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Exploring the Natural Wonders of NZ’s South Island

New Zealand’s South Island is undoubtedly one of the Earth’s gems when it comes to natural beauty. Being rich in flora and fauna alike and home to some of the most remarkable scenery spots in the world, narrowing the list and pinpointing only a several places worth visiting is an extremely hard task. With a lot of consideration and with absolute uniqueness as the primary criteria for securing a place on this list, here are the places that should not be missed while exploring the natural wonders of the South Island. Of course the list could be different tomorrow!

Kahurangi National Park

Karamea, a small town located at the peak of the South Island’s west coast, is a perfect example of a tucked away place that offers the original spirit and the atmosphere of the area. The town itself is a great place for both relaxation and numerous exploration possibilities of the surrounding area. The two places that absolutely must not be missed are the Oparara Basin and the Heaphy Track. The former hosts some of the most marvelous looking rock arches, the Oparara Arch being the most impressive one with the length of 200metres, which makes it the largest natural rock arch in the southern hemisphere, while the latter is in our opinion New Zealand’s greatest walking track that will keep you occupied for days.

Milford Sound

Milford Sound was rightfully deemed as the world’s eighth wonder by the famous Rudyard Kipling. The beauty of the nature leaves everyone who has ever visited it breathless. Carved by glaciers, the dark fiord waters are filled by numerous waterfalls cascading from the surrounding mountains and ancient rainforest, some of which have never been touched by humans. This natural gem can be explored on foot, biking, cruising or taking scenic flights. Any of those will provide a lifelong memory of this beautiful place.

Penguins of Oamaru

You do not have to go all the way to Antarctica to observe the penguins in their natural environment. Oamaru hosts two species of penguins, the yellow eyed penguin and the world smallest little blue penguin. The time of the year when they can be seen onshore is between May and June, when they are preparing nests. They are rather noisy at the time and you will not have any problem locating them. Do not be surprised if you bump against them far away from the water, they make nests as far as 300 metres from the sea. Be careful while driving since they tend to cross the roads often.

Whale watching at Kaikoura

Kaikoura is situated less than three hours north of Christchurch. The unique underwater geography makes a great environment for vivid marine life rich in nutrients and in quantities that meet the regular requirements of the giant sperm whales. This makes the waters surrounding the town of Kaikoura a perfect place for whale watching. Other beautiful animals are present as well, such as dusky dolphins, seals and a great number of birds, including the albatross. The lucky ones may even spot different types of whales, too.

Mount Cook

Also known as Mount Cook, Aoraki is the highest mountain in the Southern Alps and another wonder of nature the South Island abounds in. With the height of nearly 4000 meters, Aoraki stand proud and welcomes the visitors all year long. Although its beauty can be seen from scenic flights, the real experience is visiting the mountain in person. Mount Cook village is a perfect place to settle and venture into exploring the surroundings, featuring New Zealand’s longest glacier and numerous iceberg lakes.

The diversity of the South Island relief, flora and fauna and climate areas guarantees one of a kind experience and presents an exploration opportunity for all kinds of visitors, from adventurous types to those who prefer organized tours and guided sightseeing. One thing is for sure, it will take time just to scratch the rich nature surface of this beautiful place, let alone encompass all of it. With this in mind, how about getting a free car and taking your time to fully enjoy the natural wonders South Island has to offer?

Article by Lillian Connors.

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North Queensland: A Kayaking Paradise

Australia definitely has a soft spot when it comes to water sports. From Perth to Brisbane, from Darwin to Adelaide, the entire coast of Australia provides hundreds of stunning places for kayakers, surfers, divers and other water enthusiasts. However, there are slight differences that make some places more suitable for certain activities than others. North Queensland is a place that can freely called a kayaker’s paradise, with many splendid sites dedicated to this exciting water activity. Although non-kayaking water activities are also available.

Snapper Island

Situated some 90km north of Cairns and reachable from Wonga Beach, Snapper Island is a breath-taking kayaking venue. It is about 2km far away from the coast. You can get there from the mainland in two ways: by kayak or by boat. Once there, you can rent a (glass-bottom) kayak and enjoy the amazing coral strings at the bottom of the sea as well as a wide array of Queensland fish once you start cruising around the island. Also, consider fishing on days when you are taking rest from kayaking. Find out more about fishing in this part of Australia here.

In addition, when on Snapper Island, it would be a shame not to stay a few days at the West Point campsite and feel the friendly Snapper Island ambience.

Dunk Island

About 250km south of Snapper Island, kayakers can spend some great leisure time on Dunk Island. This paradise situated about 4.5km off the Queensland mainland, about three-quarters of this island enjoys the same level of protection as national parks. When you get aboard your kayak, you can take easy rides round the island and enjoy the wonderful view of crystal sea depths and some rare animals, such as dugongs or local turtles. In addition, you should set free your adventurous spirit and explore the beautiful bays with azure water and lovely sandy beaches.

As for non-kayaking activities, the 5.5km ascent of Mount Kootaloo is a true challenge for every nature enthusiast, which makes visiting Dunk Island a great mixture of kayaking and mild trekking.

Goold Island

Some 25km southward from Dunk Island you will come across Goold Island. Although it would be a real adventure, it is not recommendable to kayak the distance between those two islands. It would be smarter to start your kayak trip to Goold Island from Cardwell instead. The distance here is 17km, which is a great paddle training session for every well-trained kayaker. When kayaking around this island, you can find shelter in its secluded beaches, enclosed by unusually high sea cliffs.

Another thing that makes this island more interesting is its mixture of climates; a borderline case of continental and rainforest climate. If you like this island so much that you would like to stay there for a few days, you should try camping in Goold Island National Park.

Hinchinbrook Island

The southmost isle in this string of best kayaking places off the Queensland coast, Hinchinbrook Island is a huge island that offers a wide array of different activities. Of course, you should first try all the kayaking features this island has to offer. For instance, you can start your adventure in Cardwell, paddling to Macushla Camp, all the way across Missionary Bay and Hinchinbrook Channel. If you still haven’t had enough of kayaking, you can proceed to Cape Richards and Nina Bay. Finally, you can finish your kayaking trip in Lucinda – a town on the Queensland mainland.

Spending your holiday kayaking around Queensland islands is a unique opportunity to see an immense number of breath-taking coves, bays, forests and mountains. What’s best, you can now rent a free car and embark on an effective recovery session for your stressed body and soul, which will show you why this part of Australia is among the most attractive areas Down Under.

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Touring NZ’s finest filming locations

Known for its untamed nature and marvellous landscapes, New Zealand has become one of the world’s most popular destinations for film-making. The scenery is just perfect for a movie, which is why many blockbusters have started their journey right here, in the heart of Aotearoa. Listed below are some of the most popular movies filmed in our stunning country, that you can go visit among one of our free rental car or campervan!

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

No other place in the world could portrait Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth as did New Zealand. The entire trilogy was shot solely here, as it had everything the movie director needed to create this breathtaking blockbuster. It all began in the dairy farming landscape around the Waikato town of Matamata, which has now been transformed into a peaceful and adorable touristic destination known as the Shire, or Hobbiton. Once the necessary movie shooting was performed at this location, the place remained pretty much untouched and is today visited by people and fans from all over the world.

Wellington and the South Island were used to portray the gardens of Isengard, Anduin River, Rivendell and Osgiliath Wood. Grassy area surrounded by naked forest served its purpose, and we saw many epic fights in this scenery, including the one where Boromir died and the two Hobbits were captured. Some other known locations are the Southern Lakes, Fiordland and Mackenzie country.

The Hobbit Trilogy

Following the LOTR trilogy, kiwi director Peter Jackson continued his ascension by filming the prequels known as the Hobbit trilogy. Once again, all three movies were filmed solely within New Zealand. This time, the filming locations started from Hobbiton and were followed by Mangaotaki Rocks and Piopio, where Bilbo Bagins acquired the Sting and defeated the ogres.

The Hidden Bay and the entrance to the Lonely Mountain were filmed in Turoa, Mt Ruapehu, as well as the Tongariro Crossing. Twizel’s alpine charm was captured in both Hobbit and LOTR, and we saw the warg chase scenes and Aragorn falling into the river canyon. Some other memorable destinations were Nelson, Wanaka and Queenstown, as well as the Pelorus River which the dwarves used to travel down inside barrels.

The Last Samurai

The first challenge which the movie crew had was to discover a place which will resemble Japanese culture and attributes. They found exactly that in Uruti Valley, which was modeled to mimic Japanese rural life back in the 1860s. No one watching the movie realized that it was not actually mount Fujiyama where the movie was filmed. Pukekura Park and its natural bliss were used to portrait the Imperial army gardens and the area around the Palace.

Lake Mangamahoe was the place where the horse battles took place. The crater below Mount Taranaki has many plains surrounded by high trees, where the movie producer Edward Zwick placed the ending battle, which took the lives of all remaining samurai, except for the one of our protagonist, Tom Cruise. Other places worth mentioning are Port Taranaki, which was transformed into Japanese fishing village, and the Sugar Loaf Islands and Paritutu, which are inhabited by eight different Maori tribes.

The Chronicles of Narnia

Yet another trilogy was completely filmed on the plains and landscapes of New Zealand, the chronicles of Narnia, directed by another kiwi director, Andrew Adamson. The filming started at the Coromandel Peninsula, just east of Auckland, with the kids taking their first steps back into Narnia. The Ruins of Cair Paravel were filmed on the eastern shore of the Peninsula, at Cathedral Cove. Woodhill Forest, located north-west from Auckland, was transformed into the dark camp of the White Witch of Narnia. This forest is known for its many mountain bike trails and usually you can find a few daring adventurers passing by.

In the walking distance from Woodhill Forest you can see Muriwai Beach, known for its black sand and gannet colony and widely popular among surfers. The Great Battle took place in the Flock Hill, located on the Southern part of the South Island. Elephant Rocks that sprout from the rocky hills were used as Aslan’s Camp. This entire area was under the sea millions of years ago, which is why the area is rich in fossils and limestone outcrops. Waitaki Valley is an excellent place to start your exploration journey, and if you are looking to see the heart of New Zealand’s forming history, this is the place to go.

There are many other movies filmed in New Zealand, such as Avatar, King Kong, The World’s fastest Indian and 30 Days of Night. The whole country is spectacular, and it holds some of the nature’s greatest treasures, untamed greenery and dreamy landscapes. When I heard from a friend that I could rent a free car, I almost momentarily decided to set on a moviegoer road trip!

Article by Lillian Connors, Photos sourced ‘labeled for reuse’.

Get Ready for the Whale Watching Season Down Under

As the largest sea creatures, whales awake people’s curiosity wherever they show up. If the area in which they can be observed is also a tourist destination, whale-spotting becomes an important attraction, and Australia is among the top destinations where people can witness the migrations of these stunning mammals, usually from May to October, due to colder conditions off the Australian south coast in that period. Here are the best spots, along with a few extra tips, to help you have the ultimate whale watching experience Down Under.

From Perth to Broome

Although Western Australia is less popular than its fellow states in the east and the southeast, you can still find some extraordinary spots along its coast. The best area to observe whales in this part of Australia is definitely Exmouth Gulf in the north of Western Australia, as well as different spots along Ningaloo Coast and Kimberley Coast.

If you want to see humpback whales in dozens of herds, you should visit Exmouth Gulf between August and October. As the deep ocean area here gets pretty close to the coast, whales can be observed from a reasonable distance, and if you are lucky to go for a whale tour during the high season, whales might come close to your boat and pose for some amazing selfies, too.

Albany is also worth recommending, in the far south of Western Australia. The highest probability is that you will see good old humpbacks there in the period between June and November, as they like the shelter provided by the local bays. As for the area surrounding Cape Leveque, the northernmost tip of the Dampier Peninsula, the best time for whale watching is in August and September.

East Coast whale strip

When the near-Antarctic waters become too cold, whales start moving northwards along the Australian East Coast. The end goal of their migrations along this route is the Great Barrier Reef. Here they stay throughout their mating season.

The most crowded area whale-wise in the east is the Gold Coast, especially the region between the Whitsunday Islands and Eden (home of the Killer Whale Museum). Tourists who want to observe the incredible migrations of these sea giants should also know that they can do it twice; the first time when they are moving northwards and the second time when they are moving back to the south, at the end of the season.

The thing with whales is that they are not too eager to move unless they do not have to. Therefore, you have to ‘chase’ them to take a closer look. You will probably manage to get the most of your whale trip if you visit Point Danger, North Stradbroke Island or Byron Bay as your destination for this whale-watching quest.

Expert tips

When it comes to whale-watching trips, people should set their priorities before they opt for one of the numerous options. If you only want to be able to see the migrating whales from a safe distance, going on a comfortable yacht excursion should be enough for your taste. Such offers can be found along both coasts.

However, daredevils will not be satisfied with such average tourist offers. So, if you would like to get closer to the whales to get the big picture (literally), finding a less crowded excursion on a smaller boat would be a more reasonable. Also, those who want to get a better insight in whales’ behavior and habits can use a time lapse Brinno camera and make some outstandingly realistic photo stories.

Watching whales off the coast of Australia can be compared to observing condors in the Andes or elephants in Kenya. It is one of those unique miracles that this planet can offer. So, if you are a nature lover, you should definitely rent a free transfer car and check out Down Under between May and October to feast your eyes on the emperors of the mammal world.

US Green Travel: Hot Spots

As the environment is becoming more vindictive than ever before, the main task of each and every one of us is to do their best and try to sooth nature by opting for green travel destinations. The USA offers hundreds of households, parks and other facilities that identify themselves as eco-friendly destinations. The main features of this type of tourism are low carbon footprint, minimal energy consumption and accommodation facilities that are in accordance with eco-friendly regulations.

Bay Area

One of the hippest cities in the States, San Francisco also represents a truly ecological place that provides numerous green facilities and activities. First of all, you only need to use a free car to get to Frisco, but once you are there, you should consider other means of transport. Since this city has beautiful vintage trams, you can get anywhere you want using them, and you’ll have a better chance to look around the city, too.

You can rent a bike and go round the entire San Francisco Bay area and you can plan your cycling route here. When it comes to accommodation, opt one of the LEED-approved places, such as the Orchard Garden Hotel, in the city center.

Yosemite

When you are already in California, it would be a shame to miss the natural beauties of the Yosemite National Park. Since it is visited by about 4 million tourists every year, it is craving for new eco-friendly regulations. In accordance with such desires, the park authorities have decided to reduce the traffic-induced damage to environment. Because of that, now you can move around the park with super-efficient hybrid buses.

Of course, the major part of your stay here should be spent on hiking, camping, fishing, horse riding and other exciting Yosemite activities. As for the green accommodation, the Ahwahnee Resort Hotel will suit all the needs that an eco-aware tourist might have.

Alaska

It is hard to imagine a better place for a relaxing, eco-friendly vacation than Alaska. If there is a heaven on Earth, it is placed in this US state. Among many other destinations that give their visitors a chance to spend some time living in accord with nature, Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge definitely stands out as a rustic yet modern place to stay. It consists of handmade wood cabins that can only be approached by water taxis.

Visitors who come here can eat vegetables grown in the organic garden, and from this spot you can take long hiking quests and witness some breath-taking views of the Alaskan landscape. Since you are going to spend time in the genuine wilderness, bringing one of those increasingly popular pacsafe bags with you might be a good idea.

New England

As one of the most picturesque parts of the US, New England also displays well-developed ecological features. If you want to see this part of the States at its best, visit New England in fall and enjoy some truly stunning scenery.

When it comes to green regulations, Massachusetts leads the way in this part of the country. Once you arrive there, you should definitely stay at the Berkshire East resort. Aside from offering amusing activities during all seasons, such as skiing and snowboarding in winter and zip line tours in summer, the entire resort gets electricity from the best solar panels available and wind turbines.

Florida Keys

To round off this American green tour with a destination in the south, it is logical to mention Florida and its Keys. It is not only the Beach Boys that once found their calm and peace in this area, but also a large number of tourists that visit this area annually. Here you will not only witness green coves and woods, as well as green facilities, but the sea is also emerald green in this region.

The most reasonable option for green travelers when visiting Florida is Key West, as a pedestrian-friendly town that also encourages cycling, too. Moreover, tourists can also use other eco-friendly transportation services, such as shuttle buses, electric cars and ferries. And if you want to experience something unique, go and visit the Dry Tortugas National Park (regular tours are organized from Key West).

Wherever you go in America, there are some green locations that can accommodate you in accordance with high ecological standards. If you decide to become a green tourist, you will contribute to the preservation of the environment while experiencing nature as it once was.

Article by Lillian Connors, photos creative commons.

Wollongong for the Absolute Beginners

New South Wales imposes itself as one of the most beautiful areas in the Southern Hemisphere. While this Australian state is well-known for Sydney and its famous sights, it can offer much more attractions to curious tourists. One of the most interesting destinations in NSW is definitely the town of Wollongong. Situated about 50 miles south of Sydney, this place is a real heaven on the Australian East Coast.

Coastal walks with scenic sights

Almost a part of the Sydney metropolitan area, Royal National Park is a great place to visit when you are driving from Sydney to Wollongong. Allegedly the oldest national park in the world, this place contains an incredible string of breath-taking beaches, amazing white cliffs, incredible walking paths and scenic views of the ocean.

A visit to Royal National Park should be pre-planned, so that you manage to book all the tickets and the guided tours you would like to take.

Jamberoo

The largest of its kind in New South Wales, Jamberoo Action Park is a perfect destination for a pleasant family trip. Visitors can go on more than a dozen of spectacular, adrenaline-pumping rides, or show their skills at a landscape golf course.

The high season here is from February to April and during some public holidays, so it would be smart to buy tickets online if you decide to visit it during this period.

Symbio

No matter if you are an urban guy living in Sydney or a tourist traveling around Australia, Symbio Wildlife Park will sweep you off your feet. Here you can have a close encounter with some authentic animals, such as red pandas and cotton-top tamarin monkeys, as well as Sumatran tigers.

In addition to this, the park offers different interactive learning experiences and even serves as a party venue, and you should not miss it when coming to Wollongong.

Car trip that soothes the soul

When you hit the Grand Pacific Drive, you will see why this part of Australia is so famous for its natural beauties. If you are coming from Sydney, first you will spot the amazing scenes of Royal National Park on your left. You will be driving through lush rainforests and picturesque villages before you see the spectacular construction of Sea Cliff Bridge.

Also, when getting back from Wollongong to Sydney, it would be wise to visit one of the local bottle shops to grab some specials from this region as a souvenir. Besides, if someone can drive you back to Sydney, you can also enjoy the spectacular view of this area while having a drink.

Craft beer treat

Also, you can try local beers if you spend the night in Wollongong and then drive back to Sydney. So, if you are not driving anywhere on the day of your visit and want to taste a quality craft beer, go and visit the Illawarra Brewery on the Wollongong beach. When paired with a clear view of the ocean and the fresh ocean breeze, Illawarra craft brews will show you Wollongong the way the local people see it.

Gourmet Heaven

As one of Australia’s most culturally diverse places, with over eighty different ethnic groups calling it home, Wollongong wows the palates of dinners as its highly esteemed food culture keeps on evolving, spoiling locals and visitors alike. People who take their food seriously will definitely satisfy their hunger in one of these eating establishments.

When you see Wollongong and its surroundings, you will realize that the traditional attractions tourists are usually offered Down Under have serious rivals in other parts of Australia. Only the drive from Sydney to Wollongong and farther, along the Grand Pacific Drive is spectacular enough, let alone all the other places along the way. Therefore, if you are planning to visit Sydney, rent a free car and come to Wollongong for a couple of days. Explore its brews, beaches and wildlife and enrich your Australian experience.