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Auckland posts
VIDEO: Merry Kiwi Christmas
Dec 20th, 2012 at 3:00PM:
Tis the season for holiday-themed marketing videos, but this one is so charming, it's already on heavy rotation in my household. Pauanesia, the wonderful Auckland shop featured in our New Zealand-made souvenirs story, has just released this "Night Before Christmas" video starring their stuffed kiwi birds. The adorable and colorful birds, retro-simple stop-motion animation, and jazzy ukelele ...
Adventure Meets Cruise Ship On Extreme Shore Excursions
Dec 7th, 2012 at 5:00PM: It's not often that we write about adventure travel and cruises in the same story. It's more like kayaking and Costa Rica, or cruises and buffets. But some extreme shore excursion offerings by a few cruise lines have raised the bar so high, others may not catch up for a good long while.
Forget the stuffy tour bus and all the challenges of moving 50 or 60 people at a time around an iconic ...Crystal Cruises Hobbit Experience Brings New Adventure To Sea
Nov 15th, 2012 at 4:00PM:
Crystal Cruises are always looking for unique experiences to stand out from the crowd and an upcoming New Zealand sailing is no exception. Bringing adventure from the big screen to cruise passengers, Crystal Cruises has a new dinner experience this December, on the "Hobbiton" set used for the Lord of the Rings trilogy and new prequel film.
Just days after "The Hobbit" ...Kiwi Cool: Shopping For New Zealand-Made Souvenirs
Sep 20th, 2012 at 9:00AM:
When you go to the other side of the world, you want to bring back a few things to show for your trouble. Visiting New Zealand with my 1-year-old daughter, and with nephews at home in America, I became obsessed with finding them something actually made in the country. A stuffed kiwi bird or lamb toy, a merino wool baby blanket, or a fun T-shirt would do nicely, and I wouldn't mind some jewelry ...Kiwi Cool: Saving Money While Traveling In New Zealand
Sep 10th, 2012 at 11:00AM:
Last month, I spent three weeks traveling through New Zealand, focusing mainly on the cities and culture. After living in Istanbul for two years, it wasn't the culture shock, the jet lag, or the seasonal switch that was hard to adjust to, it was the prices. While I knew New Zealand wasn't cheap (though their dollar is slightly weaker than ours), I was unprepared for the sticker shock. Dinner and ...Kiwi Cool: New Zealand For The Un-Adventurous
Sep 6th, 2012 at 12:00PM:
I just spent a month in New Zealand and I don't ski, snowboard, climb mountains, or bungee jump. I don't like "extreme" anything and I'm not sure why anyone would participate in something called "zorbing." In the midst of winter in the Southern Hemisphere, it's too cold for beaches or swimming but too wet most days for a pleasant hike. Instead, I explored museums and galleries, sipped ...First domestic 787 begins construction
Aug 19th, 2011 at 10:30AM:
Production and delivery of the 787 jumbo jet is starting to shift into high gear, and as ANA shows off its new Japanese aircraft the focus is now turning to the domestic carriers. Delivery of the new Boeing aircraft to its first domestic carrier is slated for the merged Continental/United airlines -- it was Continental's order (in 2004!) before the two giants joined forces.
Planned for ...Air New Zealand's new 777-300ER; punching above their weight
Jan 20th, 2011 at 10:00AM:
Prior to arriving in Seattle, I was completely oblivious to the events surrounding a Boeing airplane delivery.
I suppose in the back of my mind, I knew that all airplanes had to come from somewhere; but it might as well have been a mystical factory in the clouds that teleports sparkling new craft to a freshly vacated gate. I never gave consideration to the fact that after months of piecing ...Air New Zealand debuts entirely redesigned 777
Dec 22nd, 2010 at 5:30PM:
This morning Gadling is on the ground at King County International Airport (Boeing Field) as Boeing officially delivers Air New Zealand's newest pride & joy, the completely redesigned 777-300ER.
Air New Zealand has been hard at work for nearly 4 years in an effort to reinvent their long-haul experience. Working with multiple design firms and a series of focus groups, the airline ...Skycouches bring fresh potential to airline seating
Oct 12th, 2010 at 11:00AM: Tired of having to scramble back to the lav when it's time for a little high-flying intimacy? Well, the airlines are (finally) offering an upgrade with you in mind. Some carriers are catering to lovers – or amorous strangers – in the sky with "Skycouches." Think of the potential: three seats in economy class that can be turned into a "large, flat space," according to The Australian. ...The top 50 cities for quality of life
May 29th, 2010 at 1:30PM: If you don't live in Vienna, you might consider moving there.
A new survey lists the top 50 cities for quality of life and Vienna comes out as number one. The survey, conducted by Mercer, a human resources consultancy firm, looked at criteria such as infrastructure, economy, housing, recreation, personal and press freedom, and education. Vienna certainly scores high in all that, plus it has ...Ten outdoor destinations with everything!
Mar 19th, 2010 at 2:00PM: Who says you can't have it all? For many travelers vacation time is limited. Those in search of adventure want to maximize that short window of travel time. Here are ten cities where adventure-seekers can expand their options with a range of heart-pounding choices.
Buena Vista, Colorado
Buena Vista translates to "beautiful view." It's easy to understand why the name stuck. Nestled into the ...Air New Zealand thinks THIS is an economy seat? (with video)
Jan 28th, 2010 at 4:30PM: Well, Premium Economy, at least. But we've sat in Business Class seats that weren't this comfortable.
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Apparently Air New Zealand has a larger proportion of leisure passengers than other international airlines, so they've focused more of their efforts on enhancing ...Coach cabin revolution -- Air New Zealand adds beds in economy
Jan 25th, 2010 at 9:15PM: Innovation may have played a part in Air New Zealand's eight-year quest for renewed profitability.
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As Kathryn Gregory, director of marketing for the Americas region recently said, "We like to look at what the other airlines are doing in their ...Get out and go: Events around the world (December 9-14)
Dec 9th, 2009 at 8:30AM: It's time to look at the festivals and events happening around the world, and this week has a particularly international selection of happenings. If you're close and have time, then you have no excuse to get out and go!
Toronto - The Festival of Carols, a holiday tradition, will be held in Toronto this Wednesday, December 9th.
Oslo - The Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony will be held in Oslo ...In the Corner of the World: In & Around Auckland
Nov 3rd, 2009 at 11:30AM:
With a population of around 1.5 million people, Auckland is no bustling metropolis. Heck, it's not even the capital of New Zealand (go ahead, look it up - I'll wait). It is, however, the country's largest city and the hub for most international flights coming into the country. For Americans flying from Los Angeles and San Francisco, it is their first taste of Kiwi culture (though not kiwi birds). ...Inside Air New Zealand's Matchmaking Flight
Oct 27th, 2009 at 11:00AM:
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When I first heard about Air New Zealand offering a Matchmaking Flight, I was amused. It sounded like a cute promotion from the quirky national airline of a pretty quirky country. And when the invitation came to check out their matchmaking site and cover the flight ...Air New Zealand Matchmaking Flight cleared for takeoff
Sep 24th, 2009 at 8:30AM: Back in May, we told you about Air New Zealand's plan to send a Matchmaking Flight from Los Angeles to Auckland. Well, that flight is now less than three weeks away and more details have been released. Air New Zealand has announced that Jason Mesnick of ABC's "The Bachelor" (along with his girlfriend) will be on the flight, as well. More interesting, however, are the other activities that have ...Auckland's Waiheke Island: wine paradise
Aug 31st, 2009 at 10:30AM: New Zealand in recent decades has established itself among the world's wine hot spots, boasting increasingly famous wine-growing regions like Marlborough and Hawkes Bay. But New Zealand visitors thirsty for great wine need not leave greater Auckland to enjoy some of this beautiful country's best vintages. Instead, just a short ferry ride from downtown is Waiheke Island, home base for the Mudbrick ...In the Corner of the World - With the wind in your sails
Apr 29th, 2009 at 10:30AM: Over the next few weeks here at Gadling, we'll be bringing you updates from our recent travels across New Zealand - in the process, we hope to offer a range of perspectives about what visiting this truly unique and fascinating country is all about. You can read previous entries HERE. It's no secret that New Zealand breeds some of the best sailors on the planet. With serious players in every large ...
