Of Queenstown, accommodations and more..

Panorama of Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu from the top of the gondola: Wikipedia

The highlight of my New Zealand holiday some years ago was without doubt visiting Queenstown, a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. Queenstown is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes. The town has spectacular views of nearby mountains such as The Remarkables, Cecil Peak, Walter Peak and just above it Ben Lomond and Queenstown Hill.

We also visited Arrowtown, a historic gold mining town in the Otago region and one of neighbouring towns near Queenstown. Our itinerary included Milford Sound, Dunedin, Mount Cook National Park, Franz Josef Glacier (here we took an optional flight to get a bird's eye view of the glacier), and of course Christchurch and a few other smaller towns - not in order.

Queenstown is now known for its commerce-oriented tourism, especially adventure and ski tourism. There are lots to see and do in this resort town. While some of us signed up for whitewater rafting, the rest of us took up various other activities. My girlfriend and I took a gondola up to the ski slopes for a feel of snow. We did a spot of shopping at the Queenstown Mall. I remember I was fascinated by a male shop assistant at a souvenir shop speaking fluent Japanese with a Japanese tourist shopper.

When on holiday, a prerequisite for an enjoyable holiday would have to include reasonably good accommodation of which Queenstown has plenty of.

Highview Apartments offer luxury accommodation with every modern convenience. Their stylish one- and two-bedroom apartments are designed with majestic views of Lake Wakatipu, the Remarkables range and the Queenstown bay.

Conveniently located, Highview Apartments are only a 5-minute walk from town and yet distanced from the hustle-bustle of traffic ensuring an enjoyable, relaxing stay.

The apartments come with Lounge and Dining Areas, wall-mounted heaters, fully-equipped kitchen and laundry, flat-screen tvs, hair dryer, iron and ironing board to name the essentials available. Here's the link to KIV for your next visit to Queenstown: http://www.highviewapartments.co.nz/

If it's a holiday house you prefer instead, there is a wide range of holiday houses available in Queenstown to suit every budget.



This one for instance is Kohara Lodge, an award-winning standalone house set into the hillside. The house enjoys magnificent views over the mighty Shotover River and is located just a few minutes drive from central Queenstown. It has 4 beds, 3 baths and sleeps 8.


While on holiday, we all want it incident-free. I remember a colleague while on holiday in Europe with her father, had to frantically look for a dentist for the old gentleman who suddenly developed a toothache. Both of them had to forgo the day's tour activities to get the tooth looked at. But I digress, but then again should you find yourself in North Island at the Tauranga area and need a dentist's help, here's a site for you: dentist tauranga nz. But I hope you won't need it.

Since we have strayed far north, we might as well go a little further to Australia where you can find cute adorable Puppies for Sale. If you are in Australia, this site allows you to buy or sell puppies and dogs.

Me!  Me!  Pick me!

Visit New Zealand

Malaysia is experiencing extremely hot weather currently. If not for the rain, the weather is quite unbearable. A holiday to a cooler climate is not a bad idea at all. At this time of the year, a country in the Southern Hemisphere would be ideal. and New Zealand comes to mind. New Zealand is actually a great holiday destination and cheap hotels in Auckland are aplenty.



Auckland has lots to see and do and there is no shortage of nice and cheap hotels. There are activities all year round for the visitor including visits to the museums, eco-friendly tours to parks and places of interest, trips to the beautiful islands of Great Barrier Island or the Waiheke Island.

For garden lovers, Auckland is a city of beautiful gardens. The Auckland Botanic Gardens, Auckland's largest outdoor garden features more than 10,000 different plant types. Ayrlies is one of New Zealand's best known gardens, characterised by sweeping lawns, native plantings, ponds and waterways. Other gardens not to be missed are Eden Garden, an award-winning garden with magnificent views over the city and Hauraki Gulf at the garden's highest point. Eden Garden is reputed to have one of the largest collections of camellias in the Southern Hemisphere. Parnell Rose Gardens, popular in spring and summer, feature over 4,500 roses.

A holiday in Auckland offers you the chance to enjoy and relax with a sailing experience or discover the thrill of watching Dolphins and Whales in Hauraki Gulf.

Indulge in shopping at the Aotea Square Markets, Botany Town Centre, Auckland's newest and largest shopping centre, Chancery, the up-market fashion shops, gift shops and cafes, Chocolate Boutique Café, famous New Zealand Chocolaterie specialising in delicious handmade chocolates and confectionery.

Auckland's nightlife and cuisine are certainly not to be missed too. Whatever your interests, you'll never be short of things to do in the City of Sails. The Auckland Harbor is one place a visitor should not miss. See the harbour highlights including historic Devonport, the Auckland Harbour Bridge, Bean Rock Lighthouse, and the Devonport Naval Base.



A Harbour Cruise is an ideal way to experience Auckland taking in views of three major Auckland Icons – the Harbour Bridge, Rangitoto Island, and the Sky Tower.

After an adventurous long day, there is nowhere more relaxing than in one's hotel room. A holiday in Auckland or even New Zealand for that matter need not be expensive as there are many nice and cheap hotels. The best part is, you will be sure of a room even at the last minute, so advance booking is not necessary.

Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand is not to be missed while on a visit to New Zealand. Hotels in Wellington can be cheap and can be as low as NZ71.

Most visitors will not miss Christchurch too. It's another must-visit beautiful city with her lovely black swans and awesome cathedral. You can find cheap Christchurch hotels for as low as NZ56.