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Tranz Scenic – Coastal Pacific rail journey
This outstanding train journey between Chistchurch and Picton in New Zealand’s south island, stops at Blenheim and the renowned whale watching town of Kaikoura. Travelling along 98 kilometres of ruggedly beautiful coastline you’ll get astonishingly close to the swelling Pacific Ocean and steeply rising Kaikoura Ranges. You’ll also travel through beautiful wine growing regions, across broad rivers and the rich patchwork farming landscape of the Canterbury Plains. The views are breath-taking!
Brand new scenic carriages have now been introduced on this journey to bring guest comfort to a luxury new level. The features of the new carriages are the large panoramic and sky windows opening up the views of the mountains and hands free doors and swiveling seats allowing passengers to face the direction of travel. New train enhancements also lend to a smoother ride and there is also now commentary available in five languages (English, Japanese, Mandarin, German & French).
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NEW: Explore Marlborough by boat
Explore the stunning Marlborough Sounds aboard a 53ft luxury yacht. The relaxing day tour includes a cruise to the end of Queen Charlotte Sound to Motuara Island and Ship Cove. On Motuara take a short walk to the top of the island for stunning views of the Queen Charlotte Sound. The island is home to a number of New Zealand’s endangered birds which can be spotted while walking. The tour includes a gourmet lunch of local produce with a focus on local seafood. The balance of the day is spent cruising back towards Picton with canapés, a glass of Marlborough wine and the setting sun. Throughout the day your experienced skipper and Explore Marlborough guide will entertain you with stories of the area’s history, wildlife and landscape and local personalities.
Includes:
* Experienced skipper.
* Morning tea or coffee with locally roasted coffee and fresh home baking.
* Gourmet lunch on board the yacht.
* Bottle of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc per couple
* Knowledgeable guide
* Pick up from and drop off to accommodation
* Visit to Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary and Ship Cove.
New Insider Access: Antarctic Encounter, Christchurch
On this exclusive and personalised tour you’ll journey through the Christchurch’s International Antarctic Centre with an Antarctic Explorer as your host and guide.
Take a ride in the Hagglund - a genuine Antarctic vehicle used down at Scott Base, view a private Antarctic clothing display demonstration and enjoy fascinating discussion over a light lunch.
Your Antarctic Explorer has visited The Ice on countless occasions and can share with you countless stories and tales from the frozen land. Bill Cranfield was the pilot with Sir Edmund Hillary’s support party for the Trans Antarctic Expedition in 1957/8. Bill flew the 10 hour route finding, supporting the field parties, and establishing the depots for the crossings party and supplying the famous NZ tractor party. David Harrowfield who has written nearly 70 books, articles and refereed papers on Antarctic history was the Antarctic curator at Canterbury Museum and is currently completing a major re-write of Antarctic history on one of Shackleton’s expeditions. Allan Guard is another Old Antarctic Explorer who was Base Engineer and deputy leader at Scott Base in 1968-69 and spent a two-year tour of duty with a scientific expedition on the sub-Antarctic Campbell Islands from 1964 to 1966.
Over three hours discover environments including New Zealand’s Scott Base, The Snow & Ice Experience and an Antarctic Storm where you will experience extreme wind chill Antarctic conditions. There’s also opportunity to watch penguins being fed and experience a 4D theatre version of life aboard an Antarctic Cruise Ship. At the end of the tour a gift of an Antarctic book will be presented to each participant personally signed by the Old Antarctic Explorer himself.
Otahuna Lodge to Re-Open 11 July
Otahuna Lodge will re-open on Monday, 11 July 2011 following its closure due to the 6.3-magnitude Christchurch Earthquake on 22 February.
The celebrated 116-year old homestead -- a Category 1 New Zealand Historic Places Trust Landmark -- sustained moderate interior damage, primarily to internal walls, ceilings and floors. More than 200 wall and ceiling surfaces are being repaired and restored prior to the Lodge's July re-opening.
Fortunately the Lodge incurred only modest damage as a result of extensive seismic strengthening carried out on the building last year. Many heritage features of the homestead including its Victorian wooden carvings, stained glass windows and fifteen working fireplaces were unaffected. All seven of Otahuna's suites are being restored to their previous condition, with interior furnishings and artworks entirely unaffected. Outside the Lodge, Otahuna's thirty acres of historic gardens were also untouched by the earthquake.
Otahuna Lodge is located approximately a 25-minute drive from Christchurch.
Powerco Taranaki Garden Spectacular
28 Oct – 6 Nov 2011
The annual ten day Powerco Taranaki Garden Spectacular - New Zealand’s Premier Spring Festival, showcases some of New Zealand’s most stunning private and public gardens. As one of New Zealand’s longest running festivals each year it offers an exclusive opportunity to experience a diverse range of high quality gardens that are among the best in the country. Visitors will enjoy strolling through large park-like country gardens, geometric and intimate inner city potager gardens, sub-tropical and rainforest gardens. As New Zealand’s premier garden experience the festival has an extensive events programme featuring jazz & wine in gardens, an exclusive landscape design project, guided walks and a garden celebrity speaker series and much more.
Indulge in a feast for your senses, borne from the imaginations, inspiration and sheer perspiration of New Zealand’s most gifted gardeners. What better time to visit New Zealand than late Spring in the Southern Hemisphere!
The George, Christchurch Reopens
Luxury boutique hotel, The George has reopened to in-house guests as of Tuesday 22 March and on Wednesday 23 March, 50 On Park Restaurant and Bar opened for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The George’s signature restaurant, Pescatore, will open for dinner on Tuesday 29 March.
While Christchurch continues the massive job of cleaning and rebuilding after the devastating earthquake of 22 February, structural engineers have inspected the hotel and declared it safe to occupy and all amenities are all in place.
The New Zealand National Crisis Management Centre are no longer advising against non-essential travel to Christchurch City. This is a positive development in helping get the message out that New Zealand is open and operating, however it comes with a caution that some tourism operators in the central business district remain severely disrupted.
Whilst it was closed to guests, The George was able to help the efforts Christchurch by accommodating City Care workers and Police from around the country following the earthquake.
The George, a luxury boutique hotel, is the essence of supreme comfort and is renowned for offering a personalised stay and attentive staff as well as two award winning restaurants. Located in the heart of Christchurch overlooking the picturesque Hagley Park and river Avon, The George is the only Christchurch Hotel with a one-to-one staff to guest ratio.
1st March 2011 - New Zealand Earthquake Update
On 22 February 2011, Christchurch and the surrounding area were struck by an earthquake that caused severe damage and tragic casualties. The area continues to be shaken with continuous aftershocks placing further buildings and lives in danger.
On Tuesday this week at 12.51 (New Zealand time) our New Zealand team observed two minutes silence to remember those lost in last week’s Christchurch Earthquake
It is a cruel event as many areas of Christchurch were still rebuilding from the 7.1 earthquake that hit last September.
Like most of the world, our team have watched the tragic results of the earthquake with extreme sadness but despite the widespread damage reported we are able to advise that both our preferred hotels in the Christchurch region; Otahuna Lodge and The George are relatively unaffected and we look forward to soon receiving word from each saying that bookings are again being accepted for future travellers.
At this time we think of our friends, suppliers and guides in the region and send our thoughts and support to them. One of the ways our team are helping out is to organise a fundraiser lunch on Monday 07th March. Monies raised will be used to help the communities, families and people of Christchurch and the Canterbury region.
We are currently advising clients not to travel to Christchurch for the next month or so, however the rest of New Zealand is fully operational with no road closures and all airports being open.
Contact the team if you would like information to donate to the official relief fund or to talk about the ideal region for you to travel to in New Zealand.
Top 5 Adventure New Zealand
When deciding between luxury & adventure for your holiday for this year, look no further than New Zealand – the destination that provides arguably the best adventure options as well as some of the most renowned luxury lodges internationally.
White Water Rafting - The Kaituna River makes for an exciting forty minutes of pure adrenalin rush and includes the world famous 27-foot (7-metre) waterfall - the largest rafted waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere!
Zorb Rotorua: Experience the inside of a bouncy ball! Zydro – this is the ride that has water added so you can run, tumble, flip or slide inside, as the globe hurtles downhill at speeds of up to 30 km/h.
Four Wheel Drive (4WD) Safari: Travel to the Mamaku Ranges where a truly unique experience awaits you. Take the wheel and drive in convoy on a four-wheel drive track that is full of obstacles and challenges such as water-filled tunnels, logs and swamps. At the end of your experience your helicopter your way to The Farm at Cape Kidnappers.
Bungy Queenstown: The Nevis High Wire Bungy is the younger brother to the original Kawarau Bungy Jump and is the same height as the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge!
Sky Dive: It takes a certain kind of person to jump from an aircraft at 15,000ft into thin air. It takes courage. Harnessed by space age materials to an experienced qualified jumpmaster, you step out that aircraft door and for some 60 seconds you plummet toward the ground at 200kph, Terminal Velocity.
With a selection of superb lodges awaiting you after your adventure, the only question is when do you arrive? Contact Akorn for more information and to tailor the right itinerary for you.
Eagles Nest
Located on a headland above the sea with sweeping views of the bay, the well-secured, exceptional luxury escape comprising of five villas in New Zealand’s Bay of Islands, a few kilometres north of Russell is not boasting when they say they are “Somewhere between seven stars and heaven”. Recently voted the World's best "Luxury Coastal Hotel" by the World Luxury Hotel Awards, there is no doubt of Eagles Nests unsurpassed facilities and services. The World Luxury Hotel Awards are regarded as the pinnacle of achievement for luxury hotels worldwide. This award was established as a celebration of the ultimate achievement in the worldwide hotel industry. It is about recognizing hotels that have taken the ultimate step and distinguished themselves as truly exceptional hotels. This award is by no means the first for Eagles Nest who already have a full mantelpiece of international and domestic accolades from the likes of Conde Nast Traveller, Elite Traveller, Tattler Magazine and Kia Ora Magazine. When staying at Eagles nest, there are many things to do in the area if you can bear to leave your villa. Let us arrange a private sailing or fishing charter for you. Or perhaps you would prefer a private scenic flight over the spectacular region. For a more outdoors approach, let us arrange a guided walks with gourmet picnic lunch or private touring to the regions historical highlights including Waitangi grounds.
Whakarewarewa Thermal Village
Whakarewarewa Thermal Village: Te Whakarewarewatanga O Te Ope Taua A Wahiao' - Meaning “The uprising of the warriors (war party) of Wahiao" Set amidst a landscape of erupting geothermal activity, hot thermal springs and hot bubbling mud pools is the Living Maori village of Whakarewarewa situated in Rotorua, the heart of the North Island. Meet the people of Tuhourangi - Ngati Wahiao (a Maori family tribe) who have lived in and around the geothermal activity of Whakarewarewa for over 200 years. This tribe have opened up their village to show visitors their way of life, a legacy passed down from generation to generation. Let us arrange a private experience for you to truly discover this lifestyle designed to incorporate the unique thermal environment as well as the culture and traditions of this tribe. The people of this area have been hosting visitors and welcoming guests into their homes since the early 1800’s. The Tuhourangi/Ngati Wahiao people have a proud heritage which they have shared with visitors from around the world. As the Maori Tribe say, Nau mai, haere mai, whakatau mai - Welcome, Come In, Make Yourself At Home.
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