Breaking news America’s Cup will race in SF or Europe, we’re talkintravel (video)

Breaking news America’s Cup will race in SF or Europe, we’re talkintravel (video).

After Fourth of July hotel deals with CheapOStay, we’re talkintravel (video)

After Fourth of July hotel deals with CheapOStay, we’re talkintravel (video).

Summer in Antigua where the beach is just the beginning part 2, where to stay.

Summer in Antigua where the beach is just the beginning part 2, where to stay..

Sister cities San Francisco and Zurich get closer part 4, we’re talkintravel (video)

Sister cities San Francisco and Zurich get closer part 4, we’re talkintravel (video).

World Cup South Africa, Talkintravel style part 2 (video)

World Cup South Africa, Talkintravel style part 2 (video).

Sister cities San Francisco and Zurich get closer (part 3), we’re talkintravel (videos)

Sister cities San Francisco and Zurich get closer (part 3), we’re talkintravel (videos).

June 2 marks start of new Swiss International Air LInes SFO-Zurich flight, we’re talkintravel.

June 2 marks start of new Swiss International Air LInes SFO-Zurich flight, we’re talkintravel..

VOLUNTOURISM AND VOLCANOES…A LEARNING VACATION AWAITS YOU AT THE FAIRMONT ORCHID, HAWAII

Kohala Coast, Hawaii’s Big Island, March, 2009 – The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii-a luxury AAA Four Diamond resort located on the Big Island of Hawaii is pleased to offer a newly formed Adventure Package which will include admission to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park as well as enrollment in one of the many classes offered by the Hawaii Volcanoes Institute, an educational arm of the Friends of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and a non-profit organization dedicated to the education of Hawaii Island geology, biology, history and culture.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ existing partnership with the World Heritage Alliance makes this a perfect fit for travelers today who would like a bit more than just sand and surf during their Hawaiian getaway.

“The Hawaii Volcanoes Institute shares the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park’s educational mission as a partner providing quality programs that inspire and engage people in the understanding, appreciation and stewardship of this remarkable Park. We are delighted to see The Fairmont Orchid Hawaii’s involvement with this program,” said Cindy Orlando, Superintendent of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

“Fairmont Hotels & Resorts enjoys a long tradition of environmental stewardship,” said Ian Pullan, General Manager of the Kohala Coast Resort. “The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii is honored to be a partner with Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the Hawaii Volcanoes Institute.”

Package includes deluxe accommodations, daily breakfast for 2, Fun in the Sun Activity passes, a picnic lunch for two, enrollment in a Hawaii Volcanoes Institute class, and a donation to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park through the Friends of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to be used to support the threatened and endangered species at the park including the Hawaiian Petrel (seabird), Hawksbill Turtle, the Mauna Loa silversword, and the Hawaiian Nene Goose. Prices from $449/night including taxes. Book your Adventure Package with your preferred travel agent, by calling the hotel direct toll free at 800-845-9905 or visit www.fairmont.com/orchid/hotelpackages Five-night minimum stay required. Valid through December 20, 2009. For more information on the Hawaii Volcanoes Institute as well as a listing of classes offered, please visit www.fhvnp.org

The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii on the Big Island is a AAA Four Diamond luxury destination resort on 32 oceanfront acres offering 540 guestrooms on the island’s northwestern coast. Facilities and services include the Hawaiian-inspired Spa Without Walls with 10 waterfall hale (hut) and 5 oceanside cabanas, authentically local daily beach and cultural activities, golf, tennis and water sports, year-round children’s program, six delectable restaurants and expansive indoor and outdoor meeting facilities all surrounded by service with Aloha.

ABOUT FAIRMONT HOTELS & RESORTS

A leader in the global hospitality industry, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is an extraordinary collection of luxury hotels, which includes iconic landmarks like Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Québec City, Fairmont The Norfolk, Nairobi and London’s The Savoy, reopening in 2009. Fairmont hotels are one-of-a-kind properties where sophisticated travelers can discover culturally rich experiences that are authentic to the destination. Situated in some of the most exclusive and pristine areas in the world, Fairmont is committed to responsible tourism and is an industry leader in sustainable hotel management with its award-winning Green Partnership program. Fairmont’s portfolio includes 56 distinctive hotels, with plans to develop over 25 new properties in the coming years in destinations as diverse as Shanghai, Morocco and Anguilla.

Fairmont is owned by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, a leading global hotel company with 91 hotels worldwide under the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmon

2009 Fireworks Sydney Australia from the roof top of the Four Seasons Hotel

small and private group viewing the 2009 fireworks from the most famous display in the world at the Sydney Harbor…six barges, five rooftops, and of course the bridge.

New Zealand’s Latest Media News

Tourism New Zealand News header
Tourism New Zealand

Media News
December 2008
In This Issue

What’s New

What’s Happening

Did You Know?

Kiwis You Need to Know

Upcoming Events

What’s New
Glacier-Fed Hot Pools
Fed by glacial ice from the nearby famed Franz Joseph glacier, the new Glacier Hot Pools live up to their name. What never runs hot and cold here: its status as a haven of rest and relaxation. The multi-million dollar pools take maximum advantage of their surroundings: a mature rainforest, native bush and pure local glacier water create a romantic, otherworldly setting complemented by state of the art facilities. Three warm main pools and three secluded private pools tempt guests to soothe their aching muscles after a day of ice climbing or hiking – and spa treatments are also available.

Photo: Courtesy of Glacier Hot Pools
Follow the Wine Trail
Northland, renowned for great chardonnay, pinot gris, shiraz and pinotage, now raises a glass to a new wine trail that meanders and undulates in and out of the region’s acclaimed vineyards. Travelers can start up north at the Karikari Estate with a glass of award-winning wine in New Zealand’s northernmost vineyard before turning south to Lochiel Estate for, naturally, a winery tour.

Photo: Credit to Ian Trafford

Discovery Never Tasted So Good
Claremont Country Estate Luxury Lodge, cradled in rolling countryside against a backdrop of the spectacular Southern Alps, is serving up five exclusive guest experiences this summer – each themed to either “Discovery” or “Gourmet.” Three packages lead to insightful discoveries of New Zealand’s natural and culinary delights. The “Chef-to-You” program does just that: dishing out a hands-on cooking session with Claremont’s resident chef. And the “Meet the Locals” approach to discovery ushers guests into the fresh thick of things at the area’s abundantly stocked farmers markets.

Huka Lodge’s “Alan Pye” Cottage
Huka Lodge, widely acknowledged as one of the world’s top retreats, this month unveils its Alan Pye Cottage – privately sited behind a gated entrance and perched on an elevated promontory above the Waikato River. Named for the lodge’s founder and emanating its trademark luxury – crafted to the same exacting standards using cedar, heart timbers, stone and brick – this two-bedroom enclave has all the style, space and opulent fittings one craves: open living room with fireplace, study, laundry, and kitchen thoughtfully equipped for either self-catering or the creations of your own personal chef. While cottage guests enjoy use of all Huka Lodge facilities, they can also choose to unwind in their private heated infinity-style swimming pool or revel in a separate spa pool integrated into a beautiful landscape featuring a courtyard garden and grand outdoor fireplace.

Oh Yeah, Ohtel
Ohtel, Wellington’s newest designer boutique hotel, is a sleek, sharp and inviting new eco-friendly property nestled into the upscale seaside neighbourhood of Oriental Bay. With only ten cozy bedrooms to call home during a stay in the capital city, the hotel is a crisp, stylish exemplar of international urban chic and trendy detail. Perfectly situated for impromptu explorations or all-day fun in the sun, Ohtel is a treat to the eye inside and out with fabulous views overlooking the Harbor and Waitangi Park. And it’s within easy walking distance to shopping and great nightlife.

Arc of the Story: NZ’s Latest Thrill
The same Kiwi team that launched the bungy jump onto the world stage has added a new (and this one’s adjustable) arc to the adventure story – unleashing another way to accelerate your pulse. For adrenaline junkies, the Nevis Arc is music to the ears, generating thrills along a graceful, giant arc that swings daring souls across a 390-foot gorge some 440 feet (when set to the max) above the ground. In this lofty playground for the world’s highest swing, you get to adjust its height!

What’s Happening
Have Yourself a Very Kiwi Christmas
A wintry Christmas blanketed in snow and eggnog is just around the corner in the Northern Hemisphere – but sunshine and a Shandy beer ring in the holiday season down under. Balmy skies and a mug of suds aren’t all that define a Kiwi-style Christmas. Here are some other ways Kiwis give the Yuletide celebration a holiday twist that visiting Americans will not soon forget.

Photo: Credit to Kieran Scott

In Like Wind, Out Like Water: Louis Vuitton Pacific Series
Befitting a nation of maritime traditions, New Zealand will kick off the New Year with a two-week sailing regatta January 31 – February 14. To be held in Auckland, aptly dubbed the “City of Sails” – thanks to the world’s highest boat ownership per capita – the one-off regatta will stir the nautical juices by filling the sails of some of the greatest sailing teams to take the helm at the peak of the southern hemisphere’s ideal sailing season. Ten teams from as many nations – including U.S team BMW Oracle and Emirates Team New Zealand – will hoist canvas in a rivalry to tack the waters of America’s Cup fame. The Series will regale sailing enthusiasts and visitors alike with the excitement of a world-class wind-powered event. Stylish Louis Vuitton has designed a special trophy for the winner. Photo: Credit to Scott Venning

Return of the Conchords
Brett McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, the Grammy-winning comic duo known as Flight of the Conchords, have pleased cable TV fans nationwide by announcing their return to HBO for a second season of their hit show. Quirky, original and Kiwi through and through, Brett and Jermaine, who first met as flat mates while studying at the Victoria University of Wellington, return to US screens on January 18, 2009, with more of their smart and wacky brand of hilarity and tune-making.

Homegrown Tunes
Wellington’s music scene can’t keep its light, or beat, under a bushel, growing exponentially as homegrown Kiwi tune-making flourishes. The indie- and reggae/dub-influenced genre comes alive in pulsing rhythms, striking chords and harmonies, and edgy lyrics at two local music festivals:

* Homegrown: The only Kiwi music festival staged on Wellington’s Waterfront, Homegrown showcases the largest collection of New Zealand bands ever assembled in one place. Strutting across five stages, the best bands and DJs rock the capital and an audience of music lovers.
* Sandwiches Summerset: Starting by day and ending by night, this outdoor festival packs seven hours of hot performances and warm hospitality onto the green grass of Basin Reserve.

Did You Know?
Ogling NZ on the Google Map
Google Maps’ popular Street View feature has just turned its cameras on New Zealand, allowing users the world over to explore the youngest country on earth – i.e., the last to be populated by humans – thanks to captivating, wonder-inducing 360-degree street-level imagery of the island nation’s cities and areas of interest (some at a fair remove from its’ main streets).

Nine-Year-Old Inventor Wins NZ Patent Prize
It’s no secret that Kiwis have a natural affinity for conservation – as if the impulse to preserve and protect is born with them. How’s this for starting young: a nine-year-old lad has been awarded a major patent prize for inventing his eco-friendly device to transform raw food scraps into fertilizer – without anyone ever having to leave the kitchen. Words he will never hear: take out the garbage.

Kiwis You Need to Know
Henry van Asch
Is life most intensively lived when the prospect of death is near? New Zealander Henry van Asch thought so – and he made a thriving commercial enterprise of tempting people to jump to their possible (but unlikely) demise. With fellow Kiwi A.J. Hackett, Van Asch transformed a bizarre Pacific Island ritual (and rite of passage of young boys into manhood) into a multi million-dollar tourism enterprise born in New Zealand (a rite of passage of tourists into adventure travelers).

Upcoming Events
Rhythm and Vines Festival, December 29 – January 1
Tall Ships Race, January 10
Auckland Seafood Festival, January 24 – 26
Auckland Anniversary Regatta, January 26
Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, January 31 – February 14
Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival, February 19 – 22

Online Resources
http://www.newzealand.com
The official site for New Zealand – destinations, activities, accommodation, itinerary planning and events

http://feeds.newzealand.com/travel/us/features
RSS feed on the latest news, videos, features and what’s going on

http://www.media.newzealand.com
Dedicated site for media to access story ideas and background information

http://www.images.newzealand.com
New Zealand image library – rights-free images for editorial use

http://www.tourismnewzealand.com
New Zealand tourism statistics and reports

http://www.newzealand.com/travel/getting-to-around-nz/getting-to-nz/travel-deals/united-states/travel-deals—usa.cfm
The latest in great travel deals to New Zealand