New Zealand

Anne Fisk • April 10, 2011

During April 2011 I was very lucky to be offered a trip to New Zealand’s North Island.

On arrival we took a flight down to Wellington, the capital city, so diverse with its shops, many restaurants, historical buildings, harbour, fantastic Te Papa Tongarewa museum full of Maori arts and treasures, botanical gardens, to name a few. The cable car takes you high above the city giving the most amazing view.

new2Our route took us through the Rimutaka mountain range to the wine region in the Wairarapa known for its Pinot Noir. A guided tour of Napier, “the art deco capital of the world” rebuilt in 1930 having been destroyed by a massive earthquake, was fascinating. Travelling through Lake Taupo we arrived in Rotorua where you find the most awesome boiling mud pools and geysers. At our next stop Paihia, we transferred to Opua Wharf where we boarded a luxurious catamaran for an overnight cruise in the beautiful Bay of Islands.

The warm waters are home to an abundance of marine life. Making our way back to Auckland a stop at the Kauri museum proved to be very interesting, giving an insight into Northland’s pioneer past through the use of Kauri timber and gum. Auckland sprawls over a narrow isthmus between the sparkling waters of the Waitemata and Manukau Harbours. The best way to see the city’s landmark is to take a harbour cruise.

Busier than Wellington, Auckland has something for everyone and you can’t miss the magnificent Sky Tower where our farewell dinner took place in the Observatory Restaurant, 328 metres above street level. New Zealand a magical place not to be missed.

The post New Zealand appeared first on Travel Stop.

ITALIAN TRILOGY - by Louise Gorbatov

By Travel Stop • April 17, 2024
After a short early morning flight we arrived in Rome for the first of a 3 night Italian Trilogy with Kirker Holidays and the 5* Baglioni Hotels. We checked into the Regina Baglioni Hotel which is located just a short stroll from the Spanish Steps and Villa Borghese Gardens and easily accessible on foot to all the major landmarks. We started with a ‘light lunch’ (the Italians don’t do light!) then burnt off said lunch with a private walking tour of some of the major sights, to include the Colosseum, Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain.

ARUBA - by Louise Gorbatov

By Travel Stop • October 17, 2023
In March 2023 British Airways launched their first twice weekly direct flight to Aruba (with a short touchdown in Antigua). In October I was lucky enough to be invited by the Aruba Tourist Board to experience all of what the Dutch Caribbean Island has to offer.

CANADA – BRITISH COLUMBIA by Louise Gorbatov

By Travel Stop • December 9, 2019
Day 1 Prestige Holidays invited me to Canada to join them to experience Vancouver and the not so well-known Okanagan Valley region of British Columbia. From Heathrow we boarded our direct British Airways flight to Vancouver. On arrival we were read full story The post CANADA – BRITISH COLUMBIA by Louise Gorbatov appeared first on Travel Stop.

THE QUEEN MARY 2 by Cheryl Locke

By Travel Stop • August 29, 2019
The Queen Mary 2 and the Norwegian Fjords The Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a beautiful ship and one which was a joy to sail on. I had a couple of minor reservations when booking this cruise on two counts read full story The post THE QUEEN MARY 2 by Cheryl Locke appeared first on Travel Stop.

SWITZERLAND by Louise Gorbatov

By Travel Stop • July 19, 2019
Switzerland – Interlaken & The Bernese Oberland. My Journey started on the evening of Thursday 9th May where I checked into the Thistle at London Heathrow. In the early hours of Friday, I checked out and headed to the Heathrow read full story The post SWITZERLAND by Louise Gorbatov appeared first on Travel Stop.

CELEBRITY EDGE by Sonia Reece

By Travel Stop • July 19, 2019
What an awesome sight! As you drive into the port at Southampton and you see your home for the next two nights. The Celebrity Edge is an amazing sight and anyone would be impressed as they approached her.   Parking read full story The post CELEBRITY EDGE by Sonia Reece appeared first on Travel Stop.

SOUTH AFRICA by Hannah Moore

By Travel Stop • June 26, 2019
South Africa – Western Cape I was lucky to recently travel to South Africa with African Pride to the Cape Town area. The trip started with an overnight flight on South African Airlines, on their new Airbus A330-300 aircraft. Business read full story The post SOUTH AFRICA by Hannah Moore appeared first on Travel Stop.

CHINA by Bridget Keevil

By Travel Stop • June 25, 2019
We arrived into Shanghai at 07.45am after an eleven and a quarter hour direct flight from London Heathrow.  Having had to go to the China Visa Centre in London to give our fingerprints as part of obtaining the Chinese Visa, read full story The post CHINA by Bridget Keevil appeared first on Travel Stop.

ICELAND by Anne Fisk

By Travel Stop • April 10, 2019
My Iceland trip commenced from the North Terminal at London Gatwick flying with Icelandair. On arrival into Keflavik, after a 3-hour flight, we were met and taken to our private vehicle to visit the famous Blue Lagoon. The journey only read full story The post ICELAND by Anne Fisk appeared first on Travel Stop.

Vienna City Break by Bridget Keevil

By Bridget Keevil • March 27, 2019
As with any city break when time is at a premium, it is always best to have a plan.  Plan where you want to go and what you want to see at the same time as booking your break, and read full story The post Vienna City Break by Bridget Keevil appeared first on Travel Stop.
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