A South Island beach has been ranked number four in a list of the world’s best “hidden” beaches. The list, compiled by The Sun Bingo, was created by comparing top-listed beaches from travel publications with social media posts. Those with high reviews on social media, but low coverage in other publications, were deemed to be […]

Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) has launched its first global campaign in two years, which aims to appeal to curious travellers. The “If you seek” campaign includes short films of destinations and activities from well-known locations across the country to those less recognisable. Tourism New Zealand chief executive René de Monchy said that there was an […]

July was the wettest month on record for Blenheim, with more than 200 millimetres of rain. The heavy rain caused traffic delays across the region and forced the closure of several roads, including State Highway 1, due to flooding. Waka Kotahi Top of the South systems manager Andrew James said that the damaged roads would […]

Auckland’s iconic landmark the Sky Tower is celebrating its 25th birthday on August 3. The Tower has gone from controversial beginnings – many objecting to a tower of its size dominating the Auckland skyline – to become a much-loved symbol and feature of the City. More than 10 million people have visited the Tower since […]

A washout has closed State Highway 35 between Ōpōtiki and Te Kaha in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Work is underway to build a protective groyne of rock in the river upstream of the washout. Ōpōtiki District councillor Louis Rapiana said that the closure would affect a large number of people who travel from the […]

The Hastings i-SITE (official visitor information centre) is now open for business in newly renovated premises. The facility has moved to the redeveloped Municipal Building in the Toitoi – Hawke’s Bay Arts and Events Centre. The redevelopment of the historical Municipal Building was the final stage in a $40m seven-year project that also included the […]

From July 13, an increased speed limit of 110 km/h will be applied to a 78-km stretch of the Waikato expressway, from Hampton Downs to south of Cambridge. According to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, the higher speed limit will result in a time saving of 35 minutes when travelling between the bottom of the […]

Air New Zealand expects to reach 75% of its pre-pandemic international capacity and 100% of its pre-pandemic domestic capacity by the end of this year, as the demand for air travel returns. “At this stage, there’s some pent-up demand that we’ve seen. People wanting to not just visit friends and relatives, but increasingly business people […]

After a 330-day period of no operations, direct flights from Australia to Queenstown resumed today. The Qantas flight from Sydney marks the welcome return of Australian visitors to the popular South Island tourist destination. Other carriers plan to resume their trans-Tasman operations to Queenstown in the near future, with JetStar due back next week and […]

After more than two years, New Zealand will reopen its borders to Australians starting April 12 and international tourists from visa-waiver countries from May 1. The move is part of efforts to accelerate economic recovery, according to a statement from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Arrivals from Australia will be able to enter without having to […]