Disney Cruise Line – which finally arrived in Australia and New Zealand last October – have just confirmed their ship Disney Wonder is set to return for a third season on our shores in 2025/2026. Having already completed its first season, and with a second already announced for October 2024 through February 2025, the confirmation…
Read More
“Rest is weird.” – This is how Elizabeth Stokes, guitar, singer and one-quarter of the formidable team, band and fast friends that are Auckland’s The Beths, starts our interview. 2022 saw them perform around 94 gigs in over a dozen countries as they took the chance to promote not one, but two albums that have…
Read More
Keeping travel dreams alive and setting goals has never felt more important. We can all agree that 2020 has been an unfortunate year so far, and almost every facet of daily life has been wrought by this ongoing global pandemic, the start of which now feels like forever ago. The arts has been one of…
Read More
Keeping travel dreams alive and setting goals has never felt more important. We can all agree that 2020 has been an unfortunate year so far, and almost every facet of daily life has been wrought by this ongoing global pandemic, the start of which now feels like forever ago. The arts has been one of…
Read More
With talk of a Trans-Tasman travel bubble still floating around – and looking promising – Aussies’ attention is split between their own magnificent backyard and the equally gorgeous landscapes and cities that await across the ditch. Auckland should be front-centre of that vision, with its big-city lifestyle, dynamic dining scene gorgeous harbour, and wine-filled Waiheke…
Read More
Acclaimed Australian-born brand QT Hotels & Resorts has finally lifted the lid on QT Auckland, their first New Zealand property after a successful trans-Tasman debut with QT Queenstown and QT Wellington. Located in the city’s Viaduct Harbour, and set for a grand opening on 1st November 2020, the property is now accepting bookings and, from…
Read More
Following a very successful entry into New Zealand with properties in both Wellington and Queenstown, thematic hotel brand QT Hotels & Resorts has today announced the signing of QT Auckland. The property will be located at Viaduct Harbour and mark the 10th QT Hotel overall, introducing a unique hotel to the city with the brand’s…
Read More
Novocastrians are about to receive greater access to the vast beauty of New Zealand as Virgin Australia plan to be the first airline in 16 years to introduce direct services between Newcastle Airport and Auckland. Newcastle Airport will welcome the new routes during the peak holiday period from 22nd November 2018 to 17th February 2019,…
Read More
The newly opened Avani Metropolis Residences in Auckland’s CBD marks a significant debut for the hotel and resort brand in this part of the world. Along with an even newer Australian property on the Gold Coast, the reputable Avani name has officially stepped onto the Trans-Tasman scene, looking to bolster Minor Hotels’ steadily growing portfolio…
Read More
Emirates are set to introduce the only year-round flight between Bali and Auckland with a new service launching from 14th June 2018. Originating in Dubai, the new route adds to the airlines daily services to New Zealand, making that a total of three in addition to Emirates’ existing non-stop daily service between Dubai and Auckland,…
Read More
Singapore-based design hotel group, Naumi Hotels, have just made their official debut in Australasia with the 193-room Naumi Auckland Airport property. With the playful addition just minutes from the international and domestic airports, the group are hoping to absorb and reflect a unique contemporary design that borrows from local culture, evident in the hotel’s central…
Read More
“Local Knowledge” is often hard to grasp for tourists who may not have the time, capacity or even patience to plan their trip down to the finer details. It’s an increasingly difficult well of information to tap into as well, with the often ridiculous deluge of blogs (not the good kind) and Zomato/Yelp reviews dirtying…
Read More
Island time will soon be easier to reach for Kiwis, with an additional five non-stop weekly flights scheduled to connect Auckland and Honolulu from 21st March 2018. Hawaiian Airlines’ increased schedule will have flights depart Auckland at 11:55 pm five times weekly, Wednesday through Sunday, arriving in Honolulu at 9:45 a.m. on the same day. Flights…
Read More
A new hotel has will be opening up in Auckland, New Zealand, with a core focus on wellness travel. Even Hotels have partnered with Intercontinental Hotels and Pro-invest Group to expand beyond North America and into the capital cities across Australia and New Zealand, with the first launching in Auckland in 2020. “With more than…
Read More
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses is returning to Australia and New Zealand in late August for a run of dates. The show, which performs music from the ever-popular series of Nintendo video games backed by a full orchestra, now in its fourth season, is returning with an expanded program.
Read More
Legendary composer Hans Zimmer has won just about every award in the book – but he’s never performed in Australia. In less than three weeks, however, he’ll be changing that, with a massive arena show called Hand Zimmer Revealed, set to hit the capital cities, shortly after performing in California at the iconic Coachella Music…
Read More
Today we travel from San Francisco (SFO) to Auckland (AKL), on board Air New Zealand‘s economy 777 service. Flying out on a Friday night, I was surprised to see the plane not just full, but overbooked – which seems to lend to the argument that this route is increasing in its popularity as an alternative to…
Read More
There is a sense of comfort to the Langham Hotel in Auckland that hits you from the moment you walk into their lobby. It’s spacious, with plenty of sitting areas and a long check in counter. Those behind it couldn’t be more helpful and the process to get yourself to your room is a painless…
Read More
While most fly to London via Asia or the Middle East, Air New Zealand offer a service that take you via Auckland and Los Angeles. It’s a longer journey, but depending on the needs of your travel could end up being a better option. Our own Jennifer Quinlin recently flew from Melbourne to London on Air…
Read More
This month, STA Travel are set to offer $50 flights to Auckland, New Zealand (only a few hours from Hobbiton, pictured) as part of a special “Flash Sale”. The only catch is that only 50 of the tickets are available, and you have to go in person to their stores to get your hands on…
Read More
In today’s Flight review on AU Abroad, we take you on board Air New Zealand and one of their services from Sydney to Auckland (NZ104). This is an airline who has stayed ahead of many of their competitors, racking up awards just as fast as air miles and it’s all on the back of their…
Read More
Located on the North Island of New Zealand, Auckland is renowned as one of the major cities of the Oceania ecozone, an increasingly popular destination for those that use the city as a comfortable base for exploring the wider natural surrounds. The city is also a frequent stop for business travelers in the Southern Hemisphere,…
Read More
Located on the North Island of New Zealand, Auckland is renowned as one of the major cities of the Oceania ecozone, an increasingly popular destination for those that use the city as a comfortable base for exploring the wider natural surrounds. The city is also a frequent stop for business travelers in the Southern Hemisphere,…
Read More
Destination: Waiheke Island, Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand Origin: Auckland, New Zealand Travel Time (Each Way): About 40 Minutes Last month on AU Abroad we took you on a cruise through the Hauraki Gulf off the coast of Auckland, New Zealand. This week we’re taking you to the region’s most populated island – Waiheke –…
Read More
Having stayed at numerous InterContinental Hotels across different cities, there’s a certain degree of trust I place in IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), and a high expectation that stems from consistency, cleanliness, and a distinctively premium feel. However, I’ve never stayed at a Crowne Plaza– a brand also handled by IHG – so wasn’t exactly sure…
Read More
The 787-9 Dreamliner is commonly referred to as one of the best aircrafts possible for consumer travel right now, and luckily enough it features on the service LAN offers between Sydney and Santiago, with a stop in between for Auckland. I took a recent trip to Auckland to give this service a spin, made possible…
Read More
Today we want you to join us for the unique experience offered by Hauraki Blue Cruises, based out of Auckland: an overnight cruise that takes you through the islands just outside of Auckland Harbour. Their cruise ship is a sizable catamaran named Ipipiri (in fact, she is the largest cruise ship permanently based in New Zealand),…
Read More
After a worrying spat of cancelled festivals – Soulfest, Echo Fest and Westfest – it would have been understandable for the majority to approach the inaugural Auckland City Limits with caution. The reputation of Austin City Limits, one of the biggest and most loved music festivals in the history of music festivals, may have been…
Read More
The old-world charm of Auckland’s High Street often puts the strip on the lips of travelers just returning from a New Zealand trip, championing the bespoke, the hip, and the craft that characterise the distinctive slice of the city’s cultural scene. It seems every city is now pushing it’s own “hipster” area in order to…
Read More
Pictured: Aldous Harding Earlier this month, I headed over to Auckland, New Zealand, to talk at the Going Global music conference. Coinciding with the event was Flying Out’s inaugural festival The Others Way (Friday 4th September), which showcased the best music from New Zealand across seven stages over six hours, with some 32 bands selling…
Read More
