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10 Reasons to Take a Holiday in New Zealand – Part 2
Posted under Queenstown1. Queenstown in the South Island is considered to be the
"Adventure Capital of the World". You can bungy jump or go on a
thrilling jet boat ride, go heli-skiing, sky diving,
fly-by-wire, and luging to name a few. Both bungy jumping and
jet boating were invented in New Zealand. New Zealanders have a
saying about Kiwi ingenuity which is borne out in the tourist
spots within New Zealand.
2. There is a wide array of different accommodation options to
cater for all tastes. At the upper end there are Lodges which
are the height of luxury. These lodges are ordinarily located in
very scenic and secluded areas and all gourmet meals are
included in the price. The price of this type of accommodation
reflects the luxury and inclusions.
The next level of accommodation is hotels, from international 5
star down to 2 star for basic accommodation. The hotels will
tend to be serviced on a daily basis and usually include one
room and a bathroom. Hotel rooms will include tea and coffee
making facilities, fridges and most hotels would include a
restaurant.
A favored option for families is the ever increasing numbers of
apartments. The apartments are generally self catering as
opposed to a hotel stay but the advantage is that they provide
more space and are self catering which means that you don't have
to eat out all the time thus saving you money to spend on
sightseeing.
Then we have motels. Generally speaking motels offer more space
than hotels and tend to be serviced daily but do not tend to be
as luxurious. Motels often provide a separate bedroom or two and
sometimes cooking facilities. You would need to check this out
when booking.
There are also an increasing number of Bed and Breakfast's.
These vary dramatically and can vary from 5 star establishments
to the fairly basic. If you enjoy "getting to know the locals",
the B & B option could be a good one for you. Generally
breakfast will be provided as part of the price. Dinner would be
by special arrangement only.
If you are on a budget there are plenty of backpacker hostels to
choose from which are centrally located and well priced.
3. New Zealand has a great culinary landscape. Being a small
island country surrounded by the sea, there are a multitude of
seafood delicacies on offer. The ocean surrounding New Zealand
is cold water thanks to Antarctica being relatively close. Cold
water fish tend to have a delicate flavor. As well as fish from
the sea, there are large lakes which are trout and salmon
breeding grounds. Trout can not be caught commercially so there
is no danger of supplies running out. New Zealand is also quite
big on game and most of the more up-market restaurants will have
a game option on the menu. You will find that there are dining
options to suit every taste and budget. New Zealand might be
quite removed geographically from the rest of the world but it
is quick to adopt new types and styles of food and the kiwi
ingenuity mentioned earlier in the article is demonstrated in
the food served in restaurants. There are coffee bars and cafes,
wine bars serving food, pubs with restaurants, family dining
options, buffet's as well as the more up-market al la carte
options.
There is also a thriving wine industry in New Zealand. Wherever
you go, you will see vines and many of the wines produced are
top quality. If wine is your thing, you won't be disappointed.
Marlborough located at the top of the South Island is one of the
oldest and best known wine areas, most famous for production of
Sauvignon Blanc. New Zealand is also becoming very well known
for producing excellent Pinot Noir, a notoriously difficult wine
to produce.
4. If you are a Lord of the Rings fan, you will know that the
recent series of movies was filmed in different parts of New
Zealand. New Zealanders are very proud of this and whilst
traveling around you will come across many mentions of parts of
the movies which may have been filmed in certain spots. There
are also tours catering specifically to Lord of the Rings fans.
5. New Zealand has an interesting cultural history. It is
thought that the Maoris who came from Polynesia settled in New
Zealand about 1000 years ago. New Zealand became a British
colony in 1840 after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
There are many excellent museums within the cities and towns
which offer a great overview of the relatively short and violent
history of New Zealand.
Sue Taylor
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/10-reasons-to-take-a-holiday-in-new-zealand-part-2-581.html