Standing on the tee looking towards the 15th hole is enough to make the hair stand up on the back of the neck of all but the finest golfers.
The entire left-hand side is a sheer white cliff which falls 140m to the turbulent blue waters of Hawkes Bay. The right-hand side is a mere 20m drop into a beautiful stand of native bush. Between them the fairway is a 594m-long ribbon of well groomed grass leading to the green.
This is the appropriately named Pirates Plank, signature hole at Cape Kidnappers, …
The prayers of riders and party goers were answered early this morning with the heavens opening up to produce the white gold that the Queenstown region had been asking for. And Its timing couldn’t have been better to put the region a winter festival mood for the upcoming event this friday. So wax up the skis and dust off the drinking boots because winter has officially arrived in Queenstown.
Mother nature has responded to a call for snow, and has blanketed the Southern Lakes region overnight, perfect timing for the …
Looking for a classic winter escape out of Auckland? At Vision Safari we believe that unless you’re charging down the white stuff on a vertical slope, the best way to avoid the winter blues is to round up the family and friends and escape to a charming location with breathtaking views, great food, great culture and of course, great vineyards.
An informal poll around the office confirmed a sneaking suspicion: Aucklanders take Waiheke Island for granted. Many recalled idyllic weekend retreats there as children but few had made the half-hour trip …
Here at Vision Safari we’re always looking for value for money when it comes to ski fields. Let’s be honest, its an expensive sport but worth every cent if you find what you’re looking for. The North Island of New Zealand offers travellers excellent skiing and boarding prices backed up with the surreal scenery that inspired Hollywood to shoot The Lord of the Rings on these very peaks. If this isn’t what you’re seeking we suggest you try tennis.
In the middle of the North Island lies the volcanic plateau that …
Feeling adventurous but still a little sore from last winter? Or perhaps your just interested in discovering why New Zealand has recently been rated as one of the best countries in the world for Great Walks? Either way Vision Safari recommends all travellers to allow for one of New Zealands famous walks in their itinerary as it is the perfect way to sample some of the local Maori culture, landscape and wildlife at whatever pace you fancy.
For the adventurous, with a day or more to spare in their itinerary, Spring …
With it’s hundreds of rivers and lakes, New Zealand offers plenty of opportunity to fish for fresh water species such as Salmon or Trout. Anglers travel to New Zealand from all over the world to try their luck in the country’s crystal clear waters.
Trout Fishing
New Zealand is known as one of the world’s last frontiers for truly wild trout, its noted varieties being brown and rainbow. The trout are found in lakes ranging from those in the volcanic Taupo-Rotorua region in the central North Island, to the South Island’s high …
With the recent publication of ski resort prices world wide its always refreshing to know there are some great lines to be carved in New Zealand that won’t slice a hole through your credit card. The high riding in the South Island has something for all Vision Safari travellers, from the family fields of Cardrona to advanced back country of the Remarkables. So dust off the boots and wax up the equipment because its time to break something other than the bank balance.
The Southern Alps of New Zealand are …
MY 10-year-old son wipes the snow from the plaque and we brace ourselves from the wind to read it.
It is a memorial for two schoolchildren who died here after their school excursion was caught in poor weather. Our children, soaked through despite their wet weather gear, look at each other, then press on into their own blizzard; this time their steps are just a little more determined, despite their sodden backpacks and squelching boots.
We are on day two of New Zealand’s spectacular Routeburn Track, which wanders between the Mt Aspiring …
MY heart was in my mouth as I was hoisted in my harness 40 metres into the air and dropped towards the ground. When I accepted an offer to go to Rotorua, New Zealand’s first holiday destination, I thought the town’s only tourist attractions were piles of geothermally heated mud. My views were outdated. The mud is still there, but Rotorua is recasting itself, and authorities recently gave the green light to airport upgrades which are expected to see direct flights from Australia in 2009. I …
We hear plenty about the beauty of Queenstown and its dramatic lakeside setting. We’re inundated with talk of Auckland being the City of Sails, but we hear little about Dunedin across the Tasman.
It would appear this chilly city is a secret the Kiwis don’t want to share.
This quiet achiever sits on the southeast coast of the South Island in the district of Otago.
Fly in, drive in or go by train on the spectacular Taieri Gorge Railway and pray for rain.
This swarthy city with its stately Victorian and Edwardian architecture, rugged …
