If anyone knows of someone conducting a similar consultancy service to mine (i.e. personalized travel planning)in Australia and/or New Zealand, I would appreciate a referral. I am accompanying my husband on a trip later this month to visit winemakers and producers in New Zealand and Australia who collaborate with him here in Italy. If there are no referrals for travel planners, I would appreciate knowing the following: New Zealand: Are Rotorua and Taupo worth a visit even in warm, vacation season? If so, where to stay that is charming but not as expensive as the Huka Lodge? Australia: Is Adelaide a good place to spend an intimate, quality New Year's Eve? If so, where to stay and just as importantly, where to eat? If not, where else in the Adelaide area would be good? Thanks for the help. Nella
I don't have any recommendations for a travel consultant for NZ or Australia. I have been to New Zealand twice. Our last trip was during the month of November and we visited only the North Island. The focus of the trip was mainly gardens and wineries.
What month will you be in New Zealand? December/January is very busy because it is the Summer vacation along with Christmas. November and February are mild and not as busy.
We have never stayed in Rotorua or Taupo although we did stop in this area driving back from Hawkes Bay area to Auckland. Taupo was nice. We had lunch in Taupo. Otherwise, we have tended to stay away from this area because it is heavily touristed. We stayed in the Bay of Plenty area instead.
I would recommend staying in the Hawkes Bay area. There are many nice B&B in the area. Some do get pricey but I think there is a good exchange rate for the Dollar/Euro with the NZ dollar.
I do have a recommendation for a B&B in Auckland. I highly recommend the Great Ponsonby Bed and Breakfast. We stayed here twice during our trip and loved the location, accomodations, hosts and food.
Marta
Posts: 7044 | Location: Edmonds, WA | Registered: 25 October 2001
Thank you Marta and Pauline. We are REALLY on the road on this trip. Except for our stays with wineries, we have two to three nights, often just one night, in most places. AND, we are traveling smack dab in the middle of their "August" (as I tend to say in horrific reference to what happens to the coastal areas of Italy each year during that month). We are crowd-shy and prefer to miss "highlights" for tranquility - "slow travelers, so to speak". My husband proposed Tauranga last night which is in the Bay of Plenty. Any thoughts?
We did stay in Tauranga. We stayed at the Taiparoro House Bed and Breakfast. It is in residential area and is a historic inn. They no longer seem to have an active web site. That may not be a good sign.
The town is a holiday destination so it will be busy. I don't think it will be a busy as Rotorua. Lake Taupo and Rotorua were busier when we drove through them on a Saturday on the way to Tauranga. It is a small beach resort with swimming beaches and boat trips. It was quiet 'mid-june' (November). I do remember we had a difficult time finding a place to eat because many of the restaurants were booked on Saturday night. There were several weddings happening in town which booked the restaurants. It was an easy drive back to Auckland from Tauranga.
We also stayed in Whitianga on Coromandel Peninsula. It was much quieter here. But it is slow driving on the Coromandel so you some time if you are trying to catch a plane out of Auckland. Our plane didn't leave until 11:00pm so we had a lot of time to meander back to Auckland. The Coromandel Peninsula is very 'organic/hippie' so it has a different feel. We stayed in a motel which was on the beach. We had a trail to the beach so we could walk on the beach. Motels in New Zealand will almost always have a kitchenette so we cooked instead of eating out.
The Lake Taupo area and the Tauranga area are different in 'feel'. Tauranga is a beach resort. Lake Taupo is a fishing resort. It's a bit more 'upscale' at Lake Taupo. If we went back, we would probably stay at Lake Taupo only because we haven't stayed there before.
I hope this helps.
Marta
Posts: 7044 | Location: Edmonds, WA | Registered: 25 October 2001
Nella Would be happy to assist in planning for the Australian leg of your trip. Are you only visiting Adelaide? Dates? How long?
I have friends in Adelaide who could assist me in advising places to stay etc. I'm the resident expert on Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Sydney really is the place to be on New Years Eve, however, I'm sure Adelaide must have a major focal point or something "quietly" special.
I have recently been approached by someone in Marche to assist in promoting their wines in Australia, and would be interested to share your experience in marketing wines to Australia.
Posts: 893 | Location: Sydney, Australia | Registered: 20 January 2002
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