New Zealand

Want to escape to the great outdoors? From rippling riverbeds to rugged ravines Arthur’s Pass, New Zealand boasts of a variety of landscapes– it’s a sight to behold!

If you are anxious to explore Arthur’s Pass National Park, there are several walks to choose from. The Devil’s Punchbowl Waterfall is a popular short walk. For those with great endurance, try a longer walk along the Avalanche Peak Track. Known for its hiking and tramping, New Zealand offers a plethora of places to enjoy the dramatic scenery.

The TranzAlpine train is the perfect way to take in New Zealand’s magnificence. RealTravelers Kyle & Dan give us insight on their travels and share some helpful tips!

“The rail journey traveled across the expansive patchwork of Canterbury Plains’ farmland, wound through the spectacular gorges of the Waimakariri River, and climbed the mighty Southern Alps of New Zealand by taking a route through Arthur’s Pass. After passing through the Southern Alps, the train descended into lush native beech forest and stopped in the coastal town of Greymouth for an hour before making its way back east to Christchurch.

All of that amazing scenery was included in the ticket price for the 9-hour day journey; we were fortunate to have received a discount when we booked our tickets, so we only paid $130 (that’s around £50, or $100 USD each) for each ticket, compared to the original ticket price of $198 NZD (that’s around £76, or $152 USD each). It was fortunate that we booked our tickets through the I-Site the day before because we may not have been granted a discount if we would have booked the trip ourselves over the telephone, or if we would have just shown up in Christchurch on the morning of the journey to purchase tickets” (more…)

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Arthur’s Pass Hotels

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Welcome to Taupo, New Zealand, a place to escape the ordinary and enjoy the outdoors. Taking you away from the city, this destination has a plethora of activities for the whole family!

With a variety of parks to visit, there are several places in particular for the kids to enjoy. Just ten minutes north of Taupo, the Huka Prawn Park raises over one billion prawns per year! Located on a geothermal spring, here visitors will take the tour, also dubbed “Shawn’s Walk,” in which they stop at the prawn hatchery and nursery. Visitors will also be treated to a foot bath in the springs after embarking on a nature walk. Another stop the kids will surely love is the Lilliput Farm Fun and Animal Park that houses over twenty different species of animals!

For those who are more adventurous, the world-famous Tongariro Crossing provides a challenging trek. All volcanic terrain, Tongariro National Park offers spectacular vistas and scenic crater lakes. Be sure to give yourself enough time to complete this strenuous hike and arrange transportation to and from the location. Real traveler Vincentvega explains:

“Tongariro Crossing is rated as New Zealand’s finest one day trek. After myself, Kev & Barbara trekked it (our longest one to date at 17km, approx 6-8 hours it takes) we can definitely see why. Amazing landscape combining volcanoes, mountains and national parks. It was pretty tough in some parts (steep inclines taking about an hour) but at the end very rewarding. It took us about 5.30 hours. The weather turned out to be perfect; which was a very good thing considering our ‘walking shoes’ and hiking ‘gear’ :o) They highly recommend proper trekking gear for this one as the weather can change rapidly. Overall, an excellent trek well worth doing.”

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