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Useful Tips.......Emergency number Christchurch
7 Reviews The New Zealand dollar has depreciated in value over the last few years. It now lies around $1NZ=$0.49US good for all of you wanting to travel to NZ but bad for us kiwi's!! The notes were changed...
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Local People Christchurch
9 Reviews This old english method of having a bloke yelling the news pre newspaper days was trialled a few years ago as a tourism stunt - and it stuck. The Town Crier of Christchurch screams a few items of...
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Maori Christchurch
3 Reviews When you are entering into Maori cultural exhibits, the visitors must be invited in to join the community before entering. Your group must select a chief or king for the group, and then that leader...
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Driving Christchurch
2 Reviews When you drive along the Summit Road please thank all the idiots of Christchurch for being able to park on such nice carparks along the road. Those carparks have been altered attractively because car...
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Climate Christchurch
3 Reviews The South Island is cooler than the North Island by a few degrees but on the whole NZ is known for its clean air. Average temps in winter (July) 1C – 12C Average temps in summer (January) 12C –...
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Wizard Christchurch
3 Reviews Speaking to the masses, though not so often these days, is the Christchurch Wizard aka Ian Brackenbury Channell. He has actually been deemed a "living work of art" and has been doing his thing in...
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There is an abundance of public telephones in New Zealand and most now accept PhoneCards or major credit cards more so than coins which can also be annoying if you don’t have and don’t want a phonecard. A local call from a public phone costs 20c per minute. You can buy PhoneCards, in denominations of $5, $10, $20, or $50, and can be found at shops displaying the green PhoneCard symbol.
Kiwifruit, also known as Chinese Gooseberries, not much of a link to the country. But people always link them as they have the word "kiwi".For your information, kiwifruits don't grow from trees (like apples etc)... think of them more like the grapes, but bigger!Do try the golden kiwifruit... slightly different from the normal ones... skin is hairless & flesh is yellow. And of course, taste a bit different too - a lot sweeter!! The season for kiwifruit is late autumn to winter (starts around May). You'll still be able to get them outside this period... they either cost a little more or a little hard to find.
The Kiwis are just a bit crazy. They invented bungy jumping, zorbing and several other of the crazy sports than can now be found around the world.If you go to New Zealand, you have to try at least one of the many mad sports that they practice out there. I have to admit I found the Zorb a bit of a let-down (see other tips for a better explanation of zorbing), but I had a 3 hour adrenalin buzz when I jumped of the Sky Tower in Auckland, and although it took about 10 seconds to reach the ground, it took me much longer to come back to earth...
Close to Rotorua you can experience a real Maori hangi in the Tamaki Village. This is a great way to experience a lot of the Maori culture. In the vening you are picked up in Rotorua and transported to the Tamaki Village. Here you are welcomed by a Maori war man. He performs the haka and you are welcomed inside the village. Here you can take a look around in the village where you can see some Maori's doing traditional stuff, like carving and dancing. You are then taken to the marae for an hour long performance, with many dances, songs and explanations of instruments and customs. You will learn a lot guarenteed and it's fun too.After the performances are over you are requested to come for hnagi in another hall. Everything is nicely arranged in buffet style, but all the food is prepared in the way of hangi. This way of preparing food is done by digging a hole in the ground and by putting...
In Rorurua you can visit Te Whakarewarewa. This is Rotorua's best known and largest thermal reserve, but also an importnat Maori cultural area. On our stop over here with the Kiwi Experience bus, the men were seperated from the women. We were taught the Haka Taparahi (war dance) and the ladies did another haka (dance). The waiata (song) or words to the haka taparahi are:Ka mate, ka mate (It is death, it is death)Ka ora, ka ora (It is life, it is life)Tenei te tangate puhuruhuru (Behold the hairy man)Nana nei i tiki mai I whakawhiti te ra (Who caused the sun to shine)Upane, upane (Abreast, keep abreast)Upane, ka upane (The rank, hold fast)Whiti te ra (Into the sunshine)The dance was pretty easy to learn. The funniest was the end of the dance where we had to roll our eyes and stick out our tonge.
The Marae officially is the Maori meeting place in front of the carved meeting house. Nowadays the word is used to describe the whole lot of buildings. A good way to understand some of the Maoritangi (Maori culture) is to visit a marae. Please keep in mind that the place is sacred for Maori's so you has to be respected. Some important things are for example to take of your footwear prior to entering the marae meeting house. Also remember that the marae is the place for kinship, friendship, love, spirituality and the life force. Respect the elders and try to learn some basics of the Maori language.
You can find these symbols in many shops, and they make a wonderful gift to take back home.with the following pictures I include what they symboliseThe first picture is the HEI MATAU - an ancient Maori symbol, also called : fish hook. It symbolises abundance and is worn for prosperity and good luck.
Every year on the 6 February New Zealanders celebrate the signing of the Treaty which was held at Waitangi in the North of the North Island back in 1840. The Treaty was made as an agreement to protect Maori Land in exchange for the recognition of British sovereignty.Because it was written up in both English and in Maori (New Zealand's two main languages) the treaty has caused some friction over the years between both parties as both do not appear to be the same. Surprisingly The Treaty of Waitangi has never been made a formal part of the New Zealand constitutional system however many statutes actually refer to it to this very day. New Zealand is usually made up of common laws and customs that are part of the Government as New Zealand knows it today.
If you come across a sign that reads "Cattle Stop" it isn't an instruction for cattle to stop!This is the name us kiwis give to a grid in the road, that cattle theoretically cannot traverse. I say theoretically, because I live on a farm and we have a few of these things, and the sheep anyway, can sometimes find their way across these things. They are a pit in the ground with a grill/grid over the top, that vehicles can drive across but animals can't.The purpose being that it is not necessary to have a gate across the road, to keep the animals confined to an area.This photo showing a cattlestop, was taken on the Crown Range Road.
On arrival to a traditional fortified village or venue, nobody must enter until a formal welcome (POWHIRI) has been performed. When entering these sacred places it is customary for the host tribe to send out a challenge of peace (TE WERO.)The warrior will go through some intimidatory gestures and display his skills with his spear (TAIAHA,) until he places a peace offering (TEKA) at the foot of one of the visiting chiefs. This Teka must be picked up while maintaing eye contact with the warrior.PLEASE, out of respect for their culture, DO NOT laugh, smile or poke out your tongue.
Copthorne Hotel Commodore Christchurch Airport Christchurch
6 Reviews and 293 Opinions Prior to the earthquakes, I have always stayed in town at some renowned hotel chains. When I was...
SKYCITY Grand Hotel Auckland Auckland
7 Reviews and 434 Opinions The rooms and hotel in general were nicer than expected, and service was good. While this hotel may...
Browns Boutique Hotel Queenstown
1 Review and 170 Opinions Within stroling distance from the main town. Welcoming and homely. A warm cozey room admist the cold...
Reviews and photos of New Zealand attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for New Zealand sightseeing.
Q: Last time in NSW/Australia it was quite easy to find good parking-places for my small motorhome, partly INside the villages, but...
A: With "official parkinglots" I mean rest-area along highways and other roads, such "Rest and revive-places" that are announced along the bigger roads ! I also saw some of...
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