Hello to our Kiwi and international subscribers and welcome to another monthly update of life within New Zealand’s Information Network!

Between the paper war that seems a constant on my desk and the increase in online visitor enquiries (which I endeavour to answer or point them in the right direction) plus the exciting new Websites we’re creating for clients, I must admit to having squeezed in a lot more outdoor ‘R&R’ time thanks to some of the nicer Spring weather we’ve had in September. While we’ve enjoyed some sunnier days, the weather has been rather random to say the least, and only a couple of days ago I enjoyed schooling my horse on a super sunny morning in a tank top, only to be watching snow falling on our lawn a few hours later! Now that Daylight Savings has started I look forward to enjoying my first BBQ with friends this weekend!

While I am enjoying some of the nicer weather, it is safe to say that our ski fields are still in the midst a huge season, however all good things must eventually come to an end (for a little while anyway), so if you have been toying with the thought of a day (or weekend) spent on one of our many awesome New Zealand slopes, then now is the time! Another great reason to ‘hit the slopes’ now is to take advantage of some of the ‘end of season’ cheap ski and snowboarding packages on offer.

New Zealand’s clear blue skies, lofty mountains and dazzling snow slopes guarantee our country’s popularity as a skiing and snowboarding destination – but where do you start? We have made it a bit easier for you to decide which ski/snowboarding field will suit you with our comprehensive articles about New Zealand Ski Areas & Heli-Ski Sites. Covering the entire country, including the ‘big name’ fields such as Mt Hutt, Porter Heights, Treble Cone, Cardrona and Whakapapa along with some of the more boutique club fields such as Ohau, Mt Cheeseman and Mt Lyford.

Of course, for the sun worshipers (such as myself), if the idea of freezing your butt off on any ski slope (plus the fact, that unless ski-ing on your butt becomes the norm, I’m on the outside) doesn’t really tickle your fancy; you might want to aim for warmer Spring destinations such as the Coromandel Peninsula. One of the most appealing features of the peninsula is the stark difference between the two coastlines. The west is characterised by steep hills plunging onto a narrow winding coast road, ablaze with crimson pohutukawa blossoms in early summer - our very own Christmas tree. The east is renowned for sweeping white sand beaches pounded by Pacific surf. Equally fashionable are the hidden coves and sheltered harbours, ideal for swimming, snorkelling, diving, boating and fishing.

Our informative articles regarding the Peninsula cover great touristy spots such as Paeroa, Thames, Coromandel Town, Colville, Whitianga, Whangamata, Waihi Beach and more!

Now for the plug, we have just updated a couple of Websites with new online information, photos, colours and our tech guy has put some new tricks into the ‘behind the scenes’ part of these sites, so please take a moment to look (and hopefully provide the nod of approval) for the Mike Turfus brands, including his Dunedin Car Hire and Queenstown Car Hire Websites.

Hopefully by my next thoughts and ramblings I will have a few BBQ’s under my belt and the promise of long, balmy evenings will be just a blink away…

Cheers

Rachael de Hek