Media Centre

Travel chiefs declare war on airline tax
New Zealand and Australian travel chiefs are stepping up their campaign against new passenger taxes which they say could be the tipping point for a 10 per cent plunge in transtasman tourism.Air New Zealand, which last week announced...

Tourism groups vow to fight 17pc hike in Aussie departure tax
Australia's tourism lobby groups are getting in behind a challenge to that nation's 17 per cent hike in departure tax, which may squeeze New Zealand's biggest source of visitors.Australia's federal government announced an increase...

Analyst cuts back outlook for SkyCity
An analyst has slashed SkyCity's financial outlook and warned of risks to the transtasman business.After SkyCity revised its own financial forecasts, Morningstar analyst Nachi Moghe issued a new detailed analysis yesterday, cutting...

Herald on Sunday Editorial: No time for reefer madness panic
Both as Tourism Minister and as Prime Minister, John Key has done the right thing in reacting swiftly to the news that three adventure-tourism operators who died in accidents had traces of cannabis in their systems.Lance Hopping,...

Haunted by the memory of these visits
From the moment the doors closed behind me, I knew something was amiss. My friend and I were in Hanmer Springs for a weekend of pampering. We'd treated ourselves to the best hotel in town, and were looking forward to two days of relaxation...

Hamilton: Animal magnets
The Brazilian tapir is not one of the superstars of the animal world. Indeed, it's frequently referred to as "unique looking" which we all know is a kindly way of saying unattractive. Yet, the tapir which is so docile and patient-looking...

The Hollyford Track: Land of ripping yarns
Fortunately, there are no Australians in our group. "I need to warn you about dangerous plants," says Mike soon after we begin our three-day hike along the Hollyford Valley. He points to the leafy shrub beside him. "This is tutu....

Waitomo: Descent into the labyrinth
My long descent into the dark labyrinth is marked by a deathly silence save for the intermittent sound of dripping. A single drop of acidic water is falling fifteen metres every few seconds, resonating eerily within the cylindrical...

Hauraki: Trail blazers
It's embarrassing to admit that I have spent a lifetime driving through the Hauraki Plains en route to the beaches of the Coromandel, whistling past the towns at 100kph with only the odd stop for fish and chips. Maybe I have been...

Domestic business travel surges in 2011
There was a big jump in domestic travel last year, with an 11.3 per cent increase in overnight trips by local tourists.According to latest tourism survey run by the Ministry of Economic Development, New Zealand travellers made 17.7...