Railways were once the heart of a country. Both socially and commercially they were vital links, often the only links. In 19th century New Zealand thousands of settlers laboured for years, even decades on a single route, chiseling through horribly uneven terrain and dense native bush with picks, shovels, and an occasional blast of TNT. […]
October 7,1917. Count Felix von Luckner, known as the “Sea Devil”, arrives in New Zealand for internment in our very own POW camp, Motuihe Island. As captain of the sailing ship Seeadler, he and his crew had sunk 14 allied merchant ships in less than seven months, with only one (accidental) loss of life.
This Day in NZ History: The Sea Devil Read More »
On the afternoon of 2 April 1864, 300 Maori men, women and children under the command of Chief Rewi Maniapoto, were holed up in the unfinished Orakau pa (fort). They had kept over 1400 British soldiers at bay for three days, but their supplies of water, food and ammunition were running perilously low. Facing the
Waikato War Driving Tour Read More »
Against one wall of the NZ Academy of Fine Arts in Wellington is a memorial for Paddy the Wanderer. It consists of a bronze plaque and image, and a drinking fountain for both human and canine passers-by. But who was Paddy, and how did he earn himself a memorial on the Wellington waterfront? Paddy
Remembering Paddy the Wanderer Read More »
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
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,
Exhibiting Ourselves Read More »
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
Rediscovering Port Chalmers Read More »
Then and Now Trekking north across the Waimea Plains in the spring of 1853, young Scottish explorer Nathanael Chalmers and his Maori guide, Chief Reko, struck the Mataura River and followed it inland. It’s hard to comprehend what he might have thought when they came across Lake Whakatipu, an 80 kilometre long Z-shaped glacial lake
Southern Shangri La: Discovering Queenstown Read More »
The above photo was taken in 1910, on Wadestown Road near Pitt Street, in Wellington. A local butcher’s proudly displays its stock, its four staff and two horses. The carcasses on display seem to be wrapped in some decorative cloths, and for some reason don’t hold much interest for the napping neighbourhood dogs. The picket-fenced
The Butcher of Wadestown Read More »
Explore a forgotten but historic stretch of the New Zealand wilderness at the wheel of your personal rail cart. This is very, very cool. If the romance of vintage rail travel is your thing, then picture yourself clattering along miles of disused, overgrown tracks. If rambling through New Zealand’s native wilderness without even a change
Exploring Abandoned Railways…In A Golf Cart! Read More »
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If you have any questions or need help or advice about rental cars or your New Zealand travel plans we’re here to help you. Please contact us
New Zealand Free Phone: 0800 800 956
Australian Free Phone: 1800 771 302
Other international enquiries. Find your nearest New Zealand rental cars branch.
Locations
Useful Links
Contact
If you have any questions or need help or advice about rental cars or your New Zealand travel plans we’re here to help you. Please contact us
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New Zealand Free Phone: 0800 800 956
Australian Free Phone: 1800 771 302
Other international enquiries. Find your nearest New Zealand rental cars branch.
