Holidays 2008
Best Places to Holiday in New Zealand for Summer 2008
Have you and your family been wondering where to vacation for the summer holidays 2008? New Zealand is one of the greatest places in the world to spend your summer – but where are the best holiday spots? If you’re based in one of the three main centres (Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch) there are almost too many options to get out of town, so NZS.com checks out the best places for holidays 2008 for big city dwellers.
The NZS.com Holidays 2008 article contains information on the best holiday vacation spots in New Zealand out of the main cities. Venture to Nelson, Queenstown, Hawke's Bay and Rotorua.
If you want to get out of your big city for your holidays 2008, there are a wide selection of holiday destinations throughout New Zealand. Which are the best this summer, and what can you expect to do in each place?
Looking for Beaches and Art?
The Nelson region, at the top of the South Island of New Zealand, is a summertime retreat for New Zealanders from all over the country - it's a true Kiwi experience! Nelson airport is central to all three of the main centres - it is less than an hour's flight from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and is privy to some great New Zealand accommodation and hotels.
Nelson is known for its laid back lifestyle, and this truly comes to light in the summer months. Holidays 2008 can be spent amongst local beaches like Tahunanui, or for a more tropical experience, the beaches of Golden Bay, starting with Kaiteriteri, just 45 minutes drive from the airport.
Art is everywhere in Nelson, so rent a car and grab a map of where the region's most famous glass blowers, painters and sculptors work and live - and drop in for a visit. Don't forget to pick up a fresh-fruit ice-cream from one of the many roadside orchards on your travels.
Addicted to Adventure at its Best?
For a quintessentially Kiwi adventure experience, head down to Queenstown, in the Otago region of New Zealand. While skiing draws tens of thousands of visitors in the colder months, Queenstown is more than alive in summer and a perfect place for holidays 2008.
Spend your days outdoors in the action: jet boating or whitewater rafting, paragliding, mountain biking or tramping. Queenstown is open to almost any adventure tourism venture you can think of; from helicopter rides to river surfing, bungy jumping to Segway racing, hunting to sky diving - all you need to do is ask!
The town really comes alive at night, becoming a buzzing hub of international quality bars (with world-famous cocktails to boot). New Year's Eve particularly is worth staying for, as you'll experience one of New Zealand's most exciting party experiences down the main streets of Queenstown.
Set amongst the glowing backdrop of Lake Wakatipu and almost 360 degrees of mountain range views, Queenstown heats up in temperature and liveliness and definitely should be on your holidays 2008 destination checklist. There are an abundance of great hotels and apartments available, and last minute accommodation deals can give you the steal of a century in Queenstown!
Historical Holiday More Your Style?
For New Zealand's greatest architectural touring, Hawke's Bay is a must for summer holidays 2008. In 1931, a catastrophic earthquake took down most of the buildings in central Napier in Hawke's Bay. The city was rebuilt entirely within two years, taking on the unique Art Deco architectural style of the era in full force. Hawke's Bay now has one of the largest concentrations of Art Deco architecture in the world, and along with Napier, the nearby Hastings has its own unique concentration of Spanish Mission and Art Deco architecture.
The Hawke's Bay region's architectural style features influences from international greats such as Frank Lloyd Wright and the Chicago School, which will delight any modernist architecture fan. Buildings that you can't holiday in Hawke's Bay without seeing are the National Tobacco Company in Ahuriri, The Daily Telegraph Building, and the residential houses of Marewa. Ever thought you'd travel within New Zealand to go to a specific fast food chain? Taradale's McDonald's McDeco is one burger joint you can't pass up this summer, it's one of only two Art Deco McDonald's in the world.
Hawke's Bay is one of the sunniest regions in New Zealand, which will see temperatures above 30 degrees many days throughout the summer months, and is also privy to a vast selection of wineries.
But If Are You After A Natural Wonderland...
For a natural NZ experience, check out the geothermal wonders of Rotorua. From the moment you venture down the streets of Rotorua, you realise there is something natural going on there unlike anywhere else in New Zealand. Steam rises from streets, gardens, cracks and pathways wherever you go, and there is a distinguishing smell of sulphur in the air...and that is because Rotorua is an active thermal area. Just a short drive from the centre of town, you can find geysers, boiling pools of mud, silica terraces, mud fumeroles and volcanoes.
While the towering volcanoes are now dormant, the geothermal fields (to both the south and the north-east of the city) are continually refilling themselves with hot water, which combined with rich earth minerals produces multi-coloured steam - a splendour like you've never seen before.
Further geothermal activity gives Rotorua is claim to fame as a spa resort town, where the whole family can relax in natural hot pools - or for a more romantic option; couples can wrap themselves in mineral mud. Accommodation and hotels are plentiful in the region, and to compliment the resort experience there is something for everyone, from large families to honeymooning couples.
For more ideas for your holidays 2008, find a New Zealand travel directory on NZS.com.
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Travel images from Flickr: Wotif, New Zealand Lake and Dolphin.
