A small giveaway contest for New Zealand readers...

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freitasm

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Topic # 11050 28-Dec-2006 20:03

If you live in New Zealand then reply to this thread with the name of the most interesting place you've visited in this country. If possible a link to Wikipedia with a map, or an official website, or something else - let's give them some Google juice!

The most interesting entry, or the funniest, or strange will win a package I have here: my trusted HP iPaq h3970 Pocket PC, a Bluetooth GPS, and pre-installed NAVMAN software with full New Zealand map (including driving directions)...

As usual all of my stuff is in great condition - and with original boxes, manuals, etc.

So, c'mon let's make this a nice long thread. One entry per person, please (we keep IP addresses on file!). Our moderators and myself will be the judge/executioner on this not so serious contest.

We'll close this thread 4th January 2007 (before I get on the plane to Las Vegas on the 5th)...

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Reply # 56492 28-Dec-2006 20:43

The best place/most interesting place in new zealand for me would have to be myers park in Auckland, its just great to have such a cool little park in the center of the city.

For the past couple of months the park has been very busy with lots of 13-20 year old 'emos', being very loud and sometimes getting drunk.

Thats the only downside to the place but apart from that it is great, lots of green grass to sit on.

I was born in new zealand but have lived most of my life in mexico (15 years) just been here for three years so even though it has been three years

i still dont know all the places in this small island, there are probably places 100x better than myers park. But for now until i discover a better place its my favourite.

Links:

Wikipedia - Myers park (Auckland) Myspace - Myers park (Auckland)

Dan

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Reply # 56507 28-Dec-2006 23:58

Waipawa - every year they have had a duck race and once had a giant duck for a logo. Plastic ducks are numbered and then thrown down the local river, the person who has brought the winning duck wins a small (probably around $100) prize.

It isn't big population wise compared to other towns and cities however it has character. Its quite a good place to be, quite close to Hastings and the beaches if you lean that way.

(being a mod, I figure I can't really be part of the contest however worth contributing )

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RobiNZ

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Reply # 56510 29-Dec-2006 00:19

The most interesting place in New Zealand for me is Doubtful Sound. I'm fortunate to have been there twice, with Real Journeys and Adventure South, and the combination of natural beauty (Manapouri, Wilmot Pass & Doubtful Sound) and astonishing engineering (Manapouri Hydro Scheme) is hard to beat.

Fossie

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Reply # 56511 29-Dec-2006 00:56

There is this cool place in Blenheim called the "Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre" This place opened up in December (I was there on the opening day...), and it is amazing. This place was put together by Peter Jackson and his buddies in Weta workshops.

http://www.aviationmarlborough.com/oahc/about.shtml

We went in, and it cost something like $14 each...we were thinking...$14 to see a bunch of dust covered old planes? well, it was much more than that.
Weta workshop had made scenarios with the planes, and it looked...real...you actually felt like you were there. I didn't take my camera in there (wish I did), so you will have to look at the site.)

Theres this one situation where a plane has crashed into a tree, and there is another there to capture them.
The first time you look at it, you don't see the plane in the tree...everytime you look, you see more and more. You start to see the amazing detail put into it all. Each model has its own personality, all the details are just incredible..theres a foot print...look closer and there are the little pieces of snow on the side of the print..look again and there is a bit of snow on the guys leg...I wish I had my camera...you really have to see it yourself.

You really need to see this place, it is...crazy..

weblordpepe

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Reply # 56513 29-Dec-2006 02:37

Puzzling World in Wanaka, Central Otago. Most probably the strangest place in this part of the world. Where to start?

For one thing the huge life-size maze that takes you upwards of an hour to walk through:
The big maze

The place us full of optical illusions and puzzles that you can walk around. Like the tilted room (offset by like 30 degrees):

Even the toilets arent free from life-sized optical illusions:

They also have a hall full of 3D illusions everywhere like clown heads & stuff. There's really loads of stuff there. It's a really fun because all the stuff there is really clever & halarius. Its a place that encourages critical thinking and smart stuff. And there's also a challenge open to anybody to prove they have psychic skills and win $100,000 by finding special notes hidden underground. Details about it are on the site.

Their website URL: http://www.puzzlingworld.co.nz
Google maps URL: Google map URL (shortened)

(Moderator edit (BG) - Reduced URL length (but left hyperlink intact) to avoid pushing out the page width)

barnaclebarnes

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Reply # 56519 29-Dec-2006 08:56

Anywhere on the water basically. I love the Hauaraki Gulf and the coastline of New Zealand. The Poor Knights Islands has amazing diving and all along the coast is some of the best boating in the world. Speaking of which, only 3 hours to go until we hit the water :-)

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Reply # 56572 29-Dec-2006 20:27

It's hard to pick one in particular, but I think I would choose Godley Head, overlooking Taylor's Mistake, to the south-east of Christchurch. There are some great walkways in the area, but the main attraction is the WWII Coastal Defence Battery.

dmw

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Reply # 56584 30-Dec-2006 00:40

I propose the sandhills at Te Paki stream, near the north end of Ninety Mile Beach. Why? They are HUGE. They are fun. And even if people go walking all over them, it doesn't take long for the wind to make them look unspoiled.

There is a dearth of web sites promoting this remote spot. The best I found was this one:
http://www.world66.com/australiaandpacific/newzealand/northland/te_paki_stream
despite its poor English.

Te Paki stream is the connection from the main road north through to the beach. It is used by the tour buses. But a word of warning: don't stop your vehicle in the stream, or it will sink in the sand. If the tide is out, you can park on the beach.

dorthabell

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Reply # 56592 30-Dec-2006 09:14

For me it was (is) the Putangirua Pinnacles which are on the road to Cape Palliser, about 1hr south of Martinborough in the Wairarapa.

Google Map at: http://www.dayout.co.nz/miniguide.asp?AttractionID=1256

Spooky landforms which are the result of erosion on soft and not-so-soft terrain.

DoC website: http://www.doc.govt.nz/templates/page.aspx?id=34950
Some other pix at: http://travel.webshots.com/album/502252681tjQTnE

Used as a filming location for the "Paths of the Dead" scene in the Return of the King (final Lord of the Rings movie).

Michael

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Reply # 56597 30-Dec-2006 10:23

My most recent place that I find interesting and soooooooo relaxing is the Katikati Naturist Park

Located not far from funily enough Katikati.

The prices are very reasonable and they have all the facilities you need to relax from the Ratrace.

An added bonus is that you can travel light

http://www.katikati-naturist-park.co.nz/

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Reply # 56604 30-Dec-2006 13:57

One of the more interesting places, and certainly the most memorable place I've been to since moving to New Zealand in 1990 - Whakapapa Ski Resort.

Back in 2003 during the Sept school holidays, i took the kids up there for a day of snowboarding enroute to Auckland. All went well till about 4pm when the blizzard hit and they closed the road up/down the hill. So everyone already on the mount had to standby until they gave the all clear to leave. Didn't happen that day.

1 long, uncomfortable night later, we woke up to a brilliant sunny morning and got the all clear to head down.
In hindsight, the closing of the Desert Road the day we headed up the mount should have given me enough pause to reconsider the wisdom of going up. Luckily we were prepared as we had our sleeping bags, extra clothes, snack foods, books and rubgy balls but not so for the rest of the crowd.

I've tried to attach some photos, but may have done it wrong and I can't preview before submitting. So please excuse the newbie mistake.

Visit Mount Ruapehu: http://www.mtruapehu.com/default_winter.asp

sat

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Reply # 56623 30-Dec-2006 21:19

Raurimu

The most interesting place i have been is Raurimu, which has been famous for 2 things the fatal shooting of 6 people by a crazed gunman and the Raurimu Sprial.

The Raurimu spiral The most famous engineering feature of the main trunk is the Raurimu Spiral, designed by engineer Robert Holmes. The Spiral, which includes two tunnels, three horseshoe curves and a complete circle, the Raurimu Spiral takes more than twice the direct distance of 5km to climb to the summit http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/emain-trunk-line-first-sod

The tiny North Island town of Raurimu, nestled in rolling hills beneath the recently active volcanic Mount Ruapehu, 34 kilometres south-east of Taumarunui, had never seen, and probably never will see a darker day than what unfolded on the morning of February 8 1997 http://www.crime.co.nz/c-files.asp?ID=302

i4n

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Reply # 56659 31-Dec-2006 16:39

My fav palce is http://www.southward.org.nz/index.php car museum.

They have a great display of caddy with trailer

vehicles, aircraft, and the theatre itself is also amazing.

The floor tilts from flat to sloped all based on hydraulic rams. The Wurlitzer organ itself is a spectacular piece of engineering.

The museum can be found here Otaihanga Rd, Paraparaumu, Wellington 6010,New Zealand

Ian

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Reply # 56768 3-Jan-2007 08:47

My vote would be for Lake Tekapo. This was one of the stops for myself and Her Indoors on our honeymoon tour of the South Island, and we found it to be a completely serene place to stay. We spent a lot of our time there sitting on the deck and looking at the lake view.

(One of the screeds of photos I took of this place)

The soul-cleansing atmosphere here is such that you don't even notice the handful of tourist buses stopping or passing through. It is a short comfortable drive to Aoraki (Mt Cook) National Park, where you see more beautiful scenery (but I don't advise stopping for lunch in Twizel - that is a strange town!). For the LOTR geeks, this area is definitely Rohan.

Official site: http://www.laketekapountouched.co.nz/
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Tekapo

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Reply # 56775 3-Jan-2007 09:33

The most interesting place for me has to be 90 mile beach. Many many years ago I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to work up north for a few days servicing 4x4 vehicles we had based up there. I quickly got through my work so I could have a bit of time sightseeing. With the help of one of the locals we spent half a day driving over the sand dunes (of course in a 4x4 Toyota landcruiser). Stunning views as you would expect but the most interesting thing for me was the 'quicksand'. My guide told me that a few years earlier a Japanese bus drove along the sand which had a very shallow stream. The bus driver decided to stop the bus (just to the side of the shallow stream) to allow passengers to take photos. Within minutes the bus was stuck in the sand. Within hours the top of the bus could have been used as a table. Lesson here dont stop! Aparantly visitors like to drive fast through the stream, this results in water bathing the engine (we are talking about vehicles with ignition points) which causes the vehicle to stall. If you dont get the vehicle moving within minutes, it's over, you would lose your car.
This was back in the day before digital cameras - and I didnt have a standard camera either so I only have my memories.

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninety_Mile_Beach%2C_New_Zealand
Official Site: http://www.ninetymilebeach.co.nz/

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