A fine winter warmer
If sampling deluxe drinks at one of Hawke’s Bay’s top hang-outs sounds right up your alley, check out the High Spirits and Whisky Business weekend at The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, June 6-7. Spirit aficionado Frankie Walker will host this entertaining, informative weekend of rare whisky, bespoke cocktails and fabulous food.
A change of place
Look out London, Kiwis have a new holiday hot spot. Travel experts predict a 50 per cent increase in local globetrotters heading to South America, making it the fastest growing market for New Zealand adventurers. Direct flights from Auckland to Buenos Aires take less than 12 hours, and the strong Kiwi dollar means travellers can stay, play and dance longer in the land of the tango.
Buenos Aires, South America.
Farewell jet lag?
Love jet-setting but loathe jet lag? A solution may have arrived with the drink 1Above, which contains a natural bark extract said to reduce the severity of travel fatigue. The concoction also contains electrolytes and B vitamins to aid hydration, and comes in concentrate or fizzy tablet form.
Road trippers
According to travel company Jucy, thrill-seeking baby boomers are ditching their holiday baches in favour of luxury motorhomes, with sales of the portable houses skyrocketing in the over-50 age bracket. And if you’re picturing a clunky caravan, think again – these modern campers come with all the bells and whistles, including solar panels and satellite TVs.
A favourite Kiwi tourist spot
Queenstown has received the unusual honour of appearing in a new Monopoly game. Around 80 cities from across the globe competed for 20 places on the board, and Queenstown proved a popular choice for the public votes. Alongside our own alpine wonderland, ‘Monopoly Here and Now: World Edition’ features cities such as Lima, Athens and Tokyo. The game includes iconic landmark tokens, and players compete for passport stamps instead of cash.
Journeys for armchair travellers
You don’t need to leave the comfort of your own home to enjoy an exciting travel adventure. If wanderlust has set in but your bank balance has other ideas, why not delve into the world of books? Curl up on the couch and be transported to far-flung places with these top travel tales:
Thailand: The Beach by Alex Garland
Beating the movie adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio hands-down, this book about a secret community on a remote island is a gripping page-turner.
France and Spain: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemmingway
This novel about American expats abroad after WWI paints remarkable pictures of café life in Paris, fishing in the pristine rivers of the Pyrénées, and bullfighting in Pamplona.
USA: On the Road by Jack Kerouac
A rollicking road trip filled with jazz, drugs and larger than life characters, this post-WWII novel inspired a generation of poets… and hitchhikers.
Chile and USA: Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
The story is centred on young Eliza and her physician, Tao Chi’en, who are drawn into an adventure during the 1848 gold rush in California. Vivid street scenes capture the excitement of exploring a new city.
Italy: The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
Ancient cobbled streets and picturesque Mediterranean fishing villages provide the backdrop for twisted Tom Ripley’s sinister deeds in this classic novel.
Words: Sarah Bunny
Photographs: Getty Images
