Top 5 travel deals: Fiji eco resort, European tour, luxury cruises
Experience Portugal, Spain and Morocco with Cosmos. Highlights of this 16-day tour include Avila, with its ancient, fortified towers and walls, on the way to Portugal. Cross the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco on the African continent to step back in time in Rabat, and explore Medina, a colourful maze of streets with the lively bazaar and exotic palaces dating back to the 13th-14th centuries. Book with Flight Centre to save up to $500 per person.
From $4555 pp, this deal is on sale until June 1, 2025. Departs Madrid November 15, 2025. Airfares and transfers are additional. Booking fee applies. Book now at flightcentre.co.nz/product/20792653 or call 0800 427 555.
Time for a staycation
Make the most of King's Birthday weekend and treat yourself to a Sherwood Suite. A one-bedroom apartment with a queen bed and optional two single day beds in a refurbished room with a kitchenette, 'the woods' all-natural bathroom amenities, limited edition artworks, and fast wifi. It's the perfect spot for a romantic getaway or family adventure. Fill your days with daily yoga classes, book a massage, or relax in the sauna, and take a restorative break without leaving the hotel. Even better, time your stay to attend the Autumn Fireside Feast with Chefs Chris Scott and Michael Meredith on Friday, May 30, for a one-night-only pop-up event celebrating the best seasonal flavours.
Use the code ROYAL25 for 25% off the Best Flexible Rate for Sherwood Suite bookings May 28 to June 5. The code is valid until May 30 via sherwoodqueenstown.nz. Terms and conditions apply.
Hop on a month-long cruise
Need a break? Hop aboard the Crown Princess for 35 days on a round trip from Auckland. Enjoy the first leg of your cruise in Australia with visits to Sydney and Brisbane. Experience the tropical charm of Fiji and Western Samoa with call-ins to Suva and Apia. Swim to your heart's content with five full days in Hawaii visiting Honolulu, Kauai, Kahului, Hilo, and Kona. Conclude your trip by exploring the natural beauties of French Polynesia with stops in Tahiti and Moorea. Snorkel, surf, swim, and relax on the seaside with Princess Cruises.
Priced from $7,693 per person, share twin for a Princess Standard fare, which includes standard dining, accommodation, and entertainment. Flights are additional. Cruise departs Auckland, New Zealand, on Saturday, August 29, 2026. Prices are subject to change. Visit princess.com or call 0800 780 717 to book and for up-to-date pricing.
Up to 50% savings on Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Regent Seven Seas Cruises is offering 30% to 50% off select voyages booked by June 30, 2025. The mid-season savings promotion includes up to 75 sailings in 2025 and 2026, featuring culinary and wine-themed journeys and close-to-home options.
One highlight is the Spotlight on Cuisine sailing with Michelin-starred Chef Alain Roux, where the Culinary Arts Kitchen becomes his private cooking school. This 12-night voyage on Seven Seas Splendor departs from Athens to Barcelona on August 11, 2025 and includes up to 75 shore excursions. The Deluxe Veranda Suite is now $11,935 pp, saving over $5,000 pp. Book before June 30, 2025, via rssc.com/cruises/SPL250811/summary.
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Otago Daily Times
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- Otago Daily Times
Cruise visits expected to halve this summer
Economic uncertainty and rising costs have been cited as reasons for fewer cruise ships planning to visit Kaikōura this summer. Just five cruise ships are scheduled to visit Kaikōura during December, January and February, down from 11 last summer and 16 in summer 2023/24. ''There's lots of reasons. Global uncertainty, Government changes and it has led to less cruise ships planning to come this season,'' Destination Kaikōura manager Lisa Bond said. ''But everything has a cycle. This year we are down to five, but in two years we might be back to 13.'' She said cruise ship companies planned their schedules 18 months or two years ahead, so the global uncertainty was big a factor. But she noted cruise ship schedules are subject to change, depending on weather and other factors. Destination Kaikōura deputy chairperson Lynette Buurman said the ability to attract cruise ships has not been helped by Environment Canterbury increasing its berthage fees. As Kaikōura has small wharves, cruise ships anchor off the coast and bring tourists into the wharf by tender boats. An Environment Canterbury spokesperson said berthage fees depend on the size of the ship, ranging from $7666 for ships less than 100 metres to $16,866 for ships 200 metres or more. Cancellation fees also apply. It covers the costs of chart updates, operation and maintenance of navigation aids, and operation and maintenance of safety management systems. The berthage fees have not changed in the last 12 months, the spokesperson said. Other tourist hot spots are also experiencing sharp declines in cruise ship bookings. Bay of Islands' cruise ship bookings for the 2025/26 season have almost halved from their peak two years ago, from 92 to 47. A cruise ship representative told Local Democracy that cost increases had contributed to the drop. Ms Bond said Kaikōura enjoyed a busy summer and autumn, while King's Birthday weekend, Matariki weekend and the July school holidays brought strong numbers of visitors to the town. April was a particularly strong month, with the spend from domestic visitors up 15 percent compared to last year, while accommodation bookings were up 7%. Strong domestic support continued in May, with the spend up 13% and guest nights up 14% compared to May 2024. Ms Bond said the bulk of domestic visitors come from Canterbury, with visitor numbers from Auckland and Wellington also up. There has also been growth in international visitors, according to visitor data. International visitor spend, excluding accommodation (which is now pre-paid), is up 13%, which suggests either a higher average spend or an increase in day visits. A busy few months are expected, with the Kaikōura Whale Run and the Kaikōura Hop in September, followed by the school holidays, the Mountains to Sea Marathon and Labour Weekend in October, and the Kaikōura Trotting Cup in November, before summer gets into full swing. Destination Kaikōura is a partnership between the Kaikōura District Council and local tourism operators. By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter ■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
1News
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- 1News
Kaikōura cruise visits expected to halve this summer
Economic uncertainty and rising costs have been cited as reasons for fewer cruise ships planning to visit Kaikōura this summer. Just five cruise ships were scheduled to visit Kaikōura during December, January and February, down from 11 last summer and 16 in summer 2023/24. "There's lots of reasons. Global uncertainty, government changes and it has led to less cruise ships planning to come this season," Destination Kaikōura manager Lisa Bond said. "But everything has a cycle. This year we are down to five but, in two years, we might be back to 13." She said cruise ship companies planned their schedules 18 months or two years ahead, so global uncertainty was big a factor. ADVERTISEMENT But she noted cruise ship schedules were subject to change, depending on weather and other factors. Destination Kaikōura deputy chairperson Lynette Buurman said the ability to attract cruise ships has not been helped by Environment Canterbury increasing its berthage fees. As Kaikōura has small wharves, cruise ships anchored off the coast and brought tourists into the wharf by tender boats. An Environment Canterbury spokesperson said berthage fees depended on the size of the ship, ranging from $7666 for ships less than 100m to $16,866 for ships 200m or more. Cancellation fees also applied. It covered the costs of chart updates, operation and maintenance of navigation aids, and operation and maintenance of safety management systems. The berthage fees hadn't changed in the last 12 months, the spokesperson said. More centres feeling the pinch ADVERTISEMENT Other tourist hot spots were also experiencing sharp declines in cruise ship bookings. Bay of Islands' cruise ship bookings for the 2025/26 season had almost halved from their peak two years ago, from 92 to 47. Kaikōura's coastline. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) A cruise ship representative told Local Democracy that cost increases had contributed to the drop. Bond said Kaikōura enjoyed a busy summer and autumn, while King's Birthday weekend, Matariki weekend and the July school holidays brought strong numbers of visitors to the town. April was a particularly strong month, with the spend from domestic visitors up 15% compared to last year, while accommodation bookings were up 7%. Strong domestic support continued in May, with the spend up 13% and guest nights up 14% compared to May 2024. ADVERTISEMENT Bond said the bulk of domestic visitors came from Canterbury, with visitor numbers from Auckland and Wellington also up. There had also been growth in international visitors, according to visitor data. International visitor spend, excluding accommodation (which was now pre-paid), was up 13%, which suggested either a higher average spend or an increase in day visits. A busy few months were expected, with the Kaikōura Whale Run and the Kaikōura Hop in September, followed by the school holidays, the Mountains to Sea Marathon and Labour Weekend in October, and the Kaikōura Trotting Cup in November, before summer got into full swing. Destination Kaikōura was a partnership between the Kaikōura District Council and local tourism operators. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
NZ Herald
27-07-2025
- NZ Herald
On The Up: Northand's Janice and Robert Clarke mark 70th anniversary
The pair are happily settled in Paihia with three grown children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Their love story began in the early '50s when Janice – who goes by her middle name Gay – was fond of a dance or two. When as a 16-year-old she attended a square dancing event in Dargaville, she had no idea she would meet her future husband that night. Robert was a farmer working on his father's property when he and Gay tied the knot about a month before she turned 18. After they married, the pair moved about 10 minutes down the road to Te Kōpuru, where they worked sharemilking for a few years. The couple eventually said goodbye to Kaipara and headed to the Far North, where they leased a motor camp at Haruru Falls, Waitangi. 'It was a big deal in those days because a lot of people camped,' Gay said. They purchased a section in Paihia and built Aloha Motel. Robert was the first deputy chief for the Paihia Fire Brigade, established in 1965. After 10 years of working in motels and camps and three children later, the pair decided to sell up and move to Africa. The younger children, Jenny and Murray, went to school in the Cape province, while eldest daughter Carolyn worked for the railway. Gay and Robert Clarke married in 1955 – 70 years later they're still going strong. Gay worked in healthcare tending to African women while Robert – as a member of Paihia Lions Club – acted as a Lion at large, helping build accommodation for those in need. The family decided on another big move: they took a ship to England and spent 18 months travelling around Europe. Their children returned home to New Zealand while the couple waited for a ship to that could take their campervan. One of their more memorable moments was when the ship from England carrying their campervan hit a reef off the coast of Dakar – the capital of Senegal in West Africa. They were sent back to Tenerife – the largest of Spain's Canary Islands – until they were able to board another vessel, which took them through the ports of Africa. They waited six months for their campervan to be transported from Dakar to Cape Town, where they were staying. They made lifelong friends during that time, the couple said. When they finally returned to Paihia, they settled in a house there, which they have called home for the past 50 years. Gay worked for Kelly Tarlton from 1976 when the historic vessel, The Tui, was a museum. She said it was on the condition she was able to travel during the winter. After Gay retired, she would go to Indonesia every few months to import silver jewellery. The pair remained keen travellers until recently. They have visited some 90 countries during their marriage. Gay said she and Robert have struggled with having 'itchy feet' since they stopped travelling. Their children seem to have caught the wanderlust gene, though. Grown daughter Jenny had recently visited the Arctic Circle. The couple said they go everywhere together. 'Even if I go to the supermarket, he comes,' Gay said. 'And it's always been like that.' She believed having things in common may have been the trick aiding their marriage and longevity. Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.
