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Tag: New Zealand travel

  • Animals Great and Small at Auckland Zoo, New Zealand

    International favorites and local oddities are all on show at Auckland Zoo. This family tourist attraction is adjacent to Western Springs Reserve, a stone’s throw from Auckland’s central business district.

    New Zealand's national bird, the kiwi
    New Zealand’s national bird, the kiwi

    The Pridelands, home to a pride of five lions, giraffes, and zebras, and the rare Sumatran tigers of Tiger Territory always draw a crowd. The zoo is also home to Burma, New Zealand’s only Asian elephant and an underwater viewing area for California sea lions and New Zealand fur seals. More New Zealand natives are found in the nocturnal house, including kiwis, tuatara lizards, and the Southern Boobook owl or morepork as it is commonly known. New Zealand’s Australian neighbors also have a place in the Aussie Walkabout, where visitors can walk through an enclosure with emus, wallabies, and kangaroos.


    Little ones can enjoy an animal encounter in the Kidzone, which features pigs, rabbits, goats, sheep, chickens, and many other farmyard friends.

    Auckland Zoo is active in conservation efforts in New Zealand and abroad. The zoo is particularly committed to captive breeding programs for the native kiwi and tuatara. The zoo is also active in educating school children about the environment and its animal kingdom. These efforts look to make the next generation more aware of the world around them.

    Auckland Zoo opens at 9:30 am every day but Christmas Day. Adult passes cost $19 while children, seniors, and students enjoy discount rates. Further discounts are available for families and social groups. Parking is available on site for drivers, who will find the zoo well signposted. The Explorer bus also travels from Auckland Museum every hour between 10:30 am and 3:30 pm each day.

  • i-SITE Tourist Centers Give Visitors Free New Zealand Travel Advice

    Visitors to New Zealand need only remember one name when seeking travel advice: i-SITE.

    i-SITE is New Zealand’s official network of tourist information centers.

    More than 80 i-SITEs scattered around the North and South Islands are dedicated to providing advice about local attractions, accommodation options, and transport. Best of all, the service is completely free to use. Unlike many tourist centers in other countries, the staff at i-SITE centers go the extra mile, booking tours, trips, and travel for their guests and sharing a few local secrets. In fact, the centers must achieve a certain level of staff training, services, and other standards before being selected as a prestigious i-SITE. i-SITES have everything you need to plan your trip, including brochures and maps to browse in store, and maps and guide books to take on your journey. You can also purchase gifts and souvenirs, and stamps and postcards for your friends back home. Most i-SITES also have internet facilities, and many have cafes so you can relax with a coffee while e-mailing loved ones about your adventures. You can make i-SITE your first New Zealand stop, with centers located at both Auckland and Christchurch airports. While there, visitors can pick up a map showing all New Zealand's i-SITE locations. Or if you're super organized, you can print the map from the i-SITE website before you leave.

  • The Lord of the Rings Fans’ Guide to Touring New Zealand

    Since the release of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, fantasy film fans have become enamored with Australia’s nearest neighbor, New Zealand.


    Movie buffs have their work cut out for them if they hope to see all the trilogy’s locations, with spots on both North and South Islands used in the three films. The best strategy is to choose your favorites, then plan your trip around them.

    Tangariro National Park will be high on most cinema lovers’ lists, as this is where the spectacular Battle of Mordor took place. With a few special effects, its peak Mount Ngauruhoe was transformed into Mount Doom. The summit is New Zealand’s most active volcano, but don’t let that scare you. The mountain hasn’t blown its top since 1977.

    If the Battle of Amon Hen was your favorite, be sure to seek out tour operator Peter Davies. He’s the only guide authorized to visit The Garden of Eden, the beech forest where this famous fight was staged.

    You can travel down the same river that Frodo did with Dart River Safaris. Their jet-boat has a little more oomph than Frodo’s canoe, but it’s a great way to see the familiar sites extending to Glenorchy.

    And that’s just for starters. If you want the works check out Lord of the Rings Tours, a company which promises “the ultimate Lord of the Rings experience.”