Travel Lightbulb

If you're having a stressful day then I'm sure one look at the scene below may calm you down! This photo comes courtesy of Scot Brown, who took in on a recent trip to New Zealand. This is Great Lake Taupo in the North Island, which is a staggering 159 metres deep.  There are many fabulous facts about the Lake but my favourite is that it's the largest freshwater lake in Australasia and is roughly the size of Singapore - unbelievable isn't it! A beautiful photo and thanks to Scot for the contribution. 

 I'm starting the new year with something a little bit different. How does this sound....luxury accommodation; a fresh unique restaurant experience AND a shop in New Zealand. The Oyster Inn is in the heart of Waiheke Island, just 40 minutes from Auckland in the village of Oneroa. We'll start with the restaurant, which offers veranda dining under the shade of surrounding palms.  They pride themselves on using the best local produce and you can have everything from delicious fresh oysters (of course!) to pork belly, or fish pie. The vegetables are grown especially for the restaurant by local gardeners.   The bar is the perfect place to meet and mingle (and wash down an oyster or two!) whether it be soaking in the view i the sunner, or sitting by the wood-burning stove in winter. Whatever the weather, you can wander up from the beach and glug on a pitcher of homemade sangria, or lemonade - yum!  The three rooms have all the amenities you c...

For the second post of the week featuring stunning lodges, we head off to a totally different corner of the world, New Zealand. Minaret Station is the country's first luxury tented lodge, and sits at the head of a picturesque glacial valley. If you're struggling to imagine what the scenery looks like here, it may help you to know that Peter Jackson filmed parts of the Lord of the Rings in the immediate vicinity of the lodge. If you've ever dreamt of arriving somewhere in style, then this could be for you, because it's only accessible by helicopter from Wanaka Airport. There are many places that claim to have luxury tented accomodation, but they really mean it here! The four luxury tented suites are available in either double or twin configuration, and come with sheepskin carpets; king size beds; private decks with their own hot tub, and are fully en-suite. All food and drinks are included in the package, and you can expect the freshest food imaginable as it co...