Oceania

New Zealand - FIORDLAND
Immerse yourself in the deep green magic!

Fiordland National Park

The seaward edge of Fiordland National Park is a series of fourteen massive knife cuts, carved by the glaciers during successive ice ages.

Towering, snow-capped peaks reflect in the midnight blue fingers of ocean that reach into the park's thickly forested interior, where you can find trees that are more than 800 years old. For sheer drama, few places of earth can compete with this remarkable natural environment.

In 1990 Fiordland was listed as a United Nations World Heritage site and given the name Te Wahipounamu - 'the place of greenstone', after the area's most treasured mineral resource.

Key Highlights

A fiord is defined as a u-shaped glacier-carved valley which has been flooded by the sea. The fourteen fiords that fringe the southwest corner of the South Island were 100,000 years in the making, with the final details added during the most recent ice age just 10,000 years ago. The Maori attributed the creation of the fiords to a giant stonemason called Tute Rakiwhanoa, who hued out the steep sided valleys with his adzes.

Fiordland

On all sides of the fiords, spectacular waterfalls tumble incessantly as the region's plentiful rainfall finds its way to the sea.

The remaining two thirds of Fiordland National Park are covered by virgin beech and podocarp forest. A 500 kilometre network of walking tracks allows visitors to explore the primeval world of mountain peaks, alpine lakes and moss-carpeted valleys.

Accommodation - In the park

The Department of Conservation provides more than 50 hikers' huts in the park. 'Great Walks' huts are found on the Milford, Kepler and Routeburn tracks, and these provide a higher-than-usual level of comfort. More basic huts are available on the other tracks - in most you will find sleeping platforms with mattresses, toilet facilities and a water supply.

Around the park

A wide range of accommodation can be found in and around the lakeside townships of Te Anau and Manapouri. At Milford Sound, the only fiord accessible by road, there is a backpackers' lodge.

Key Activities

The great walks and beyond

Mount Aspiring National Park

Three of New Zealand's 'Great Walks' can be found in the park. The most famous (and consequently most crowded) is the Milford Track, which takes five days to complete. The Kepler Track is a circular route that can be walked in four days and the Routeburn, which crosses into Mount Aspiring National Park, generally takes three days. There are many other less famous, but just as spectacular, tracks to explore.

Sea kayaking and diving

Several of the fiords can be explored by sea kayak, as can lakes Te Anau and Manapouri. Diving in Fiordland provides a rare chance to see deepwater sea plants growing near the surface. Local residents include dolphins, fur seals and penguins.

Fiord cruises

Every day scenic flights and coach services deliver visitors to Milford Sound for scenic cruises. Eco-cruises of the less accessible fiords can be arranged in Te Anau or Manapouri.

Look for more at: http://www.newzealand.com/

Search Here for Otel.com Best Hotel Deals in Europe!

SYDNEY - Australia

Sidney

The continent of Australia has been inhabited for more than 42,000 years by Indigenous Australians. After sporadic visits by fishermen from the north and by European explorers and merchants starting in the seventeenth century, the eastern half of the continent was claimed by the British in 1770 and officially settled through penal transportation as the colony of New South Wales on 26 January 1788. As the population grew and new areas were explored, another five largely self-governing Crown Colonies were successively established over the course of the nineteenth century.

On 1 January 1901, the six colonies federated and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Since federation, Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and remains a Commonwealth Realm. The capital city is Canberra, although the current national population of around 20.5 million is concentrated mainly in the large coastal cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.

Sidney View

Australia's 7,686,850 square kilometres (2,967,909 sq. mi) landmass is on the Indo-Australian Plate. Surrounded by the Indian, Southern and Pacific oceans, Australia is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor seas. Australia has a total 25,760 kilometres (16,007 mi) of coastline and claims an extensive Exclusive Economic Zone of 8,148,250 square kilometres (3,146,057 sq. mi). This exclusive economic zone does not include the Australian Antarctic Territory.

The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef, lies a short distance off the north-east coast and extends for over 2,000 kilometres (1,250 mi). The world's largest monolith, Mount Augustus, is located in Western Australia. At 2,228 metres (7,310 ft), Mount Kosciuszko on the Great Dividing Range is the highest mountain on the Australian mainland, although Mawson Peak on the remote Australian territory of Heard Island is taller at 2,745 metres (9,006 ft).

 New Year's Fireworks - Sidney

By far the largest part of Australia is desert or semi-arid. Australia is the driest inhabited continent, the flattest, and has the oldest and least fertile soils. Only the south-east and south-west corners of the continent have a temperate climate. The northern part of the country, with a tropical climate, has a vegetation consisting of rainforest, woodland, grassland, mangrove swamps and desert. Climate is highly influenced by ocean currents, including the El Niño southern oscillation, which is correlated with periodic drought, and the seasonal tropical low pressure system that produces cyclones in northern Australia.

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia with a metropolitan area population of over 4.2 million people  Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales and is located on the country's south-east coast.

The first European colony in Australia, Sydney was established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip who led the First Fleet from Britain. Built around Port Jackson, which includes Sydney Harbour, the city of Sydney has been called the "Harbour City". It is Australia's largest financial centre and is also an international tourist destination, notable for its spectacular natural setting, beaches, and the landmarks Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.

Sydney is in a coastal basin bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Blue Mountains to the west, the Hawkesbury River to the north and the Woronora Plateau to the south. Sydney lies on a submergent coastline, where the ocean level has risen to flood deep river valleys (rias) carved in the sandstone. One of these drowned valleys, Port Jackson, better known as Sydney Harbour, is the largest natural harbour in the world. There are more than 70 harbour and ocean beaches, including the famous Bondi Beach, in the urban area. Sydney's urban area covers 1687 km² (651 mi²) as at 2001. The Sydney Statistical Division, used for census data, is the unofficial metropolitan area and covers 12,145 km² (4,689 mi²). This area includes the Central Coast and Blue Mountains as well as broad swathes of national park and other unurbanized land.

Water frount

The largest economic sectors in Sydney, measured by numbers of people employed, include property and business services, retail, manufacturing, and health and community services. Since the 1980s, jobs have moved from manufacturing to the services and information sectors.

Sydney is the largest corporate and financial centre in Australia and is also an important financial centre in the Asia Pacific. The Australian Stock Exchange and the Reserve Bank of Australia are located in Sydney, as are the headquarters of 90 banks and more than half of Australia's top companies, and the regional headquarters for around 500 multinational corporations. Fox Studios Australia has large movie studios in the city.

 More at: Undercover Tourist

TOKORIKI ISLAND RESORT - Fidji

Tokoriri Resorts

Fiji consists of 322 islands, of which 110 are inhabited, and 522 smaller islets. The two most important islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Viti Levu hosts the capital city of Suva, and is home to nearly three quarters of the population. The islands are mountainous, with peaks up to 1,300 metres (4,250 ft), and covered with tropical forests. Other important towns include Nadi (the location of the international airport), and Lautoka. The main towns on Vanua Levu are Labasa and Savusavu. Other islands and island groups include Taveuni and Kadavu (the third and fourth largest islands respectively), the Mamanuca Group (just outside Nadi) and Yasawa Group, which are popular tourist destinations, the Lomaiviti Group, outside of Suva, and the remote Lau Group. Rotuma, some 500 kilometres (310 mi) north of the archipelago, has a special administrative status in Fiji.
Cast away on a secluded island, the most northern of the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji, and a short 30 kms from Nadi is Tokoriki Island Resort. A boutique retreat for couples seeking affordable luxury in paradise, our Mamanuca Island resort exudes Fijian hospitality and is a relaxed blend of contemporary Island style and Fijian design.

Water view Spa

All Bures and Villas at our luxury Fiji Resort are nestled in lush tropical gardens and positioned beach front, furnishing guests with a front row seat for that romantic South Pacific sunset. Freestanding in design, the luxury Bures and Villas also feature air-conditioning, large king size beds, outdoor (and indoor) showers, with the silky sand of our beach just steps from your private deck. Our Sunset Pool Villas combine elevated views with the privacy of your own horizon edge plunge pool, for that extra holiday indulgence.
Planning your diving holidays in Fiji? Then, you are at the right place. Discover the beauty of our coral reefs by snorkelling directly from the beach or dive with our professional PADI Gold Star 5 Palm Dive Team. With an abundance of sites including a Giant Clam Farm less than 30 minutes by boat, keen Divers and Snorkellers are spoilt for choice.
Experience Fijian culture with a visit to our Village, indulge in a decadent Spa treatment or simply soak up the sun by our horizon edge pool. Tokoriki Island Resort in the Mamanucas will provide you with an authentic experience of Fiji. Our friendly and accommodating staff are your hosts and their genuine hospitality is memorable to say the least.
The Tokoriki Island Resort is located in Nadi, Fiji. Adjacent to private beach, snorkeling, kayaking and other water sports Hotel Features. Private beach Heated outdoor and indoor pools.
The thirty four luxury bures and villas at Tokoriki Island Resort, Fiji are a fusion of Fijian architecture and detailing with contemporary Island style, with all he modern luxuries and amenities expected in a first class island resort vacation.

Bungalow

Made up of 29 Deluxe Beach Bures and 5 Sunset Pool Villas. Your bure or villa is spacious, freestanding assuring absolute privacy, air conditioned, and has its own private outdoor and indoor shower. All Beachfront bures and villas are equipped with coffee and tea making facilities, mini fridges, hairdryers, robes, iron & ironing boards, beach mats, ceiling fans, in-room safes and outdoors his and her day beds. Each beachfront room is only steps to the beach and offer uninterrupted views of the stunning evening sunsets over the Pacific Ocean.

Get More at:  Undercover Tourist Hotel Guide - World Wide

MADANG - Papua New Guinea

Madang

Papua New Guinea or PNG, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands (the western portion of the island is occupied by the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Irian Jaya). It is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, in a region defined since the early 19th century as Melanesia. Its capital, and one of its few major cities, is Port Moresby. It is one of the most diverse countries on Earth, with over 850 indigenous languages and at least as many traditional societies, out of a population of just over 5 million. It is also one of the most rural, with only 18 per cent of its people living in urban centres. The country is also one of the world's least explored, culturally and geographically and many undiscovered species of plants and animals are thought to exist in Papua New Guinea.

New Guinea

 The majority of the population live in traditional societies and practise subsistence-based agriculture. These societies and clans have some explicit acknowledgement within the nation's constitutional framework. The PNG Constitution (Preamble 5(4)) expresses the wish for traditional villages and communities to remain as viable units of Papua New Guinean society, and for active steps to be taken in their preservation. The PNG legislature has enacted various laws in which a type of tenure called "customary land title" is recognised, meaning that the traditional lands of the indigenous peoples have some legal basis to inalienable tenure. This customary land notionally covers most of the usable land in the country (some 97% of total land area); alienated land is either held privately under State Lease or is government land. There is no freehold (also known as fee simple) in Papua New Guinea.

Lake View

Port on the northeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea. It lies along Astrolabe Bay of the Bismarck Sea, near the mouth of the Gogol River. Madang is the centre for a large timber industry based on the Gogol forest, about 25 miles (40 km) inland, and is the distribution centre for the north coast and the Central Range. It is also a communication point for the offshore islands and has a major airport. The port handles exports including copra, coconuts, coffee, and cocoa. Local industries include tuna processing, engineering and joinery workshops, timber...

For more go at: Undercover Tourist







LAKE TAUPO -   New Zealand

Lake Taupo

Lake Taupo is New Zealand's biggest freshwater lake, and the water is stunningly clear. You've probably heard about it in connection with trout, for which it's world famous. There are several boat charter companies which will take you out for a day's fishing. People come from all over the world for Taupo trout fishing holidays.
Taupo town has everything you could want, including supermarkets, restaurants and bars, and an impressive array of very good cafes. It's also a centre for adventure tourism, such as mountain biking, para sailing, sky diving, white water rafting, and jet boating. And there's the ski fields at Mt Ruapehu less than two hours away, plus the world renowned Tongariro Crossing, said to be one of the best one-day hikes in the world: a six or seven hour hike up the blown-out crater of Mt Tongariro, past thermal activity and emerald-green lakes, and down the other side. Awesome.
Or if golf is your passion, try the Wairakei International course just up the road, just one of five golf courses within easy reach.

Lake Taupo -  Landscape View

Lake Taupo was formed by a massive volcanic eruption that blew three volcanoes apart - and the thermal activity is still bubbling away all over the area. There are at least four spectacular thermal areas to visit within 40 minutes' drive, and there's also the "Craters of the Moon", a board walk that winds you through bubbling mud and hissing geysers, just a couple of kilometres out of Taupo town centre - for free.
And if you take the walking track along the magnificent Waikato River, you can step off the path and bathe in a naturally hot stream running into the river. Everywhere, there's evidence of the region's explosive past.
Taupo's central location also makes it an ideal place for visits to a range of other places, such as the Art Deco city of Napier, the world class rowing course at Lake Karapiro, and thermal Rotorua just an hour's drive away, with the Buried Village and Lake Tarawera. And with the Mt Ruapehu ski fields two hours'drive away, you can also use Sunshine Cottage as your ski base!
Taupo is approx. 3 hours drive from Auckland and 4.5 from Wellington. There's also an airport with regular Air NZ flights from Auckland and Wellington.
Right on the edge of beautiful Lake Taupo, this much-loved family holiday home is nestled in a substantial garden, giving not only stunning views but also total peace and privacy. The house has a very friendly atmosphere, and guests often remark it's like a cosy home away from home. Plus, the nightly rates are extremely good value.

New Zealand  - Taupo

Sunshine Cottage has been in our family for years - we love it, it's been our escape from the city, a place to relax and unwind in total peace. And because it's still used by family, it's set up with everything you could want, including kayak and life jackets for your use. It's not a sterile commercial operation, it's a family home - an ideal place to holiday, if you're seeking a home away from home at a very reasonable price.

 Go for more at: VacationHomeRentals.com







Dunedin - New Zealand

Dunedin

     The second-largest city on the South Island of New Zealand, and one of the main centers for the country as a whole, Dunedin sits at the head of Otago Harbor on a series of hills and valleys overlooking the bay. The name itself is old-world Gaelic for Edinburgh, and Dunedin a distinctive Scottish heritage derived from the old days. The city itself is a blending of historic and contemporary all at the same time, and it is impossible for you to forget that you are anywhere but in New Zealand. Combine that with the fact that Dunedin is host to the oldest university in New Zealand—the University of Otago—and you have a recipe that is just ripe for adventure, excitement, and a complete abandonment of your ties to the starting point of your journey. 

Dunedin Seashore

     The indigenous tribes have been dated back to around 1,100 AD by archeologists, and the entire Otago Peninsula is still a thriving spot for wildlife and forests. One of the best parts about traveling to New Zealand is that no matter where you go you will always be within walking distance of some type of amazing natural wonder, whether it be fjords, rivers, lakes, valleys, cliffs, coastline, mountains, plains, or otherwise. Dunedin is no different, and the hiking opportunities presented around the city are such that within 30 minutes’ walking distance you can be so completely surrounded by nature that you won’t even know a city is nearby. As far as Dunedin itself goes, the university vibe is present year-round, making this a popular destination for the younger generation of travelers who enjoy kicking back a pint with a group of students at one of the many taverns and pubs, or just enjoying a relaxing sip of coffee at the nearest café. 

Octagon

     The center of the city - The Octagon - aply named after its physical shape has various attractions, restaurants, bars and accommodation within walking distance. It is a very safe and compact city and getting around should not be problem. As a coastal city Dunedin also boasts some very nice beaches and if you're lucky you may even run into the world's rarest penguin.

     Whether hiking the hills above or simply soaking in the peaceful calm of Dunedin itself, this is one of New Zealand’s finest, and definitely worth the trip.