GINZ.com Newsletter
May 2006 Vol 1 No# 105
Kia Ora and best wishes from the staff at GINZ.com, Guest in New Zealand
from our offices here in Christchurch. From action packed adventure to luxury
travel, eco tours or special interest, our goal is to provide you with the
best information, best value and top quality friendly service in accommodation,
rentals and activities to make your holiday experiences in New Zealand,
Australia and the South Pacific unique and memorable.
All the very best from the Team at GINZ.com
Index
New Zealand News and Specials
Nelson in Autumn
Australia News and Specials
Melbourne by Motorhome
Pacific Island News and Specials
Pacific Winter Getaways
New Zealand News
Michael, our Managing Director, has just returned from a few days in the
Nelson area, visiting accommodation suppliers and looking for special places
for our clients. The weather was outstanding as it often is at this time
of the year - in fact we consider April and May to be the best time to visit
most parts of New Zealand if you want to avoid the crowds and don't mind
cooler evenings.
Michael stayed at The
Resurgence a boutique lodge accommodation 10 minutes drive from Motueka
and located in a quiet bush clad valley with amazing natural springs. Guests
have the option of a lodge room with ensuite facilities and private balcony
or a large self contained cottage set in the bush.
This is a great base for those who prefer some privacy, want to be away
from the city, and have some time to explore the Abel Tasman National Park
and area around Nelson and Motueka.
Highly recommended is a walk to Wharariki Beach (commonly renamed Freaky
Beach by overseas visitors!), a beautiful and remote landscape, where the
wind and waves have created massive rock and sand dune formations.
Another excellent accommodation option is Awaroa
Lodge. This eco lodge has an amazing organic garden, a major influence
on the style of cuisine making each dish unique with fresh herbs and greens.
Local seafood, beef and lamb are served along with vegetarian dishes.
Shelbourne
Villa in Nelson is also a highly recommended for accommodation. The
luxurious Loft Suite overlooks Nelson City and the Tasman Bay and all rooms
are beautifully decorated and feature original art by local artists. This
is a 5 star Bed and Breakfast with charming hosts and a perfect location
for a stay in the Nelson area.
If you are driving to Nelson via the Marlborough Vineyards, LeGrys
Cottage is a great place for a night or two. Set amongst the wine growers,
it is a eclectic mix of European styling and Antipodean art and architecture.
Set in an old plum and apple orchard, the owners have built the large house
around a central courtyard and pool and have 2 large luxury guest rooms
with ensuites. The atmosphere is relaxed and casual and the house is a showcase
for local art and for furnishings from around the world.
For more information on a holiday in the Nelson area and some personal
recommendations, contact Michael.
New Zealand Specials
See a range of Last-Minute
Rental Cars, Last-Minute
Hotel specials and New
Zealand Travel Packages.
Back to Homepage
Australia News
Sabine Kane, who looks after accounts and administration at GINZ, flew
to Melbourne at Easter with her family and hired a 4 berth motorhome. Sabine's
children are 2 and 5 years old and they found travelling with children a
breeze in the Maui Motorhome due to the fact that the children had the same
bed each night no matter where they ended up camping! Here's Sabine's report
on her holiday...
"When we arrived in Melbourne we picked up our camper from the friendly
team at Maui
Australia and leaving the city behind us we drove a couple of hours
south to Wilson's Promontory National Park were we camped right near the
beach. Rosella's and parrots were always present and at night wombats roamed
around the campground grazing. The Park offers a variety of walks from 10
minutes to multi days.
Next stop was Phillip
Island, a 2 hour drive from Melbourne, where the evening Penguin Parade
at Summerland Beach and tree top boardwalks at Koala
Park were highlights for us. We also recommend the "A Maze'N Things"
mini-golf & puzzle world for a fun day out. Phillip Island is joined to
the mainland by a causeway and has 97 km of coastline with massive rocky
outcrops to sheltered golden sand beaches.
From Phillip Island, we drove to San Remo where we saw the Pelican feeding
and then onto to the Healesville
Sanctuary. Healesville is an hour east of Melbourne in the Yarra Valley.
There are many wineries along the way where you stop for tastings. We all
enjoyed the sanctuary's "Bird of Prey"show with hawks and owls flying inches
over our heads. They have over 200 birds, mammals and reptiles here displayed
in their native habitats. The newest edition to the park is a hospital wing
where you can watch the vet at work performing an operation or sometimes
a post mortem! We spent a day driving through the Dandenong Mountains with
breathtaking views of the autumn countryside. This is a very popular weekend
destination for locals from Melbourne and some very stylish B&B's are available.
The famous steam train "Puffing
Billy" was our last stop before returning to Melbourne where we visited
the Victoria Market and Melbourne Zoo with their famous butterfly house
travelling by train and tram which was almost as exiting for the kids as
the destination itself!"
If you would like more information on travelling by motorhome in this area,
contact Sabine or see the official
Melbourne website.
Australia Specials
See a range of Australia
Travel Packages, Last-Minute
Rental car and Last-Minute
Hotel specials.
Back to Homepage
Pacific Island News
GINZ has access through our booking systems to all the latest package deals
for Pacific island breakaways. There are numerous resorts and beaches throughout
the pacific and we prefer to recommend ones which our staff have visited.
The islands are an excellent add on for travellers to New Zealand or Australia,
and are particularly popular with honeymooners. Talk to our staff about
your requirements and budget and we can make personal recommendations. Check
here for all the latest packages and deals ex-Auckland, Christchurch
and Wellington and including cruises on the Tahitian
Princess to Tahiti, Cook Islands and Hawaii.
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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