Backpacking New Zealand

2 Weeks till Big Day Out 2008

Saturday, January 5th, 2008

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Alas, I am now back home after 12 months in New Zealand. In a nutshell, yes, you should go! Over the next couple of months I will be adding lots more content into this site - it was too busy when I was travelling. All the seasonal fruit work and viticulture is go go go at the moment, so head on out to Keri Keri, Hawkes Bay or Marlbourgh for immeadiate work.

Mark

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Whoops

Saturday, May 5th, 2007

In the process of traveling round New Zealand, I seem to have neglected this site badly. I arrived in New Zealand with my backpack 6 months ago and I have travelled most of the country - Northland, Auckland, down the North island via Taupo, Waitomo, Rotorua, round the East Cape with a month in Napier, then down to Wellington and over to the South Island - where I have been to Picton, Nelson, all the way down the West Coast, Wanaka and finally to where I live now - Queenstown. From here I have seen the south coast, Invercargill, Stewart Island and Dunedin.

Activity wise, theres been tramping in Tongariro, Queen Charlotte Sound, Abel Tasman and Stewart Island, Quad Biking, Rafting, Mountain Biking, Luging, Sandboarding and more. Soon the Ski Season starts down here.
Lots of stuff to write about then!

Queenstown is quiet, so I plan to do some writing on this site and try to make it what it should have been from the start.

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Magic Bus reduced fares for next 6 days

Wednesday, October 25th, 2006

Magic Bus have fares that look pretty good - but only for the next 6 days. They go up on Novemeber 1st as the new high season approaches.

Personally I am going to book the North and South trip - at $459 (~£160) to do the highlights of both islands it looks top value. I will probably then fly back to Auckland - fares are as low as $90 (~£35), which is cheap considering returning by bus would incur another ferry charge.

So my plan now is to kick back, relax and treat the first month as a holiday, see the sights and then decide on where to go back to, whether to buy a car etc etc.

See the special fares here

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Big Day Out 2007

Friday, October 6th, 2006

The Big Day Out 2007 is to be held on 19th January 2007 at Aucklands Mount Smart Stadium. Tickets go on sale October 19th. Theres also 5 dates in Austrailia after the Auckland gig, so no need to miss anything if you are over there right now.
Acts listed so far include:

Tool
Muse
The Killers
Jet
Minuit
Shapeshifter
Violent Femmes
Peaches
My Chemical Romance
Spank Rock
Eskimo Joe
Evermore
Scribe
The Veils
The Tutts
The Mint Chicks
Opensouls

Visit the official website for the full run down.

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28 Days To Go

Thursday, October 5th, 2006

Well, I fly out to NZ in exactly 4 weeks. I am getting slightly more prepared than I was, I now have my Rucksack (Karrimor Global 70-90l, review to follow), and my flight info.

I am flying out with on the BUNAC group flight package - along with 27 other travellers. We Fly November 2nd, and hit Hong Kong on Novemeber 3rd at about 7am. Then its 2 nights in Hong Kong, with various tours and a meal orgainised. Finally, 17 of us (the others are of to OZ) are on an evening flight over to Auckland, leaving me in New Zealand on Novemeber 6th, probably with much jet lag.

I still need to pack, but some clotes and some other bits and bobs and sort out my travel Insurance - I have decided on World Nomads now. Oh and get a hotel booked at Heathrow - attempting to travel from here (Liverpoolish) to London is frought with oppotunities to be 6 hours late, so I am going down the day before.

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Last chance for the Ski season

Wednesday, October 4th, 2006

Some of the Ski venues in New Zealand will be open to the end of October - such as Whakapapa and Turoa in the North Island are open until October 29th.

I get there just a little too late, so I will be waiting till the 2007 season, but if you are out there right now, why not head off for a couple of days in the snow before summer hits and its beach time?

Check out snow.co.nz for the full story.

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30 Days To Go!

Tuesday, October 3rd, 2006

I fly out to New Zealand on November 2nd - will be spending 2 nights in Hong Kong with a group of 27 other travellers - all going out on the BUNAC program. After that, 17 of us are off to Auckland, and the other 10 are Oz bound.

This site should see some more content adding to the guide as my departure gets closer, and guides to the various locations and activites will come as I make my way around both Islands.

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Squidoo Lens

Monday, October 2nd, 2006

Just created a lens on Squidoo - Backpacking in New Zealand. Drop me a line in the Comments if you have other links to suggest - please bear in mind this is a work in progress (just like this site)