a few hundred feet above sea level. The climate is hot and humid, particularly between October and March. Part of the reserve is closed in the wet season between March and May. The best time to visit is over the dry season period of June to October. Then on safari you can walk, boat and ride a 4WD vehicle. Accommodation is limited to just a few luxury tented and no-frills camps.

Sadani game reserve, located in the north coast about 50km from Bagamoyo, is also worth visiting. Sadani gives one an experience of the bush at the beach, and the wild life seen at the reserve including elephants, leopard, giraffes, lions, buffaloes and zebra. The reserve is, however, accessible only with special transport arrangements.

Before getting into Dar es Salaam and Tanzania, visitors from yellow fever infected areas have to be obtain certificates of vaccination against the disease. Travelers from the following areas where yellow fever is not endemic are exempted from this: Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and North America. The forest region in northwest Tanzania is regarded a high risk yellow fever area. Malaria is also common in most of Tanzania. It is advisable to start taking appropriate anti-malaria treatment two weeks before arrival. Typhoid, hepatitis A, and polio vaccinations are also advisable. In addition, with the exception of citizens of a few African and commonwealth countries, visitors must have Tanzania visas to get into the country. While it is possible to get the visa at entry points like Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, and Dar es Salaam international airports, where possible, get the visa in advance from the Tanzanian mission in your country. Some airlines may not allow you to board flights to Tanzania without the visa.

You can get to Dar es Salaam through such Africa travel hubs as Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Addis Ababa. There are also numerous domestic flights in Tanzania to Dar and other airports including Kilimanjaro international airport and Dodoma airport. By sea, ferry services from Mombasa to Dar es Salaam are available. Visitors can tour around Dar es Salaam city using taxis, which charge a standard fee of Tsh 2000 for a journey within the city center. To travel to Zanzibar by ferry, you have a choice of 4 boats ” 2 ordinary ferry boats, a hydrofoil, and a catamaran. You will need to produce the certificate of yellow fever vaccination before boarding the ferry. In addition to boat fare, you will have to pay US$5 for port charges.

Dar es Salaam, like most of Tanzania, does not get very cold. Light clothing is therefore most suitable. Temperatures average around 30 degrees celsius, the hottest period being from October to March. Male travelers can carry decent short sleeved shirts, shorts and trousers, while skirts, short sleeve blouses, and slacks would be enough for the female traveler. If you will be visiting the highlands however, it is advisable you carry some warmer clothing like sweaters for the early mornings and the evenings. In the entire country, nudity is unacceptable.

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Take Biking Holidays In New Zealand

August 6th, 2008 No comments
by Alison Addy

The International Mountain Bicycling Association was conceived to assist people maintain cycling tracks over the globe. Earlier it was just a minor organization with less than 1000 members. Nowadays the tendency has caught on to extra nations across the globe such as Canada, European Union, Australia, and Suisse. The association is itself as constituting a drawing card in the trail awheel sport.

Worldwide mountain cycling can be aggregated in on additional activities as you’re delighting your international vacation. Numerous regions offer daytime travels or one-half day travels which are perfect to go into your route. You’ll be able to arise in the morning, savour a light breakfast, and then go searching along the tracks till lunch. This is a good way to begin your daytime and it lets you to get some time after luncheon to slow down and get fix for an stimulating evening. Foreign mountain cycling can be often opposed to cycling in the U.S.A.. A lot of the ranges of mountains have more progressive inclines which let you make your time and delight the scene without investing a lot of tension on your body.

Delighting Asia On A Mountain Cycle

Asia provides numerous different ethnoses and old world small mountain settlements. Asia is a major place to bask foreign mountain cycling because of the counterpoints in tract. You are able to visit among the mountain settlements and delight the local culture when taking a breathe of your travel.

There’s an multinational wheelers clubhouse in Hong Kong which offers cycling circuits to Red China, Vietnam, New Zealand, Mongolian People’s Republic, Tibet, and Malaya. They lead numerous circuits monthly and are good familiar the tracks and the terrain. They as well know the hot spots for scene and shopping en route. They understand the variety among the Asiatic folks and most of their pathfinders speak more than 1 language. This can be a great help to an alien who doesn’t interpret, or speak, the language.

Foreign mountain cycling can be an amusing and gratifying experience. You will be able to decide your travel grounded on the number of time you prefer to expend riding. Circuits are accessible from one daytime, up to 14 days. You can as well decide the terrain you will to ride, grounded on your biker skills and experience. Foreign mountain bicycling is more easygoing and can be carried at a slower step. Many sites you’ll be able to visit on a cycle wouldn’t be conceivable if you’re in a car. This makes you a chance to delight the local culture and catch many great shots which wouldn’t otherwise be imaginable.

For more information on holidays in New Zealand.

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