While you may be thinking about planning a summer vacation that involves white sandy beaches, tropical weather and sunshine, winter activities are also a viable option. However, to find the snow and the skiing opportunities you will need to plan a vacation in the Southern Hemisphere. New Zealand vacations that are taken between now and September will give you plenty of winter fun.
While surfers follow the sun and try to achieve an endless summer, skiers and snowboarders follow the snow to achieve an endless winter. The best place to find ski adventures is the South Island of New Zealand. Here you will find plenty of snow and ice to play on, including great glacier skiing opportunities. This island is one of the few places left on the earth that still has growing glaciers. There are also several ski resorts and chalets that you can home while on your ski vacation.
While the South Island, New Zealand has a great selection of winter vacation options, you can still find warm weather and sunshine on the North Island. If you want the best of both worlds you can spend time on both islands. Just think about it, you can start with a one week winter vacation full of skiing, snowboarding and snuggling by the fireplace and then migrate to the North Island for a one week summer vacation with white sandy beaches, water sports and romantic walks on the beach at sunset. The great part about vacationing in New Zealand is that there are only a few hours between winter and summer vacation options.
Planning a New Zealand vacation is a lot of fun, however, when you are a gay or lesbian couple you may not know what vacation options are going to give you the romantic get-away that you want. Fortunately, there are many gay travel resources for New Zealand get-aways that you can take advantage of. If you are ready for a vacation of a lifetime then check out these itinerary options.
One of the travel vendors that specializes in gay travel to New Zealand is New Zealand Encounters. This agency offers a great selection of travel packages including guided and self-guided tours. One of their most popular packages is the 22 day, self-drive New Zealand Encounters. This package will take you through the attractions found both on the North Island and the South island.
If you are interested in New Zealand outdoor activities then the Guided Milford Track and South Island vacation package is probably more your speed. This tour lasts 14 days will allow you to experience the world famous Milford Track. Remember to bring your hiking equipment and rain gear for this adventure.
If you want the three W’s of New Zealand, Wildife, Wine and Walking, then the Wilderness, Wildlife, Walks and Wine tour is for you. This is a two week expedition that will give you a wild, but romantic adventure.
For more information about New Zealand Encounters then visit their website.
Well it is nearly fall in New Zealand which means that tourist crowds are going to start to fade and prices are going to start to fall. This means that it will be much more affordable to travel to New Zealand then if you traveled there in the summer months. While the weather is not as warm in the fall as it is in the summer months, the New Zealand North Island still has great weather during the fall months. This is because it is located near the equator.
When planning a fall vacation to New Zealand you will want to focus on regions that have attractions that are still going to be open. If you focus your trip on the North Island you can still find water sports, tropical vacation options and great resort options available in the fall. You can also still tour the volcanoes, the national parks and the other local attractions. However, if you plan on touring the backcountry, especially the areas that have higher elevations, you will need to be prepared for erratic weather and possibly even a little snow.
One of the activities that is particularly popular during the fall in New Zealand is fishing. Fishing on the South and North Islands can be a lot of fun. There are a lot of different fresh water and salt water fish that are in season during the fall months. However, since each region of New Zealand has its own fishing season regulations you will need to check in with the local fish and wildlife department to see what you can fish for, what you can fish with, where you can fish and what licenses you will need to purchase.
March is a great month to visit the North Island, New Zealand and the South Island, New Zealand. As the seasons transition from summer to fall you will have ample opportunities for outdoor adventures, cruises, festivals and other fun activities.
There are a lot of different festivals that are occurring next month in New Zealand. For example, the Auckland Fringe Festival 2009 will be held from February 27 through March 21, 2009.
If you are looking for sporting events then March is a stellar month. For the adventure sportsman/woman there is the Kaweka Challenge, which is known as the “highest mountain race” in the world. It runs from February 28 through March 1. For the Ironman sportsperson there is the Paradise Triathlon, which will be held in the Queenstown region on March 1, 2009.
Another fun event that is planned for March is the Teddy Bears Picnic. This event is held in Auckland and is scheduled for March 1.
If you are planning a March New Zealand vacation then it is important that you check out local events calendars before you leave your home country. These calendars can be used to find fun events to attend as well as cities to avoid during your vacation. Fortunately, events calendars for New Zealand are easy to find.
Do you have an up-coming New Zealand event that you would like to promote? Post details about your event below. Or email me and I may feature your event in a future blog.
Last week we talked about a few ways you can make a New Zealand vacation more affordable. This week I want to continue that discussion. This week let’s talk about ways you can make the New Zealand tour you are most interested in more affordable.
First of all you will want to research all of your tour options to see what tours are available. Next you will want to research the companies that offer the tours you want to take. Comparison shopping is the first option that you have to find the best deals on a New Zealand tour.
The second option is to see if the tour operator offers any discounts. The discounts may be for booking early, booking a group tour or booking a tour during off season or during the week. These are all great ways to find better deals on tours.
The third option you have is to work with your travel agent to put together a vacation package that includes a tour. Package deals will usually save you money on each item in the package, including tours. This is an easy way to save between 10 and 20 percent on your tour price.
Saving money on your tour costs can also be done by taking a self-guided tour instead of a guided tour. Self guided tours work well for sea kayak trips, hiking trips and even horse trekking trips. Usually you will be give a map and an information brochure which you can use to learn about the area you are touring.
Happy New Year to current and future New Zealand visitors. If one of your New Year’s resolutions this year is to visit New Zealand then this month is the perfect month to start planning your vacation. If you are worried about the cost of a New Zealand vacation then there are a few ways you can manage the cost.
The first thing you can do to manage the cost of a New Zealand vacation is to first plan out the vacation that you want to have. Identify airplane ticket costs, tours you want to take, travel insurance costs, food and lodging costs. This preliminary itinerary is going to be your guide for looking for deals and money saving opportunities. It will also help you to figure out how much money you need to put aside for your trip.
The second thing that you can do to help you afford a New Zealand vacation is to pay for certain aspects of your trip each month. For example, since the best time of the year to visit New Zealand is between November and March you have between ten and fourteen months to pay for your vacation. This means that you can save money for your airfare one month, pay for your lodging another month and pay for your cruises in the months that follow. When you are planning how you will spread out your payments, you will want to cover the items that need to be paid for first as soon as possible and then spread out the remaining items over the remaining months.
If you spent Christmas in New Zealand and bought most of your holiday gifts in New Zealand you now face an interesting problem, getting everything you bought in New Zealand home. With all of the restrictions associated with air travel and carry-ons, you will most likely need to ship your holiday gifts and vacation treasures back to the U.S. While this sounds like a hassle, it will actually save you a lot of time and trouble on departure day.
To determine what items to ship and what items to take with you on the plane you will want to look at the type of items you have and the amount of space you have in your luggage. First of all, anything that is prohibited from taking on the airplane with you needs to be shipped, such as equipment that you used for your New Zealand outdoor activities. Secondly, if the item is heavy you will want to ship it. Finally, if the item is delicate you will want the seller of the item to ship it to you. They will have the packaging materials required to get your items safely to your home in the U.S. and they will also know what forms to fill out for customs.
If you will be packing and shipping your items yourself then this is what you need to know. First of all you will want to work with a local shipping service. They will be able to help you fill out the appropriate customs’ forms, pack your items so that they meet New Zealand and U.S. requirements and they will also provide you with the packaging that your items need. If you will be leaving in a few days from New Zealand, now is the perfect time to collect the items you want to ship home and find a local shipper to work with.
South Island, New Zealand is a great destination for vacations. If you will be in this region over the holiday season then you will want to pick up gifts for your friends and family back home. However, you will also want to plan special South Island gifts for the people that you are traveling with. Fortunately, there are a lot of great gifts that come from the South Island that you can use to make this holiday season even merrier.
One of the best gifts offered by the South Island is New Zealand wine. Canterbury in particular produces a great selection of white and red wines. You can by New Zealand wine by the bottle or by the case. You can even have these gifts shipped securely back to the United States by the winery. In addition to wines, South Island New Zealand wineries also offer great food baskets and wine baskets. These make great additions to local holiday celebrations.
If you are traveling with a golf lover then consider booking them a special South Island golf package. This can make a great holiday gift, as it will give them the opportunity to gold in New Zealand. Enhance this gift with new golf equipment bought at one of the local golf pro shops.
The final gifts that you can purchase on the South Island are touristy gifts. Scenic calendars of South Island locations, South Island T-shirts and South Island crafts all make great gifts. These gifts will not only be a reminder of your vacation, but they will also be a functional item that you can use to keep track of the days of the year, hold your coffee or wear around the house.
If you are planning on visiting New Zealand’s North Island this month then consider doing your holiday shopping in New Zealand. This country has a great selection of cultural and regional products that will make extra special gifts for the people on your shopping list. However, if you are buying a lot of New Zealand items you will be better off shipping it to the states instead of trying to carry everything on the plane with you.
While on your New Zealand vacation make sure you stop by North Island New Zealand wineries to pick up gifts. Some of the wineries and vineyards you can shop at include A Lyttle Vineyard, the Edbrooke Vineyard, the Dorlers Winery and Bujan Wines. At these vineyards you can buy bottles of New Zealand wines and other gifts that you can ship to people in the states.
Another great New Zealand gift that you can send back to the United States to the people on your shopping list is New Zealand crafts. These crafts can be cultural crafts created by members of the Maori tribes, or they can be made by local crafters. Fortunately, since December is a summer month in New Zealand there are a lot of craft fairs and festivals that you can tour to find great craft gifts to give away.
The final gift idea that you can find on the North Island is geological gifts. The North Island of New Zealand is volcanically active. Here you can find geodes, lava rocks, crystals, gems and other geology products that make great gifts for kids. You can also find geothermal spa products that will intrigue and pamper the special people on your shopping list.
