Tiritiri Matangi Island is an open sanctuary that invites 150 people a day to experience native New Zealand wildlife in a beautiful environment. When you get off the ferry, you’ll be faced with a choice. Do you take the long route or the shorter? Choose the longer to get the most out of the trip unless you have a physical issue that keeps you from walking too far.
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New Zealand: A Short Survey of Rotorua
By booking a Hobbiton/Waitomo tour and travel together with Bush and Beach, we were able to extend our time in Rotorua by a day. That’s great news because Rotorua is a volcanic bonanza of amazingness.
Continue readingNew Zealand: A Short Survey of Wellington
Wellington is not only the capital of New Zealand but also the Creativity Capital of New Zealand. With the emphasis that New Zealand is putting on creativity and innovation, Wellington is a step ahead of most of the country according to Infometric. With its designation, it’s only natural that I would want to experience the city myself.
Continue readingNew Zealand: A Short Survey of Dunedin
Jenya and I are going to Dunedin, New Zealand to relax. We’re not going to go whole hog to experience all of the attractions available. Instead, we’re going to see the penguins and the beach.
Continue readingNew Zealand: A Short Survey of Christchurch
While we’re mostly headed to Christchurch to see our friend Checkers Penguin, we certainly want to make sure that we see some of the sites there before we head to Dunedin.
Continue readingNew Zealand: A Short Survey of Auckland
Auckland is the transport hub of New Zealand. Most people will start their journey here. As the most populous city, Auckland has lots to do. The most often featured attraction is the Sky Tower. Its revolving restaurant is probably the most attractive part of the tower for me. It would certainly remind us of our trip to Top of Waikiki. Maungawhau, the dormant volcano that is also the highest natural point in the region, would also provide a call back to our Hawaiian vacation and its Diamond Head walk.
Continue readingNew Zealand: A Short Survey of New Zealand Destinations – On First Look
At roughly 1600 km long (990 miles), New Zealand’s two islands are about the length of a third of the continental United States. That’s a nice drive in America of about 18 hours depending on which states you go through and the maximum speed limit. I have been told that’s not the case in New Zealand. The roads aren’t highways. They tend to wind and have lower speed limits. The other impediment to drive time is the ferry. It may not run in inclement weather, and of course, it only departs at certain times of the day. The cost is also something to consider. I was told around $200 NZ for a car and two passengers.
With all of this in mind, choosing destinations for New Zealand is going to depend on what we really want to see – not the road or the inside of a car – and what we can get to comfortably. Personally, I don’t necessarily want to spend my time driving at all. On the other hand, my second hand knowledge has said that public transportation doesn’t exist, and the buses that go between towns take even longer than cars.
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Penguinate! Positive Creativity 