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Enjoying more than just Kiwi fruits!
By
Jeff Balk
Lamb-fed smiles
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New Zealand lies in the southwest Pacific Ocean, nearly 800 miles from Australia (to the east) and 6500 miles from LA. The capital city is Wellington, near the southern tip of the
North Island, with a population of approximately 400,000. Wellington's central geographical position was the major deciding factor in the transfer of the seat of government from Auckland,
in 1865. Auckland is the largest city with a population having just reached one million. Over 200,000 inhabitants of Auckland are from the Pacific islands, which makes it the largest
Polynesian city in the world. The three main islands are the North Island, the South Island, and Stewart Island.
Maori make up about 15 percent of New Zealand's four million population and are indigenous people of New Zealand. Most Maori live in the North Island. In the South Island the
population is increasing. New Zealand is a very mountainous country. It lies on a fault line which forms part of the Pacific "Rim of Fire," though there have been only two major volcanic eruptions in
the last 600 years. In the South Island, the Southern Alps run its length.
Out of all of my travels, New Zealand tops the list for beauty. Since the filming of
Lord of the Rings, New Zealand has been added to many people's lists of places to visit. Take
the scenery from the movie and multiply it by the hundreds and you may get close to New Zealand's beauty. With the exception of airfare from North America, your trip will be
relatively inexpensive with the US dollar worth over two-to-one in New Zealand dollars. A nice dinner, with a bottle of wine, a starter, and a main course, will cost you no more than $30 US for
two people.
Auckland
I stayed at the Great Ponsonby Bed & Breakfast (30 Ponsonby Terrace) in the heart of Ponsonby, a suburb of Auckland. The B&B is a chic, yet small, hotel in a quiet
cul-de-sac minutes from the many bars and cafes on Ponsonby Road. Rooms start at NZ$145, which is about US$70 a night. That includes a choice of one of four our five freshly
cooked breakfasts, the likes of smoked salmon scrambled eggs or a Greek omelet with feta cheese.
Just opened is Hastings Hall (99 Western Springs Road), which is in the peaceful surrounds of a magnificently restored 1878 colonial mansion that is
five minutes by car from downtown. It is ideal for tourists, business people, or for a retreat. The eight themed guest rooms all have Internet connection. (Six have
en suite bathrooms and two share a bathroom.) There's a formal lounge, a large pool lounge with library and grand piano, home theater, high speed Internet connections, and fax. Also there's a pool and spa pool.
You can walk to Western Springs, the Museum of Transport and Technology, the Auckland Zoo, St. Luke's and Chamberlain Park Golf Course. Hastings Hall is also close to Eden Park. They
pick up from Auckland Airport and have a twice-daily shuttle to town. Rooms start around NZ$100, with their plush suites ranging up to NZ$300 (US$150).
Aspen House Bed & Breakfast Hotel (62 Emily Place) offers the budget-minded traveler a great downtown alternative. Aspen House has shared bathrooms, guest laundry, luggage storage and
is served by all airport shuttles.
Expect crowds in February, when Auckland will host the America's Cup sailing event (www.americascup.co.nz).
Bars & shopping
The nightlife in Auckland varies from neighborhood bars to dance clubs to dinner-and-a-drag-show. Some of the more popular spots include
Surrender Dorothy (175 Ponsonby Road),
Urge (490 Karangahape Road), Wunder bar (5 O'Connell Street) and Caluzzi Cabaret & Restaurant (461 Karanghape).
The Den opened first in 1985 in Sydney, Australia, on the famous Oxford Street strip. Originally the club was associated with the renowned Numbers bookshop, the first gay
bookshop in Sydney. Since then The Den has extended to Brisbane, Queensland, in the busy Fortitude Valley, and more recently the Gold Coast at Mermaid Beach. Besides their Australia locations,
The Den has also branched out to New Zealand, with retail and club facilities on K Road (348 Karangahape Road), in Auckland City (16 Wyndham Street), and the megastore at New Market
(440 Khyber Pass). Their retail stores are stocked with the highest quality adult products, sourced from all around the world. They pride themselves on their friendly and helpful staff.
"Your pleasure," they say, "is our business."
Things to do
For a day in paradise, take a 45 minute ferry to Waiheke Island, which is full of nature and wineries. I'd recommend a stop at the Te Whau Vineyard, located on a bluff overlooking
one of the most beautiful sites imaginable. Give Larry Olive a call at
Waiheke Wine Country Tours, Ltd (0800-462-868). He took more than four hours showing me the sites of the island
for a very reasonable price. The Villa, owned by the people at Hastings Hall (call them for more info), has accommodations on Waiheke Island. Waiheke Island will host their annual wine
festival February 1-2, 2003.
Around New Zealand
New Zealand's various cities each have their own beauty. Wellington, the capital, is an hour from Auckland by plane, or nine hours by car. I rented a car from Hertz and found
myself comfortably driving in a short time. I also found this great little airline called,
Soundsair (www.soundsair.com), based at Picton Airport, in Marlborough. Soundsair links the North and
South Islands with around a dozen flights per day between Picton and Wellington. The flight time is just 25 minutes, and it's a fast and scenic way to cross Cook Strait. In addition, they
operate scenic flights and "Fly In" adventure packages. Check out the magnificent Marlborough Sounds from the air, on one of their scenic flights, or fly to the start of the Heaphy Track and let
them pick you up at the end-- a great time saver and a very affordable travel option.
Also in the North Island-- although barely a third the size of Auckland-- Wellington offers a sophisticated downtown. A tour of Parliament is edifying, along with the city art museum.
The South Island has a cooler climate yet the landscape seemed greener and the water even clearer than that of the North Island. A stop in Christchurch can't go with staying
at Dorothy's Boutique Hotel (2 Latimer Square). This Judy Garland-themed home was designed in 1916. Despite a number of changes in use over the years, Dorothy's insides remains in near
original condition.
Christchurch is also home to one of New Zealand's casinos, the Christchurch Casino. Although the drinking age of was lowered to 18, you have to still be at least 20 to enter a
casino. Smart casual attire is required at all times; no blue or black jeans allowed, nor can you wear sweat pants or tank tops. Their Grand Cafe offers the best buffet that I found in New
Zealand. The casino is open 24-7.
Take a trip across the island to Queenstown and you'll see the area where Frodo fords the river pursued by the Riders in the
Lord of the Rings. Queenstown has a lot of nice cafes,
and is great for skiing and golfing.
Also on the South Island is the city of Dunedin, home to the Larnach Castle, privately owned by the Barker family, who spent many years restoring it to something of its
former graciousness. Accommodations are available in the lodge, set in the Castle garden on the seaward side, and there's a dining room. All rooms have sea views and
en suite bathrooms. Plan on spending an afternoon at
Natures wonders, where they'll take you into the wood to see yellow-eyed penguins, fur seals, sea lions, and
other beauties of nature.
All plenty of reason to make New Zealand a must see destination in your vacation plans.
| Author Profile: Jeff Balk |
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Jeff Balk is publisher of EXP, a gay/les/bi/trans bar and
entertainment magazine serving
Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas. Jeff
hails from St. Louis, Missouri, where
he lives when not travelling for The
Guide.
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| Email: |
expmag@aol.com |
| Website: |
www.expmagazine.com |
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