Index
New Zealand News and Specials
A Meander through the Maniototo
Australia News and Specials
The Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive 2007
Pacific Island News and Specials
Treat Yourself to an Island Paradise
GINZ.com Newsletter
March 2006 Vol 1 No# 103
Kia Ora and thank you for taking the time read our newsletter for visitors to New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands. Don't forget to forward this newsletter onto friends and family who love to travel. We specialise in helping plan great holidays and memories in our special part of the world.
All the very best from the Team at GINZ.com
New Zealand News
The Maniototo is a vast upland basin of farmland inland from Dunedin and to the east of Queenstown. The first European settlers here were prospectors and miners searching for their fortunes. I drove through the area recently on a family camping holiday and vowed to return again soon with mountain bikes to ride the increasingly popular Otago Rail Trail. First opened in February 2000, the 150km trail is the first of its kind in the country.
The Trail follows the old Central Otago branch railway line from Middlemarch to Clyde and is a flat, gravel track accessible throughout the year, and specifically created for mountain bikers, walkers and horse riders. No motorised vehicles allowed.
The idea of the Rail Trail was promoted by the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC), and The Otago Rail Trail Trust, formed specifically to help create this family-oriented recreational facility. he Trail passes through some spectacular scenery not seen from the highways, ranging from mountain ranges, hills and gorges, across the vast Maniototo plain, through old gold mining towns, ending amongst the fruit growing areas of Central Otago. The heritage of the old railway line has been preserved, with the retention of viaducts and bridges, and some of the old Railway Stations the most famous being that at Wedderburn, immortalised in a famous painting by well known artist Grahame Sydney who lives in the area and paints landscapes, capturing the light of the plains and mountains here in the Maniototo.
Simple, comfortable accommodation is available along the way in the form of local hotels, self contained cottages and motels and bikers can take the trip at their own pace or just do a small part of the trail. On average, cyclists take 3 days to do the full trail, covering 40-60 km per day but this can be extended out to include trips into some of the towns in the area such as St Bathans.
The area is also well known for curling in winter and for fishing in the lakes and Taieri River.
Contact us for more information.
New Zealand Specials
See a range of Last-Minute Rental Cars, Last-Minute Hotel specials and New Zealand Travel Packages.
Australia News
Here's something to think about for next year - The Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive is on the move again. Five hundred head of cattle. Three hundred and ninety kilometres of desert track. And a swag of adventure stories along one of the most evocative desert trails in Australia, the Oodnadatta Track.
You'll be riding with some of Australia's finest horsemen to re-live a very real part of Australian history, the driving of cattle through the Outback. And whether you're an experienced rider, a happy hacker or someone who has never been in a saddle, you'll be matched with a horse to suit your abilities.
As well as keeping the herd moving, you'll soon find yourself part of a very remarkable landscape. From Oodnadatta to Marree, you'll cross haunting plains of stone and sand, passing ancient uplifts, bubbling springs and dazzling salt lakes. But you'll also encounter the peoples of the Oodnadatta Track, past and present - the indigenous Arabunna peoples, the pioneers and the men and women who still make their living in this extraordinary environment.
Each evening you'll return to a village of superior tent accommodation. Excellent facilities will include a bar, a library, hot showers and flushing toilets, superb catering and most importantly the roaring campfire beneath a canopy of desert stars - the place to retell your adventures of the day.
You can join the Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive 2007 on one (or more) of seven tours. Each lasts four nights and five days and each has its own distinct highlights. Organised by Diverse Travel Australia, who specialise in cultural journeys, this trip is a lifetime experience and an excellent way to see and experience the real Australia.
For more information contact us.
Australia Specials
See a range of Australia Travel Packages, Last-Minute Rental car and Last-Minute Hotel specials.
Pacific Island News
With the New Zealand dollar falling in value against the Greenback, Aussi Dollar and Pound, a side trip holiday from New Zealand to one of the island destinations is looking like great value right now. You can fly from Auckland or Christchurch to an island resort in around 3 hours and most packages include accommodation, transfers and some include meals as well. Options include cruises and stays in Fiji, Vanuatu, Tahiti, Cook Islands, Tong and Samoa.
From now until October, Club Med Bora Bora has a package available which includes flights from Auckland, all transfers, 6 nights accommodation, all meals, all drinks plus land and water sport tuition and live daily entertainment for $NZ3599 per person twin share.
Truly a feast for the senses – the colours and tranquillity of Bora Bora define paradise. A natural wonder of powder soft sand, crystal clear ocean and vibrantly colourful coral – this romantic holiday destination is a must.
Contact us for quotes and further information.
Pacific Island Specials
See a range of Pacific Island Travel Package and Pacific Hotel specials.
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