Explore New Zealand's Diverse Culture

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The diverse culture of New Zealand carries much tradition and history built on the customs of the indigenous people known as the Maori. Legend holds that the Maori traveled by canoe from their mythical ancestral island of Hawaiki over 1,000 years ago. These Polynesian settlers traveled in open boats (or in canoes) that are not too different from the traditional crafts found in Polynesia today.

New Zealand is a country comprised of two large islands and many smaller islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and is noted for its geographic isolation. The Tasman Sea separates Australia to the northwest; to north are Fiji and Tonga. The total area of New Zealand is 268670 sq. km, which is slightly less than Japan but a little more than the United Kingdom. The country has extensive marine resources and the fifth largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world. Meaning New Zealand can claim over four million km2 or more than 15 times its land area for exploration and use of marine resources.

The climate is mild, mostly cool temperate to warm temperate, with temperatures rarely falling below 0°C (32°F) or rising above 30°C (86°F). The South Island is the largest mass, mountainous, wet and cold. It is divided length-wise by the Southern Alps. The North Island, dry and continental, is marked by volcanism. The tallest mountain on the North Island Mount Ruapehu (9,176-ft) is an active cone volcano. Although the island landscapes are impressive, they became a lot more popular when the production the Lord of the Rings trilogy called them home.

New Zealand has a population of about 4.1 million people mostly of European descent with Maori being the largest minority. Non-Maori Polynesian and Asian peoples are also significant minorities, especially in the nation's cities. Officially, Elizabeth II is the Queen of New Zealand and is represented in the country by a non-political governor-general; however, the Queen has no real political influence. Political power is held by the Prime Minister (currently Helen Clark) who is leader of the Government in the democratically elected Parliament of New Zealand.

Since 1984 the government has be restructuring the economy to lean more towards an industrialized free market and less of an agrarian economy that was dependant on the British market. Leading agricultural exports include meat, dairy products, forest products, fruit and vegetables, fish, and wool.

The culture, contemporary and diverse, has influences from British, Irish, and Maori cultures. New Zealand is one of the most recently settled major landmasses. Polynesian settlers arrived in their waka some time between 800 and 600 years ago to establish the indigenous Maori culture. Among the British settlers, many people were from Scotland giving New Zealand more bagpipe bands than in Scotland!

What exactly is a Kiwi?
A Kiwi to a New Zealander is not the green fuzzy fruit most Americans relate to. It is in truth a flightless nocturnal native bird with a long beak with nostrils on the end. Most important however, it is the national bird of New Zealand. Over the years, Kiwi has been applied to and adopted by New Zealanders as a nickname for themselves and as an adjective for their culture.

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Luxury Travel Blog for the Resident

We try to share with you this blog, tips, information knowledge, and experiences related to global tuirism. We have also frequently linked to some unbeatable price comparison services within the tourist industry where you can easily compare and book your next trip and accommodation.

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Featured Online Travel Booking Services - All inclusive travel planning

If you are really tight on the budget, booking an all-inclusive holiday package can save you a big chunk of money. Because these all-inclusive package holiday companies have close ties with hotels & popular tourist spots in the country, they can get a better rate than you can! Hence, normally, the discounts & savings will be passed on to you - the all-inclusive holiday customers, tourists & visitors!

Ever tried to cram all your travel plans into one small budget & short schedule? If you have, you will know the true meaning of a frugal & haphazard holiday. Some people think that all-inclusive holiday packages leave very little space for them to have fun & there is no flexibility. But they're wrong.
You can save money with an all-inclusive holiday package

All-inclusive vacations are hassle-free

Planning a holiday can give you headaches! When you book an all-inclusive holiday package, you are actually giving yourself the chance to enjoy the holiday without having to worry about the nitty-gritty details. Your accommodation, food, entertainment & travelling are all taken care of. The only thing that you & your relatives members have to worry about is how much fun you are going to have during the holiday. Some tourists & vacationers like to get an all-inclusive holiday package because there is lack of time. Some people have to contend with last minute plans. The all-inclusive holiday packages can be real life savers in this instance. Even honeymooners love all-inclusive packages because they don't require to have to worry about meals, entertainment, activities, transportation & accommodation when they should be focused on each other!

Mealtime fun with all-inclusive holiday packages

One of the most worrisome things for tourists is WHERE to eat. Because they're not familiar with the country & the booklets that they can get from airports are not very accurate (most of the time), meal times are worrying. When we are visiting another country, they require to try another delicacy, something old..and cheap. Who better to tell you where to find it than an all-inclusive holiday planner? they have all the ropes, hang on to them & enjoy the meal!

You can read all you require from the web or from books on the different cultures & religions in the country that you are visiting.and yet, whenever you are on an all-inclusive holiday package, the tourist guide will STILL tell you things that surprises you! & this is an important point because you don't really require to step on someone's toes when you are in THEIR country.

All-inclusive packages - tells you the cultural differences between races & religions

Besides all of that, with all-inclusive holiday packages, you don't have to worry about where to have fun because they plan everything for you. All-inclusive holiday packages are definitely worth it!


Cheap Airline Tickets: Great Ways To Save

A round-the-world trip remains the world's greatest journey. For two out of every three people, this is the ultimate travel experience, according to recent research. Needless to say, in a world obsessed by travel, travelers and travel agents are both looking for the cheapest tickets and airfares available.

Cheap airline tickets, in most cases, can be obtained from wholesale dealers and discounters.

If your requirements are simple - you want a round-trip ticket from one place to another, you have a particular airline on your mind and you have definite dates; then you can go directly to the source - to the ticket discount agency which buys cheap tickets in bulk from wholesalers and consolidators.

In real life most trips require more planning, and most people need a help from the agent to figure out what would be the best air ticket solution for their particular case. Cheap airfares to a particular region can often be found with local airlines that specialize in that country. Sometimes an agency that operates and retails tours to a particular country will have a discount agreement with the national carrier and will sell discount tickets on that airline.

With a bit of research through travel magazines aimed at the particular country of your choice, you can often find agencies dealing with national carriers for that country. For the cheapest possible airfare to many places the most affordable prices are often found in local travel agencies that deal with a particular destination selling round-trip discount airline flights - most likely to the capital of that country and a few main cities.

Sometimes you can find a really cheap air ticket with a discount retail agency that specializes in trips to a wider range of destinations or to multiple destinations. Through the sheer number of tickets that they sell they can command a reasonable discount. However, keep in mind that most advertised prices do not include taxes, luggage fee and airport tax, so the cheap airfare may end up being not so cheap. Best to read the small print to clarify exactly what you are getting before you purchase a ticket.

Another trick of the trade is for agencies to grab attention by indicating the lowest possible prices, which only apply on specific dates in low season. You’ll find that all agencies do this, even the most expensive ones so, don’t be surprised if you get a quote at double the price from what was displayed in the ad.

Airlines usually publish their scheduled flights and prices six months in advance. If you have decided on a destination it can be a good opportunity to get an ‘early bird’ discount by booking well in advance. Keep your eye on the travel press and also airline web-sites. There are often special discounts and incentives aimed at travelers who book online, as carrying out a booking online is cheaper for the company than through an intermediary who will take a commission.

However, although you can expect to get the cheapest air ticket if you start searching many months ahead, there are some exceptions. At times like Christmas or other periods of high demand the prices are usually inflated and planes fill up many months in advance. If you can be flexible and travel on actual holiday days such as Christmas day or New Years Eve you can find some pretty attractive discounts.


Pick A Hotel With Personality!

What does individuality mean in the hotel industry? As far as boutiques are concerned, it’s not just about being a little bit quirky; hanging modern art on the walls, sticking some designer chairs in the rooms or making all the fittings stainless steel. It’s about a design theme that runs through the hotel from start to finish and affects everything from the cushions on the sofas to the dessert menu in the restaurant.

Location

Where does the inspiration for this individuality and personality come from? For some hoteliers, it comes from the location. It’s unsurprising that boutique beach hotels are clean and simple, bringing the colours and textures of the coast into the building and using architectural design to allow guests to feel at one with the sea; large windows, folding doors and seawater pools for example. In contrast, small hotels that are based in cities often reflect either the present-day energy or the historic past of their location. Through the use of rich colours or minimal materials, antique furniture, period art and a variety of textiles, designers can create a hotel that truly reflects its location.

Culture

Many hotels show influences from different cultures – and not always from the culture that’s readily associated with the hotel’s location. Therefore, New England simplicity or Asian colours and textures can show up in hotels in London or Sydney and work well, as long as the concept is properly thought through and sensitively carried out. Extending a cultural theme to rooms and cuisine often requires a lot of research, particularly when it comes to sourcing the right furniture and accessories, but if the end result is a truly individual hotel, then the preparation is worthwhile.

Community

A true boutique hotel becomes an intrinsic part of the local community, and this is part of its individuality. Chain hotels are just places to stay; boutique hotels are places to be – whether it is locals using the restaurant or trendy city workers drinking in the bar; using the produce from the farm down the road or sharing spa facilities with a local retreat, boutique hotels make a real effort to integrate into their local community rather than being set apart from it.



Sincerely

Roger K. Olsson