Free Travel Newsletter : April 2014

Written by Steph Kendall

Brought to you by New Zealand Tourism Guide www.tourism.net.nz.

Lucky Subscriber

Congratulations to Elizabeth Jefferies, this month's lucky Free Travel Newsletter subscriber, winning "Kiwi Country New Zealand DVD".

Mother's Day this month provides a great excuse to treat the family to an outing – whether high tea at a special venue or an evening concert especially for 'mum'. Put the Dunedin Midwinter Carnival in your diaries too for a magical evening lit by lanterns and fireworks. But if peace and quiet is what you seek, look no further – seek out a spring, a beautiful urban park or enjoy one of most-loved walks on the South Island...

Find out about:

• Appassionata - Concert for Mothers' Day, Christchurch, 10th May
• Mother's Day High Tea Affair, Auckland, 10th – 11th May
• Dunedin Midwinter Carnival, Dunedin, 21st June
• Go See... Maungakiekie - One Tree Hill
• 10 Top Springs
• Off the Beaten Track to.... Banks Peninsula
• New Zealand Fast Facts

Appassionata - Concert for Mothers' Day, Christchurch, 10th May

The Choir of Christchurch Cathedral will be joined by the illustrious Dame Malvina Major, and violin virtuoso Fiona Pears in this extraordinary concert to celebrate Mother's Day. The Cardboard Cathedral will resonate with exquisite music on this very special evening.

View more about this event and the cathedral at www.christchurchcathedral.co.nz

Mother's Day High Tea Affair, Auckland, 10th – 11th May

If you can't get to the Alberton at 100 Mt Albert Road, Auckland, then take your loves ones to somewhere fancy for a taste of the high life this Mother's Day. At the Alberton, you will be transported to the 1800s as you indulge on dainty sandwiches, bruschetta, sweets treats, gourmet scones all served on antique china and traditional 3 tiered plates.

Your high tea will include a glass of sparkling wine on arrival, special blended teas and freshly roasted coffee. Before the high tea, you will have the opportunity to wander and explore the 18 bedroomed home and garden plus purchase handcrafted pieces from the craft stalls.

The "Mother's Day High Tea Affair" is a fundraising initiative for Africa on My Sleeve, a social enterprise organisation dedicated to creating income generating enterprises for the African art and design sector.

Dunedin Midwinter Carnival, Dunedin, 21st June

Giant lanterns, towering stilt-walkers and magical dreams will take over Dunedin's Octagon from 5.30pm as part of the Dunedin Midwinter Carnival. The annual procession has become an iconic regional event, drawing thousands of people out into the fresh winter chill to celebrate the season and connect with the local environment in a highly creative way.

The theme for this year's event is 'A Winter Dreamland', referencing the surreal and enchanting world on the other side of the pillow. The event celebrates Matariki and the Winter Solstice (the longest night and shortest day of the year) – a great time for dreaming indeed. The Carnival procession circumnavigates the Octagon illuminating the city's historic buildings with a spectacular display of giant lanterns created by artists and hand-held lanterns created by children.

A range of dance, drumming and music groups participate in the event with specially choreographed performances and stunning costumes. The event ends with a bang as fireworks light up the evening sky while food stalls and fire performers add to the atmosphere.

View more information at www.midwintercarnival.co.nz

Go See... Maungakiekie - One Tree Hill

If you want to ramble through wide green spaces, One Tree Hill Domain and the neighbouring Cornwall Park form the largest area of parkland in Auckland City. The pastoral Cornwall Park, grazed by sheep and cattle, gives you the impression you are in the countryside.

Maungakiekie/One Tree Hill is Auckland's largest and intact volcanic cone excluding Rangitoto and you get extensive city views from the summit. The 183 metre volcano has three caters and a lava field that extends to the Manukau shoreline.

The area was the largest and most intensively settled pa in Auckland, and was the centre of the Māori occupation during the 18th century when tribes of the region were united under the paramount chief Kiwi Tamaki. It is also associated with many of Auckland's influential figures including Sir George Grey and Sir John Logan Campbell who is buried on the summit.

Where to go: One Tree Hill, Auckland, North Island
How to get there: 670 Manukau Road, Epsom - 13 minute drive from Downtown Auckland. From Downtown Auckland, take State Highway 1 south and exit at 432 for Market Road. Merge onto Mount Hobson Road, turning right onto Market Road and continue straight onto Campbell Crescent. Turn left onto Manukau Road.
When to go: Any time of year

10 Top Springs

There are freshwater springs, hot water springs and underwater springs aplenty in New Zealand. We've picked out a few notable springs to give you some idea of the differences between them – however, almost all of these springs are linked by a common theme, that of being in some of the beautiful destinations in the country.

North Island Lakes

1. Blue Spring – Te Waihou Walkway, Putaruru, Waikato - The Blue Spring at Te Waihou Walkway is internationally acclaimed with water so pure it supplies around 70% of New Zealand's bottled water.
2. Hamurana Springs, Rotorua - Located about 15 kilometres north-east of Rotorua, these delightful springs are managed, maintained and being restored by the Hamurana Springs Incorporated Society.
3. Kaitoke Hot Springs, Great Barrier Island - This is a series of pools for bathing which are dammed at a fork in the Kaitoke Creek. Take care as the stream water may be hot and do not put your head under the water in the pools.
4. Kerosene Creek, Rotorua - The hot spring here is a small stream which flows downhill through natural bush. Bathers have excavated small smooth rocks to form their own little hot pools that you can sit next to and enjoy the hot water cascading down.
5. Ohinepango Springs, Tongariro - The springs are signposted on the Round the Mountain Track a side route on the Tongariro Crossing. Crystal clear cold water bubbles up from beneath an old lava flow and discharges at an enormous rate into the Ohinepango Stream.
6. Paradise Valley Springs, Rotorua - This is a beautifully presented trout and wildlife park, including a pride of African lions. The trout pools are spring-fed and crystal clear and you can view Rainbow, Brown, Tiger and Brook trout. The source of this crystal clear water is our natural fresh water spring.
7. Rainbow and Fairy Springs, Rotorua - You can hand feed the many species of wild trout, brookchar and long finned eels in the sparkling clear spring fed streams and pools of Rainbow Springs. Rainbow Springs is a conservation park set in 22 acres of native trees and streams.
8. Tuhua (Mayor Island) Marine Reserve, Bay of Plenty - Visit Orongatea Bay, where there is a shallow rock platform suitable for snorkelling. It is enlivened by bubbles from underwater hot springs.

South Island Springs

9. Maruia Springs, Lewis Pass - Set beside the Maruia River, these hot pools come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and temperatures, but each is a perfectly formed tarn, built from smoothest rocks, tumbled and gathered from the river.
10. Te Waikoropupu Springs, Golden Bay - These beautiful springs are Golden Bay's most famous attraction and one of the largest springs systems in New Zealand (and among the 100 largest springs in the world).

Share Your Experience

If you have visited some wonderful New Zealand lakes during your stay, let other NZTG readers know about them. Send details of your experiences to the newsletter editor.

Off the Beaten Track to... Banks Peninsula

Explore the stunning pastureland and forests of the Banks Peninsula by foot as you take on the Banks Peninsula Track. This route helps you to explore the remote outer bays of the peninsula and includes a spectacular volcanic coastline, native bush, waterfalls and sandy beaches with two crossings of the crater rim high above Akaroa Harbour... (more)

New Zealand Fast Facts

The first feature film made in New Zealand was called Hinemoa, based on the legendary love story of Tutanekai and Hinemoa. Hinemoa was a silent film made in New Zealand by French filmmaker, Gaston Méliès in 1913. However, although it was probably the first feature film produced in New Zealand, it is doubtful that it was ever screened in the country.