Final Approach – The Last of the Dakota’s
Anyone who has been to Taupo remembers…let’s see, the lake, the hot springs…oh, and a McDonalds in a plane! Not just any plane, but a mighty Douglas DC-3, the aircraft that made commercial passenger flights a viable business. In New Zealand they were once the backbone of our postwar domestic fleet, but their useful […]
Our Minibuses – Perfect for Familes and Groups
Here at New Zealand Rent a Car Queenstown, we have a range of luxury minibus rentals. They fit up to 12 passengers, are easy to drive and are convenient and affordable making it perfect for family and group holidays, sports teams, school trips and corporate outings giving people the opportunity to experience New Zealand with […]
Millers Crossing
Not being a frequent visitor to the Manawatu region, I was rather astounded to discover this relic. Just a few minutes south-east of Palmerston North alongside SH56, these are the remains of the longest suspension bridge in New Zealand, the Opiki Toll Bridge. One hundred years ago and more, the soggy swamplands around […]
Exhibiting Ourselves
At the dawn of the 20th century, a pubescent British colony named New Zealand was struggling to establish a global identity, even perhaps a national one. That’s when someone had the idea of staging a gigantic International Exhibition, a showcase for everything we had become and hoped to be. A grand expression of nationalism, colonialism, […]
The War In Colour
Kiwi film director Sir Peter Jackson has unveiled his latest project, a multi-media WWI exhibition which opened in Wellington last month to mark the centenary of the Gallipoli landings. As the exhibition’s creative director, Sir Peter said his primary goal was to take the Great War out of stuffy, monochromatic history books and bring […]
Ruin With A View – Tokomaru Bay
Ghost towns are always cool. I found these great photos by Len Chapman whilst doing a bit of internet beachcombing, and had to look the place up. As usual, click on photos to enlarge. As it turns out, Tokomaru Bay is a beautiful but desolate 8km arc of beach, 92km north of Gisborne […]
Heart of Gold
Travelling south of Auckland on State Highway 2, you are bound to pass through the modest, utilitarian town of Waihi. Most do. It’s less than two hours from the big smoke on the way to Tauranga, the Mount, and of course the popular summertime hangout of Waihi Beach, which is actually a town in its […]
FIFA Fever
Football fever (and let’s make it clear that I’m referring to soccer) is a disease less widespread in New Zealand than many other parts of the world. We always have identified ourselves as a rugby nation, although due to the physical demands of that game the number of New Zealanders who actually play it is […]
A Phantasmagorical Guest
Warbirds and Wheels is a very special museum located in the grounds of Wanaka airport. The collection features half a dozen vintage fighter planes, as well as many classic cars and motorbikes, but all of these may soon be outshone by one of the most famous and best loved cars in the world. Arriving […]
Rediscovering Port Chalmers
Once upon a time Port Chalmers was the third largest port in Australasia, and the birthplace of New Zealand’s modern export trade. Bypassed for nearly a century, it has benefited from (or suffered from, depending on your viewpoint) commercial rediscovery and reinvestment, but in a sense it is bypassed still, by thousands of cruise […]
