Media Centre

Colosseum closed in rare cold snap
A rare snowfall blanketed Rome on Friday, forcing the closure of the Colosseum over fears tourists would slip on the icy ruins, and leaving buses struggling to climb the city's slushy hills. Other parts of the country experienced...

Off-to-Oz exodus at 11-year high
New Zealand recorded its biggest-ever net loss of migrants to Australia in 2011, underlining the appeal of life across the Tasman, where wages are higher, jobs more plentiful and living standards are superior.A net outflow of 36,900...

London Olympics: Overpriced hotels deter tourists
Unwanted hotel rooms needlessly reserved for dignitaries by Olympic organisers will be a key factor in a tourism slump set to cost Britain billions this summer, top travel industry figures have warned.The organising committee for...

La Scala fears the squeeze as hard times hit Italy
La Scala's general manager hopes Italian Premier Mario Monti's Government will avoid cutting spending for culture, noting that music and theatre can help to unite people.Stephane Lissner said the famed Milan opera house would have...

Fiordland schemes set alarm bells ringing
Proposed mega-developments to enhance the journey between two of New Zealand's most popular visitor attractions have opponents warning that life in a precious World Heritage Area and national parks will suffer.But those behind the...

Howick: Diverse corner worth exploring
I lived in Howick until 16 years ago and, despite its rather sedate reputation, a drive back there confirmed for me that it's a surprisingly diverse corner of the city.It takes about 25 minutes to get to Howick village from the...

Parihaka: Keeping the peace
Now here's a good bit of information for you," Maata says with a wry smile. "Christchurch Cathedral was consecrated on the first of November, 1881. On the fifth of November, they had 1000 children in the cathedral and gave them...

Bay of Islands: All at sea
It was at a lunch gathering that someone mentioned the delights of an overnight cruise ship - the only one of its kind in New Zealand - in the Bay of Islands. My ears pricked up. This sounded like the perfect incentive to head north...

Travel author's top 10 destinations
So many places, so little time ... and nowhere near enough money. But that's never stopped me working on my bucket list, which is probably longer now than it was when I started this job.I suspect a lot of people have the same attitude...

Auckland: Sightseeing by ferry
Clement family adventures often begin with unexpected turns of events. Who could have expected that the act of my car blowing a cam belt somewhere in the backblocks of Helensville would lead to an odyssey to explore Auckland by water?The...

Franklin District: Full of surprises
I didn't know much about Franklin District, apart from Pukekohe and Pokeno, until my hairdresser told me she had a caravan parked permanently at Clarks Beach camping ground, and encouraged me to explore the area.So one Sunday we...

Tony and Sandra Gavin: Grey nomads can be big help for smaller centres
From the headlines and comments by the mayor and campground owners in Thames-Coromandel, freedom camping is perceived as being the equivalent of environmental vandalism. Freedom campers are a blot on the landscape, are bludgers and...

Omana Regional Park: Paradise on Auckland's fringe
A hidden Auckland treasure, Omana Regional Park has its own beach, farmyard and expansive views over the Hauraki Gulf.The park is 40 minutes south east of Auckland city, between Beachlands and Maraetai.It's a free family park...

Lake Tikitapu: A family favourite
Once engulfed in ash and mud from the Mt Tarawera eruption, the Blue Lake Top 10 Holiday Park is now picturesque, with a range of activities for all ages.Susan and Jack Timmer have owned the park for 20 years and aim to make it...

Bay of Plenty: The green jewel in Katikati's crown
Every January Katikati transforms from New Zealand's mural town to our avocado capital. Perfectly positioned in the Bay of Plenty, Katikati is a town bursting with gourmet delights. A quick look at their

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:30:00 +1200

Travel website reviews can be misleading: regulator
Travel planning website TripAdvisor must stop claiming all the reviews on its British site were written by independent travellers - and therefore reliable - a UK regulator says.The Advertising Standards Authority said the claims...