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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Nomad Safaris offers 2 half day Lord of the Rings filming location tours, this one and the Safari of the Scenes - Glenorchy tour. Safari of the Scenes - Wakatipu Basin Tour (departs 8.30am & 1.30pm, NZ$169 pp) This tour offers a comprehensive look around the Queenstown end of the Wakatipu Basin, and includes some good [...]
In December of 2002, after 3 years working at the local video store in Queenstown (a job I loved as it confirmed me as a lifelong film geek), I convinced David and Amanda from Nomad Safaris to hire me as a driver/guide. I had no experience, but possessed a passion for Lord of the Rings [...]
