New Zealand’s South Island

June 21st, 2008

Natural, untouched beauty! That’s what New Zealand’s South Island is all about. The South Island is home to the Southern Alps and some great skiing and snow boarding opportunities.

Christchurch is the busiest city in the South Island and also offers an international airport, with flights connecting directly to a lot of overseas destinations. The Sumner Beach, Gondola, Avon river and Cashmere hills are the main attractions in Chistchurch. The city centre is always busy with trams running frequently making it a great place to hang out!

Dunedin with it’s Cadbury’s factory and Queenstown with it’s adventure attractions are the other two cities that can’t be missed in the South Island. Queenstown also has bungee jumping opportunities, jet boats and ski dive opportunities. Milford sound tours also leave from Queenstown, and are highly recommended. Stewart island can also be visited by ferries leaving Invercargill.

Most cities in the South Island are well connected by Trans Rail and that’s perhaps the most convenient way to travel. Alternately, rental cars can also be booked and a drive along the West Coast is highly recommended. Getting to the South Island from the North Island is possible by either catching the Interislander ferry from Wellington or a Sounds Air flight from Wellington airport. Domestic flights run by Air New Zealand and other airlines also connect most other cities in the South Island to Wellington.

Ramnish Gupta is an amateur photographer based in Wellington, New Zealand. Some of his work can be found on the website: http://www.newzealandphotography.co.nz

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New Zealand’s North Island

May 2nd, 2008

From Cape Reinga in the north right through to Wellington in the south, New Zealand’s North Island offers some unique opportunities to tourist and locals alike.

Auckland city is the busiest New Zealand city and arguably the commercial capital of New Zealand. Being one of the most populated cities, Auckland offers some of the best shopping opportunities in New Zealand.

Wellington is the capital city and has a population of around 400,00. The main attraction in Wellington would have to be Te Papa, which is a museum located in the city. While at Te Papa, make time for a stroll around Queen’s wharf or a cruise in the Wellesley or catch a play at Circa theatre. The Interislander ferry can also be caught from Wellington to travel across the Cook strait to Picton in the South Island.

Other attractions in the North Island include the Maori village in Rotorua, ski fields in the central North Island, stunning beaches in the Coromandel and Hawke’s Bay, Huka falls near Taupo and Mt Taranaki (also known as Mt Egmont), which was the location for the filming of the Tom Cruise flick “The Last Samurai”. Lord of the Rings tours are also available and extremely popular with Tolkien fans!

Ramnish Gupta is an amateur photographer based in Wellington, New Zealand. Some of his work can be found on the website: http://www.newzealandphotography.co.nz

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New Zealand Travel

April 9th, 2008

New Zealand is one of the ultimate travel destinations in the Southern Hemisphere, with something for just about anyone. New Zealand has everything, right from ski fields to volcanoes, from big cities to small towns and from beaches to mountains.

New Zealand currently has a population of just over 4 million people. Auckland is the biggest city with over 1.2 million people and the capital city Wellington has a population of around 400,000. Most of the country’s resident population is based in North Island and so, South Island offers the opportunity to get away from the busy cities and get up close and personal with the elements.

New Zealand offers a lot of activities, especially for the adventurous kind. You can bungee jump, ski and snow board, relax on the beach, go for a bike ride, take a 4 wheel drive adventure, ski dive, surf or simply, shop! Most adventurous activities are available in the South Island, whereas North Island offers the charm of the big cities, some great shopping as well as some uniquely New Zealand attractions, like the Maori village in Rotorua.

The best way to travel around New Zealand would be in a rental car. Most New Zealand cities are very well connected with the main motorways and traffic is usually not a problem. There are information centres in most tourist areas, providing useful travel information, maps etc.

Ramnish Gupta is an amateur photographer based in Wellington, New Zealand. Some of his work can be found on the website: http://www.newzealandphotography.co.nz

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