Being an adult sux sometimes. Who wouldn’t rather go back to the days of 5 cent lollies and slumber parties? Replace the mortgage with mudcakes, bills with thrills and pretend to be a kid again on one of our child-at-heart hotels and youthful escapades. Read more »

Stop right there! Summer may have been and gone, but that’s no reason to hang up the Speedos and retreat to the safety of terra firma.  In a couple of months winter will rear its icy head, so now’s the time to dip your toe in for one final aqualicious autumn holiday before it’s too late. 

Your heart will be pumping as fast as the rapids when you white water raft through the unforgettable 170 metre Oxenbridge Tunnel on Queenstown’s Triple Challenge half day tour. The tour also includes a hold-onto-your-hairpiece jet boat ride on the Shotover river and a helicopter flight over Skippers Canyon. A well earned steaming hot shower and sauna awaits you back at Cavell’s Rafting Lodge. With your adrenaline burnt for the day, soak up some water views at the Novotel Gardens Hotel near Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown and enjoy the change of pace by a cosy fire.

Land lovers and sea sailors alike will adore the Auckland Great Day Out, with a smorgasbord of sightseeing from summit to sea. Starting at Mt Eden, you’ll see a 62,000 year old volcano underneath the city’s oldest park. Continue on to other Auckland sites before beginning your ocean odyssey at Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World to gawk at sharks, stingrays and moray eels. Jump onboard the Pride of Auckland yacht, and breathe in the fresh ocean air of Waitemata Harbour while munching on homemade muffins. After finishing on a high at the Sky Tower, stay at The Quadrant Auckland Hotel and splash about in a spa, or perhaps order an in-room custom food pack.

Have a whale of a time and dally with dolphins on a Kaikoura Whale Watch Tour. Starting out from Christchurch, you’ll ride the Tranz Coastal train to the world renowned marine site of Kaikoura. Here, you’ll board a boat to go sperm whale spotting and gaze at the majestic Royal Albatross. Lunch is provided before visiting a seal colony and returning to Christchurch to sample some other liquid pleasures – a North Canterbury vineyard wine tasting. Let the sea breeze tickle your seafood tastebuds at the Beachlife Apartments, 100 metres from the Pacific Ocean and an ideal base for fishing, crab catching and surfing.

“Arrr me hearties”, you’ll be but a blur to any passing boats in the Bay of Islands dangling ‘On the Edge’, New Zealand’s fastest sailing catamaran. On the full day tour you can join the crew sailing, or just sit back and soak up the scenery. Drop anchor at one of the eye-catching islands and feast upon a traditional kiwi BBQ, then head ashore for a bounty of snorkeling, swimming and nature walks. With your lungs full of life, breathe easy at the peaceful bush setting of the waterfront Hotel Paihia.

Like to do more with your holiday break than lounging around at home in your pyjamas, but don’t want an exhausting sight-seeing experience, bouncing from photo-opportunity A to souvenier shop Z and everything in between? Nothing wrong with that. In fact, we love those lazy kind of holidays. 

Sure it’s great to explore a new destination, but sometimes it’s nice to spend time loitering around your hotel.  Forget the sights – buy a postcard -and check out these holidays in your hotel – NZ style.

The Westin Auckland Lighter Quay hotel is a great place to give your body, mind and soul a break. Check in and kick back, go for a jog using a mapped track around Auckland harbour, or use the Westin Workout gym and pool. Have lunch outside at Toast Cafe, then spend the afternoon at their Senses Spa and Wellness Centre for a wide range of spa and beauty treatments. Relaxed and refreshed, enjoy an elegant dinner at Q restaurant followed by a Westin Heavenly Bed experience. Now do you see what we’re talking about?

You can stay in a cottage at Kauri Cliffs Lodge with his and hers walk-in wardrobes, private veranda backing onto native NZ forest and views over the golf course to the Pacific Ocean. Enjoy the entertainment of the main building’s games room, dining room fireplace, spa and heated pool. And when you need a stretch you’ll find walking tracks, three private beaches, tennis courts, and kayaking to work up an appetite for the a la carte dining at the Lodge.

You’ll need an explosion of energy just like the nearby volcano of Mt Ruapehu to get through all the activities and facilities at the Bayview Château Tongariro. Everything from petanque/boules, snooker and tennis to golf on the highest course in NZ with spectacular Mt Ruapehu as a backdrop. Relax with a visit to the bar and restaurant, and finish the evening with a flick at the hotel’s on-site cinema, which shows three recent release movies each night.

A hotel that’s huggable? Well, the complimentary bear provided by The George Hotel in Christchurch is there to welcome you. Within its walls, this hotel is full of entertainment and the one-to-one ratio of staff to guests ensures attentive service. Use the gym or mountain bikes for a ride in nearby Hagley Park, then come back for a cocktail, followed by a special dinner at the award-winning Pescatore restaurant. Head back to your room and curl up with your favourite bear or bearette.

Beep! Whir! Wail! Brrrrrnnnng! are the noises that assault on our senses in our fast-paced world of technology – anyway, you know what we mean. Imagine if you could go back in time to peaceful horseback riding, tram travel and farming? Take in the fresh air and appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of your surrounds with these NZ old time getaways and traditional hotels.

Trundle your way down history with a tram tour and dinner aboard the Christchurch Tramway Restaurant, which rolls past such sights as the Botanical Gardens and Cathedral Square. The exquisite olden times experience is enhanced by a cathedral dinner package, which includes a five-course meal with quality New Zealand wines. Sleep soundly at the Argyle on the Park overlooking Hagley Park — beautiful in any season and complete with an 18-hole golf course upon which to potter with your putter.

The beauty and tranquility of the olde days in Middle Earth come to life on a guided full day tour of the Lord of the Rings locations near Wellington. See over nine locations from the movies, such as Hobbiton woods and Helm’s Deep, and enjoy a picnic lunch at Rivendell (wearing the elf ears if you like). Retreat back to a more salubrious Hobbit’s den at the James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor, boasting views of the harbour and nearby Botanic Gardens.

Before computers and machinery took over industry (and our lives), farming was where it all happened. You can check out some shearing, sheepdogs and spinning wool on a Walter Peak High Country Farm Tour near Queenstown. The tour begins with a cruise on the vintage steamship, TSS Earnslaw, including complimentary tea and coffee and a pianist who entertains with sing-along tunes. After your day of fresh air and old time ways, continue the unique experience at The Spire, a sophisticated boutique hotel with 10 individually styled rooms.

Urban cowboys and cowgirls will love the  Mackenzie Alpine Horse Trekking tour near Mt Cook, including a custom fit saddle and riding safety tuition before heading off on a scenic adventure. On an overnight ride, you’ll see the amazing colours of Lake Tekapo, sleep under the stars and watch the sunrise strike Aoraki Mt Cook in the early morning. Rest those galloping glutes at the Grosvenor Hotel. Known as the Grand Old Lady of the South, the Grosvenor comfortably blends yesteryear and today, with its centuries-old styling and modern amenities.

James Bond on assignment in New Zealand? Sounds about as likely as the Aussies winning back the Bledisloe Cup! That is, until you take a peek inside our “For Your Eyes Only” files and discover a world of 007 experiences in our own backyard. Whether it’s scaling heights, a need for speed, dining in style or seductive abodes, there’s something here for every Sean, Roger, Pierce or Daniel – and his favorite femme fatale.

Slide through the sky in a Moonraker-reminiscent gondola taking in views of Queenstown, the nearby Remarkables and the blue of Lake Wakatipu - and there’s no big guys with bad teeth trying to chomp through the cables. Then return to your mission control apartment at Breakfree Highview for a meal, a gym session or a secret rendesvous with concierge who will reveal even more thrilling Bondesque adventures Queenstown has to offer, from jet fighter flights and skydiving to jetboating and bungy-jumping.

Whether you’re James Bond or Pussy Galore, the Jet Airliner Simulator Ultimate Experience in Christchurch offers thrills, laughs and fun of mile high proportions. Take the Captain’s seat and plan a flight with charts and maps to guide your way through programmed wild weather conditions and perilous landings. Mission complete, it’s time to kick back for some post-flight drinks at the lounge bar of Copthorne Durham Street and a de-briefing in the hotel sauna.

Spies with more refined tastes can take a helicopter to Domaine George’s Michel Estate in Marlborough to stroll around the vineyard before enjoying a sumptuous lunch at La Venada restaurant. If you don’t stumble across any evil looking, monocle wearing men with a feline in their lap, it’s time to hover your way back to the luxurious Chateau Marlborough boutique hotel in Blenheim to swap wine tasting for a late afternoon martini.

Get penguin suited up and stroll beneath the domed glass roof at the classic-styled and remodeled Dunedin Casino. Float from room to room looking ridiculously suave as you take a spin of roulette, lay down some poker chips or just dazzle the gathering hordes in your usual effortless style. After a few rolls of the dice and a stakeout of the gourmet cuisine in the Gainsborough dining room, cruise back to the Mercure Leisure Lodge for a night of double-O heaven before enjoying a few days of golfing,  sightseeing and general pleasure reconnaissance.

Take a quantum leap on a quad-bike Twilight Safari adventure in a two-hour forest foray near Auckland. Q and his team of experienced guides fit you out in safety equipment, offer some basic training and point out the ejector seat button before letting you loose into the wild. When it’s time to give those quads – and glutes - a rest, saunter back to the swanky Sky City hotel, which includes the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere – the iconic Sky Tower – and a rooftop heated swimming pool.