Yesterday was a memorable day on the road. As I write this, we're sitting in the very nice Colonial Motel in Blenheim on day 2 of a road trip on the South Island. The purpose of the trip is meeting some tourism industry people, checking out some new locations to include on future trips, and my wife [...]
Britomart Transport Centre, Auckland As somebody who makes a living (and loves) driving people around New Zealand, it's hard for me to admit it, but Kiwirail Scenic's Northern Explorer train ride between Auckland and Wellington is an incredible experience. Before taking the ride, I viewed an all day train journey through the central North Island [...]
It's pretty well known that I'm a huge Lord of the Rings fan. That is not the only thing I'm passionate about though. I'm very lucky to live in a country that indulges my hobbies on a daily basis. The icing on the cake is the amazing events held in New Zealand throughout the year. [...]
I love cars. I love to drive. I love the smell and the sound of cars racing on a circuit and the roar of a Spitfire buzzing an airfield. I know I'm not alone. Whether you are into Veteran, Vintage, Hot Rod, Rat Rod, Classic, Modern, European, American, British or Australian cars, New Zealand is [...]
miketheguide.com offers private high-end tours for solo travellers, couples and small groups - the following tour is an example of what I can offer. If you like what you see, contact me directly and together we can create your ultimate New Zealand experience. Mae Govannen - Haere Mai - Welcome! I have designed an exciting 7 [...]
The real beauty of making multiple trips to the same country is that you don't have to rush to see everything. This was my client's (let's call him "Lemmy"), fourth trip to New Zealand. His first three times here were all based in the South Island, where I was lucky enough to meet him while [...]
Back in 2009 I shot some footage while hosting a couple on their flight in Fiordland. They wanted someone with some Lord of the Rings knowledge to join them and point out some of the locations we would see. We visited so much more than this video shows, but there was so much footage I [...]
Arrowtown, a quaint and beautiful historic gold mining village, sits about 20 minutes from it’s much more famous big brother, Queenstown. On first glance at the town centre, you could be forgiven for thinking you’re looking at a Wild West film set. Arrowtown has largely preserved the historic (a relative term if you’re used to [...]
Yesterday I joined some of the best LOTR tour guides in Wellington, and we took a road trip to Aorangi Forest Park in the Wairarapa region of the North Island. Perhaps the best known site in the park is the Putangirua Pinnacles. Of all the Lord of the Rings filming locations around New Zealand, this [...]
I was looking at some upcoming events on the New Zealand motorsport calendar and there are some great things happening later in the year. November 1st-3rd is the Wigram Revival and Lady Wigram Trophy Race in Christchurch. The Canterbury Car Club is using this event to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Powerbuilt Raceway at [...]
