Things To Do In New Zealand – South Island

New Zealands South Island is the larger of the two main islands, but is only home to about 25 percent of the population. It is best known for its magnificent glacier-carved mountains, its fjords, the Milford Sound, Mount Cook, gorgeous beaches, unique flora and fauna, whale-watching and adventure tourism.

Christchurch, the largest city on the island, also known as The Garden City, is located on the east coast of the South Island. The city is lush with trees and parks throughout and the River Avon runs right through the middle of it. Christchurch is an excellent destination for travelers seeking adventure sports.

Some of Christchurchs must-sees include:

Willowbank Wildlife Reserve provides visitors with the opportunity to watch, touch and even feed some of the countrys native wildlife, including kiwi birds, wallabies, keas, lemurs and fresh water eels. The reserve also features nightly Maori Cultural Performances and an onsite restaurant that is open for lunch and dinner. The Reserve is open from 10am 10pm year-round, with day and evening tours operating daily. Christchurch Botanic Gardens are located in Hagley Park, with the Avon River flowing right through it. The Gardens are abundant with flora and fauna native to New Zealand, as well as plants from around the world. Open 365 days per year; free admission. Orana Wildlife Park is the largest wildlife reserve in New Zealand. Set on 80 hectares of park-like grounds, animals are housed in their natural habitats with few barriers or fences, allowing visitors to see them up close and even feed some of the gentler species. Open 10am 5pm daily; closed Christmas day. Arts Centre Weekend Market is a world-class market located in the historic Arts Centre, featuring almost 100 vendors selling hand-crafted local art, jewelry, clothing and fresh produce. The Market also features an international food fair and live music. Open every Saturday and Sunday, year-round. Take the Christchurch Gondola 1500 feet up to the gondola station for unbeatable 360-degree views of Christchurch, Canterbury Plains and Lyttelton Harbor. Mountain Creek Ranches Hunting Club . At the top, visitors can peruse the small gift shop, explore the history center, or relax at the restaurant and caf.

Dunedin is the second largest city on the South Island, and also New Zealands oldest city. This coastal town is perhaps best known for being one of the best-preserved Victorian and Edwardian cities in the southern hemisphere, as well as for its amazing wildlife. Dunedin is home to the Northern Royal Albatross, Yellow-eyed Penguins, and several species of seals and sea lions.

Some of the most popular attractions in Dunedin include:

Penguin Place, home of the Yellow-eyed Penguin Conservation Reserve, is located about 30 minutes from Dunedins city center. Small group tours, which run throughout the day, take visitors through the colony for a close-up viewing of the birds. Reservations are required. Elm Wildlife Tours offers visitors the opportunity to see Sea Lions, Fur Seals, Yellow-Eyed Penguins and Albatross in their natural environments, including Elms own restricted wildlife conservation sanctuary. Private and small-group tours are offered year-round. A good fitness level is required for tours. Dunedin Public Art Gallery is one of New Zealands finest art galleries, which holds the main public art collection of the city. The gallery showcases a large collection of native New Zealand art as well as rotating exhibits from around the world. Open year-round, except for major holidays. Larnach Castle, the lone castle of New Zealand, was built in 1871 by William Larnach for his wife, Eliza, and took 15 years to complete. The castle is open for tours, lodging and dining every day, except Christmas day.

Located on the shores of the beautiful Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by the Southern Alps, Queenstown is an excellent adventure destination any time of year. lga . Besides skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, jet boating, rafting , kayaking and water skiing, some of the other popular activities in Queenstown include horseback riding, golfing, mountain biking, hang gliding, sky diving and touring the local wineries.

Milford Sound is a very famous fjord located in glacier-carved Fjorland National Park; it is the most popular tourist destination in New Zealand. Milford Sound is a spectacular sight on sunny day, or in the rain, when the waterfalls are in their full glory. Dolphins, seals and penguins can also be frequently seen in the sound. Tours are available by day cruises, kayak, plane or helicopter.

Another popular way to see the Milford Sound is the Milford Track, which is the most famous tramping route in New Zealand, and one of the most famous walks in the world. Along this 32-mile trek that goes from the head of Lake Te Anau, through the rain forest and Fjordland National Forest, to the Milford Sound, visitors can take in the beautiful valleys carved from glaciers. The trail is busiest from October through April.

Stewart Island is located off the southern coast of the South Island. This rugged island is 40 miles long, about 24 miles wide, and does not even have roads. As the bird capitol of New Zealand, Stewart Island is an excellent bird-watching destination. Boat cruises, fishing, kayaking and hiking are also popular activities.

Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers cut through glacial valleys flowing into the temperate rainforest. Each of these dramatic glaciers is about 7 miles long. Located in a relatively mild climate, no other glaciers in the world are as easily accessible as Fox and Franz Josef. One can see these glaciers via walking tours, kayak tours, helicopter tours and even skydiving!

At over 12,000 feet high, Mount Cook (Aoraki) is the tallest mountain in New Zealand, and is located in the Southern Alps, which span the entire length of the South Island. This tourist destination is an obvious favorite among mountain climbers. The mountain can be enjoyed by one of the many hiking trails, by 4WD safaris, horseback riding, scenic flights and even boating on the glacier lakes.

Contact a Professional Travel Agent today to book your dream vacation to New Zealand! Call us at 1-800-788-0829 or visit http://www.travelteam.com.

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Fun Things to Do on the Garden Route – South Africa

So where is the Garden Route? you might ask. ingersoll rand . Its a 200km section of the South African coastline stretching from the town of Mossel Bay to just the other side of the Tsitsikamma National Park. Just recently I took some time out to revisit the Garden Route, this time to research what fun exciting things one can do on the Garden Route. Its a fabulous destination and a definite must see for anybody visiting South Africa. To summarize the Garden Route, I would call it the outdoor adventure activities and golf Mecca of South Africa! I have put together some suggestions here for your trip down the Garden Route.

Scenic Drives: Well, there are a couple of lovely scenic drives on the Garden Route and depending on how much time you have and where you are staying the night you could include these on your itinerary.

Swartberg Pass and Meiringspoort near Oudtshoorn a gorgeous day trip to be enjoyed with a picnic lunch stop at a beautiful waterfall in Meiringspoort, dramatic mountain landscape and scenic vistas. New York Wholesale Jewelry . Seven passes road, the original road between George and Knysna dense indigenous forest, tannin rich black water rivers, steep gorges and a prolific bird life. Montagu pass traversing the majestic Outeniqua Mountains between George and Oudtshoorn, the original route built in 1848 with convict labour.

Mossel Bay
Shark Cage Diving an exhilarating experience I would recommend to anybody! Mossel Bay has the most accessible great white shark experience in the world, offering a shorter more comfortable boat ride on calmer waters than the competition at Gansbaai near Cape Town. You will leave with a newfound respect for these magnificent predators.

Oudtshoorn great place to visit especially if its raining everywhere else on the Garden Route. Oudtshoorn is the capital of the Little Karoo which is classed as semi desert so you can count on the weather being pretty good most of the year round.

Cango Caves an underground wonderland with the most spectacular dripstone formations

Cango Ostrich Farm - learn about the ostrich farming industry that made Oudtshoorn famous and take a ride on an ostrich!

Cango Wildlife Ranch a sanctuary to endangered wildlife species. Get up close and personal with a cheetah or go diving with the crocs.

Wilderness a tranquil seaside village offering an array of outdoor activities such as Paragliding, Canoeing up Touws River, Hiking trails through the enchanted indigenous forests, Kloofing and Abseiling.

Knysna a bustling happening little town with much to offer!

I can recommend the 4 Hour Eco Experience at Featherbed Bay, which includes a boat ride across the lagoon, a guided tour in the nature reserve, a tractor-trailer ride and a tasty lunch in a classy restaurant under the old milkwood trees.

Quad biking, Mountain biking in Harkerville and Knysna forests, Abseiling off the Knysna Heads, Canoeing on Knysna River, Hiking in the Knysna Forest

Plettenberg Bay another bustling town to include on your itinerary offering a huge selection of outdoor activities, something for the whole family. Many children activities on offer as well.
Elephant Sanctuary - where you can walk with these gentle giants and even ride one

Birds of Eden - a magnificent display of birds from all over the world!

Monkeyland - fascinating and informative!

Adventure activities such as Sea kayaking, Canoeing up the Keurbooms River, Boat cruises to view marine life such as dolphins, seals and whales in season (Jul to Dec) Sky diving, Abseiling, Hiking in the Robberg Nature Reserve, Bunji Jumping off Bloukrans Bridge (the highest bunji jump in the world at 216m)

Plett has become well known as the polo mecca of South Africa. t-amp . Exciting polo tournaments are being played at Bitou House and Kurland during Easter, December and January with polo practices throughout the year.

Tsitsikamma National Park
The Big Tree largest Outeniqua Yellowwood tree in the area with a circumference of 8.5m and a height of 36m. This is one of the largest tree species we have in South Africa and of the most beautiful in my opinion.

Tree Top Canopy Tours offering fun and adventurous cable sliding from one big tree to the next, a great way to be introduced to our beautiful indigenous forest and its little inhabitants!

Hiking trails along the rugged coastline

Pristine Beaches
Of course dont forget that this entire stretch of coastline has a myriad of gorgeous beaches, most of them having blue flag status. Heralds Bay, Glentana and Victoria Bay near George, Wilderness beach, Buffels Bay, Noetsie Bay, Plettenberg Bay and Natures Valley, all offering the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean and beautiful stretches of golden sand. This makes the Garden Route a superb summer destination!

Golfing is a huge activity on the Garden Route with some of the top golf course in the world based here such Fancourt Country Club Estate offering 4 courses built by Gary Player, our South African golf icon, George Golf Course, Simola Golf Estate, Pezula Champioship Golf Course offering the most spectacular scenery, Knysna Golf Course and Goose Valley Golf Course in Plettenberg Bay.

So all in all, a great destination to include on your itinerary when you come to visit our beautiful South Africa!

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Unique Things to Do in Las Vegas

If youre not the type to gamble your money away, strap on your parachute for some exciting Las Vegas sky diving. While sky diving in las Vegas, you will be able to enjoy a different view of sin city from atop the white clouds. chevy trucks . car dealers . A friend of mine said, while freefalling from 10000 feet in the air, he got a unique view of las Vegas. You will have one heck of a story to tell all your friends when you return home from Vegas. auto accident lawyers . If gambling your life is not the type of person that you are, Try looking at some fine art at the Bellagio. The Art gallery features art that has come from museums as well as private collections. This should definitely be on your list of things to do in Vegas if your an art enthusiasts.

If you are a car buff, Try visiting the Imperial Palace Auto collections Exhibit. Its home to one of the world's largest collection of antique, classic, and sport cars. This is a car enthusiast heaven, Cars can be looked at, but if your pockets a deep, the cars can be purchased also. Last time i was there, I saw a 500,000 dollar classic Lamborghini Diablo. It took my breath away.

When all ideas have been exhausted. Visit the strip., The strip contains all kinds of shows and activities to see. Not to mention, some of the most interesting people can be seen on the Las Vegas Strip. I have even seen people walking up and down the strip with their drinks still in hand. Once your done with the strip, I suggest you hit up on of the plenty specialty buffets that are in las Vegas. The food is wonderful. Some of the buffets have sea food, while other feature western food. If you look hard enough, you can find a buffet to fit anyones taste

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Top 5 Things to Do to Make Her Weak in the Knees

Are you one of those guys unsure of what to say when around girls? Do you instantly clam up? Perhaps you are one of those guys who used to have skills but somehow lost his mojo along the way? No matter which description defines you, stop stressing for I'm going to teach you the top five things to say and/or do on your date ensuring she is yours tonight. If you practice these tips with confidence, then the girl will be hounding you with phone calls and she will be begging for more.

1. Hold her hand. No matter if the girl is an extrovert or an introvert, a girl melts over this old-fashioned step. Not sure exactly what it is about holding hands, but it works. Let's say for example you are walking ahead of her. Just inch your hand out behind you. If she is feeling you, she will naturally grab your hand into hers. Freight Denver . It works every time. For some reason this puts girls in that "this is my man" state of mind setting precedent for the rest of the evening.

2. Tell her you are happy when you two are together. Girls eat this up, but make sure this isn't your first date with her. It may scare her away. However, if you are nearing relationship status, the girl will think it is the sweetest thing in the world. She will blush and gush and most likely go back and tell her girlfriends all about it. This is the result you want. You want her to the point she is eating out of your hand. storage space . If you let her know she makes you happy it is a way of informing her how important she is to you. Girls like to be placed in priority position in your life. So this is just one way to express it to her.

3. Tell her you wish she was with your girlfriend. limo rentals . Again, do not do this on the first date. If you did, she will lace up her Nike tennis shoes and sprint out the door. Make sure you are in a romantic setting, conversation is flowing, she may say something about how she feels about you, then express in a confident, yet nonchalant tone, that you wish she was your girlfriend. If you two are at a level of comfort for each other, then it will sound smooth and romantic guaranteeing you a great rest of the night.

4. Surprise her. Girls love romantic surprises. Surprise her with flowers, unexpected gifts or a planned date she knows nothing about. For instance, if she continuously talks about how one day she would love to go sky diving reserve a date with her. Ask her to dress in an appropriate manner without spoiling the surprise, book the sky diving place yourself and take her. She will love you forever. It shows you pay attention when she talks, and it reveals a spontaneous side. Girls love knowing it will not be monotonous spending time together. You will rack up bonus points for years with utilizing surprises.

5. Tell her how gorgeous she is when she smiles. She will be tugging at your clothes trying to take them off in no time after you relay this to her. It is the one thing that makes girls go weak in the knees instantly. And you are able to try this on the first or thirtieth date making it the number one advice I am able to pass along to you.

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