Stewart Island boasts stinking mud, poisonous traps, head-numbing rain and a hotel. Californian writer and traveller, Douglas Wilkins, takes a sideways look at the hazards facing explorers of the far south.
Travellers attempting to fly with swine flu symptoms risk being stranded without compensation.
AIR New Zealand reports its ability to fly domestic and international customers into and out of Queenstown over the busy winter season has been enhanced with 18 aircraft now fitted with advanced navigation technology.
SOME travel news for you this morning, as ice alerts again hit parts of the country.
Police are warning that the worst ice conditions for twenty years have turned the Nelson and Marlborough areas into ice rinks.
Elsewhere, new data on airline punctuality has been made available. The latest airline to open in NZ, Qantas-owned Jetstar, has revealed its to-time efficiency for its first few weeks operating.
The Otago Daily Times reports negotiations for new land to accomodate the exapansion and ongoing but due to be completed shortly.
THIS really is not what you need when you've just arrived in the country, but landing at Wellington airport, while often breathtaking for the views, can also be breathtaking for the maneuvering.
And yet as the airport's website says, "Few cities in the world can boast an airport location as convenient as that enjoyed by Wellington. It is only minutes to the centre of the capital and accessible either via a scenic coastal drive, or directly through the Mount Victoria tunnel."
GIVEN that New Zealand electricity is supplied at 240 volts, just as in the UK, you'd think it would be an inexpensive matter to get all your newly shipped appliances and electrical goods working when you arrive. It is, but only if you think ahead.
Ordinary living allows us to ignore those essential items that smooth the rough edges of daily routine and make our lives a little more pleasurable.
Yet when packing to emigrate, or for long term stays, it's easy to think those small packages of joy will not be needed, or even useless.
One such item is the four-plug block for UK plugs. "What possible use can that be in New Zealand," you might say as you toss it into storage or into the wheelie bin. But the four-block holds a secret, it is the most essential item you'll need for getting all your electrical goods working.
For a start, Kiwi plugs do not come with a fuse and rental properties are not required to have electrical checks by the landlord. You can never be sure just what sort of system you are plugging into, how old, or how safe.
So it's advisable to keep your UK fused plugs on your appliances, particularly sensitive electrical items like computers, DVD players and stereos.
Secondly, plugs, NZ-UK conversion plugs and power leads are hideously expensive, once you are here. One, un-fused, plastic plug that feels so cheap it should be condemned costs nearly £2 ($5 at current rates). Imagine you have to buy and change all the plugs on all your goods; it's not just the expense, it's the time, and these plugs are fiddly and difficult to change compared to UK plugs.
Converter plugs are worse. These can cost £6 a pop ($15) or more.
But if you take your UK four block and change just the single plug on that, you can carry on using all the good quality, fused plugs from Britain.
At considerably less expense, so don't forget to put a couple in your suitcases and shipping boxes even though it seems counter-intuitive.
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