August 18, 2006
NZ Holidaymaker -- Issue #007 -- August 2006
Table of contents
1 Visit an award winning winery
2 About your drivers licence
3 New Zealand's blue skies
4 New Zealand one of the riskiest spots in the world?
5 Dunedin Railway Station - a must see!
6 Warm weather this spring?
Visit an award winning winery
New Zealand wines are becoming increasingly popular - and not without a reason! Some of them are so good they even win prestigious awards. Like the 2005 vintage Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir and the Gibbston Valley Reserve Pinot Noir, that both have scored a gold medal in the San Francisco International Wine Challenge. This is the largest and most prestigious competition in North America, where more than 3,800 individual wines are tested by a panel of 40 judges. It was the first time that Gibbston Valley Wines entered this competition. If you like to visit this award winning winery: Gibbston Valley wines is located only a short drive from Queenstown, on State Highway 6. There's a vineyard, an underground wine cave (New Zealand's biggest: 76 meters into the Central Otago hillside), a restaurant, wine sales and a gift shop. For more information about their wine cave and tasting tour or to order their wines over the internet, visit www.gvwines.co.nz.
About your drivers licence
Before you leave for New Zealand to pick up your rental campervan, make sure you have the correct travel documents. An accurate English translation of your drivers licence for example - if you own a non-English language one. The camper van rental company may still accept your non-English licence, but the New Zealand Traffic Police doesn't anymore, as from June 1st this year. They'll require an English translation of your licence by the New Zealand Translation Service, a diplomatic representative at a high commission, embassy or consulate, or by the authority that issued your licence. An international driving permit will do as well; this may be acceptable as a translation.
New Zealand's blue skies
If you like clear blue skies - and who doesn't - you should visit New Zealand's Bay of Islands. Why? Because it has one of the bluest skies in the world! That's what Anya Hohnbaum, a Scots researcher, found out. She took measurements from twenty different sites all over the world, using a portable spectrometer that was adapted for her by scientists at the National Physical Laboratory in the UK. The data she collected with this spectrometer was then analysed to show how much red, green and blue light was present, to calculate the ' blueness' of the sky. All measurements were taken at 10am local time. The results? Rio de Janeiro turned out to have the bluest sky, followed by New Zealand's Bay of Islands, and Ayers Rock in Australia.
Want to enjoy New Zealand's blue skies while at home? Why not buy one of the New Zealand Scenic calendars for 2007? Like the Reflections of New Zealand calender, or the New Zealand Weather calender, both printed on quality art paper.
NB: www.productsfromnz.com offers a 100% money back guarantee if you're not satisfied with the product -- no questions asked!
New Zealand one of the riskiest spots in the world?
Is New Zealand really one of the riskiest tourist destinations in the world? We certainly didn't feel that way when driving around New Zealand, but according to a survey based on claims by 60,000 British tourists, it is indeed. At least, for theft and car crashes. New Zealand had the fourth highest number of claims for theft (after Thailand, South Africa and the Caribbean), and also came fourth for road accidents (after Thailand, South Africa and India). We wouldn't let ourselves be put off by these figures, but it's always a good idea to take your travel documents with you wherever you go, keep valuables out of sight, and don't leave your campervan unattended for too long at a remote spot. Just common sense, really.
Dunedin Railway Station - a must see!
If you make it as far south as Dunedin, make sure you pay a visit to the Dunedin Railway Station. According to the DK Eyewitness Travel's latest guide it is one of the 200 must-see places in the world. The guide describes the 100-year-old station as being one of New Zealand's finest historical buildings and one of the best examples of railroad architecture in the Southern Hemisphere. The Dunedin Railway Station opened in 1906 to cater for the travelling public of, what was at the time, New Zealand's commercial centre. The station was the largest and the busiest in the country in the early part of last century - seven times larger than its predecessor. Because of its size, grandiose style and rich embellishments, it earned architect Mr. George Troup the nickname of 'Gingerbread George'. For his design Troup received the Institution of British Architects' Award. And the cost of this magnificent building? £120,500 (NZ$ 241.000), a large sum for the times.
Warm weather this spring?
Have you rented a campervan this spring but didn't plan your itinerary yet? Maybe you should read the August-October climate outlook first, as published in the beginning of this month by NZ's National Climate Centre:
Atmospheric pressures are likely to be above normal in the New Zealand region, with a tendency towards weakened westerly winds. Air temperatures are likely to be average or above average in all regions. Despite this expectation, cold outbreaks will occur at times. Rainfalls are likely to be normal or above normal in the north and east of the North Island, normal or below normal in the north and west of the South Island, while near normal rainfall is the most likely outcome elsewhere. [...] Above average temperatures in the east of the North Island, Marlborough, Nelson, and the Southern Lakes.
Happy travels,
Boukeline & Rob
www.new-zealand-camper-van-adventures.com