Archive for the 'zzz' Category
The Rees Hotel And Luxury Apartments
Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 1, 2011 at 2:06 am
The Rees Hotel is situated close to the centre of Queenstown, but far enough away that you feel like you are in nature. It has breathtaking lake and mountain views. I am surprised that anyone ever leaves this hotel, the views are so spectacular.
The Rees Hotel embodies a new concept inluxury accommodation, providing the comfort of apartment living alongside the service, convenience and quality of an elite international hotel. Unique features include a fine-dining restaurant with an award-winning chef, an extensive wine cellar, Hush Spa treatment room, a gym, ski lockers, library and an observatory.
This is truly a marvelous place to stay. Did I mention the views?…
John Key Speaks at TRENZ 2011
Posted by Paul Holman on May 31, 2011 at 5:57 am
John Key, Prime Minister and Tourism Minister of New Zealand, spoke at TRENZ 2011. Here is his speech to media and the Q&A that followed. (Please excuse the quality of the hand-held Flip camera video.)
Untitled from AHA Creative on Vimeo.
NZONE Skydive
Posted by Ruth Atherley on May 31, 2011 at 5:50 am
It takes a certain kind of person to jump from an aircraft at 15,000 feet 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 towards the ground at 200 km per hour. I recently had a little heart-to-heart with myself and you know what? I decided that I have to do this. And I almost did… I had it all set up to do on Tuesday, but unfortunately, Mother Nature didn’t co-operate. The winds were too strong to go up – and I have to admit to being a little disappointed and a little bit relieved. And very impressed with NZone’s focus on safety.
Over the past 12 months NZONE Skydive has been rated as either the 1st or 2nd best “thing to do” in the entire South Pacific by Trip Advisor.
NZONE Skydive has recently reached its 20-year milestone as New Zealand’s First Commercial Tandem Skydive Operation. They offer New Zealand’s most comprehensive freefall photography and DVD packs.
Queenstown skydive dropzone is located 20 minutes from central Queenstown in a rural tranquil environment. Access to the dropzone is by courtesy coach, departing hourly (weather permitting) from their booking centre in town.
Rotorua is a renowned geothermal area of New Zealand. The NZONE dropzone is conveniently located at Rotorua Airport. They will arrange courtesy transport from your accommodation in Rotorua at the time you make your reservation.
At TRENZ2011, NZONE launched a bigger aircraft – capable of carrying more passengers. NZONE can now take more thrill-seekers to the skies above Queenstown, improving the experience for customers.
The award-winning tandem skydive operator has recently introduced a Cessna Grand Caravan, known as a “Supervan 900” to its Queenstown-based operation. The plane can carry up to nine tandem jumpers, allowing NZONE to keep groups together during their once-in-a-lifetime experience. It is the quietest and most efficient aircraft available for commercial skydiving.
Shantytown Heritage Park
Posted by Ruth Atherley on May 31, 2011 at 5:42 am
Everywhere I travel, if the opportunity is there, I jump at the chance to step back in time and get a sense of how things used to be. And in New Zealand, Shantytown Heritage Park allows you to do just that.
West Coast isolation, extreme weather and rugged terrain produced stories of fortitude and ingenuity. Shantytown tells these pioneering stories through a fascinating mix of experience and displays. Discover intriguing tales of real New Zealanders and experience a recreated gold-rush village just 10 km from Greymouth.
Ride the Steam Train through a native rainforest, experience the sights and sounds of a working sawmill, watch the sluice gun blast gold-bearing rock and soil from the earth. Then follow the races to the gold claim, where you can pan for it yourself!
At TRENZ 2011, Shantytown Heritage Park showcased its latest addition – the Holographic Theatre. This $300,000 project sets the direction for future developments at the park. The redevelopment philosophy is to provide 21st century visitors with experiences that they have come to expect – informative, based on local stories and with that special wow-factor that creates a must-see product.
The shows are 10 minutes in length and use the latest in 21st century holographic technology to provide full-length, high-definition figures to tell fantastic stories of the hardship, extreme weather, deprivation and isolation that make the character of the West Coast truly unique. The theatre is themed on Victorian/Edwardian theatres, with lush opulence, colonnades, generous curtaining and original (restored to be comfortable) seating.
The village – 40 years young and still going – with 30 shops and buildings to explore, shows life the way it used to be. Catch the show in their new holographic theatre. For a memento of Shantytown, nothing is better than an old-time photo.
Stay and Play Rotorua
Posted by Ruth Atherley on May 31, 2011 at 5:34 am
Whether you’re travelling to Rotorua independently or by coach, there are dozens of options for your accommodation and sightseeing needs. Most activities and attractions are within a 20-minute radius of the city, and local transport operators provide affordable options for getting around. Within Rotorua you can raft a 7-metre waterfall, see Kiwi birds, experience Maori culture, cruise the lakes in luxury or enjoy the thrills of jetboating. You can bathe in geothermal waters, ride horses through the rural countryside, enjoy fine dining, or take in the sights from aboard an amphibious DUCK. Be sure to allow plenty of time for your visit – don’t be discouraged by stories of the “smell.” That’s an experience in itself and I can tell you, there are lots of places in Rotorua where you don’t smell it at all.
At TRENZ 2011, representatives for 20 local attractions, accommodations, activities, transport operators and dining options gave updates on all of their new product developments – everything from accommodation refurbishments to multi-million dollar investments in local attractions, and new and improved transport options.
Suiting group tours, incentives, or individual travellers, the represented products cover high-end luxury options, through to budget-focused choices. They can assist with itinerary planning and logistics of timing with their up-to-date, first-hand knowledge of the products and their region. Coordinating familiarizations for industry and media is something they do on a regular basis and they would welcome TRENZ delegates to take advantage of this service.
The website was launched last year and they can now offer free listings for tour wholesalers whose New Zealand packages include their member products.
The Rotorua region is a great place to visit, with something for everyone – nature lovers, adrenalin junkies, people interested in different cultures, families, couples, single travellers, backpackers, travellers with a healthy budget… Everyone who visits the Rotorua region will leave with a wealth of new experiences and happy memories. In fact, there’s so much to see and do there, you can easily spend a very busy week and still not see everything. And Rotorua is continuously improving and expanding. For repeat visitors, there’ll be some familiar favourites, as well as new and exciting places to visit.
I might as well just move to New Zealand… there is so much here I want to do!
