February 2014, Issue 117                                                                                 
  
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Welcome to the latest issue of Tuatara Tours' monthly newsletter, where we offer a brief summary of what's going on in New Zealand - and what's coming up.

New Zealand's Most Wondrous Night-time Experiences.....

 

Star-gaze in Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve.
In 2012 a 4300 sq. km part of South Island was designated an International Dark Sky Reserve. It's the world's largest IDSR and the first to be awarded 'gold' status (denoting almost non-existent light pollution). Simply, it's one of the best places in the southern hemisphere to partake in astronomy. Within Aoraki Mackenzie, near Lake Tekapo, is Mount John Observatory; join a night tour here to use the country's most powerful telescopes to spot up to 50 million stars.

 

Look for the aurora australis in Rakiura National Park. The aurora australis is less known than its northern counterpart, the aurora borealis. There are fewer convenient landmasses down south, so the southern lights are harder to see. But Rakiura National Park, which covers 85% of sub-Antarctic Stewart Island, is the best option. Rakiura - Maori for 'glowing skies' - is about as far south as you can easily get during the austral winter, and has seriously low light pollution: the perfect canvas.

  

 

For more information on these tours please call 

NZ: 0800 377 378 or Australia: 1800 044 633

or email:[email protected]

 

Nicky is also available during office hours for "live web chat", click the red box at the bottom of any page on our website to get Nicky's instant response to your questions. 

 

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WE HAVE SPACES AVAILABLE ON THE FOLLOWING 2014 TOURS
 
Mesopotamia High Country Walk - 18th Feb
Akaroa Walk - 26th February
Tekapo Canal Trail - 28th February
 
Franz Josef Trail - 18th March
Mesopotamia High Country Walk  - 25th March

For more information on these tours please call 

NZ: 0800 377 378 or Australia: 1800 044 633

or email:[email protected]

 

Nicky is also available during office hours for "live web chat", click the red box at the bottom of any page on our website to get Nicky's instant response to your questions. 

 

SPECIAL CONDITIONS APPLY
 UK's largest consumer body rates Air New Zealand best long haul

Air New Zealand ended 2013 on a high note with members of the UK's largest consumer body, naming the airline's long haul flights as the best in the world.


Air New Zealand shares the top honours with Singapore Airlines. Both carriers topped the poll of more than 12,000 UK passengers who were asked to rate their overall satisfaction and the likelihood of recommending the airline to a friend.

  

Air New Zealand scored five stars in eight of the nine criteria. All the airlines were judged on leg room, in-flight entertainment, food and drink, punctuality and value for money.

  

Air New Zealand also recently scooped a couple of key awards in the United States. Premier Traveller Magazine's Best of 2013 reader survey has named Air New Zealand 'Airline with Best Premium Economy Class Service in the World' and 'Best Airline to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific'.

  

These awards join a growing list of accolades for the airline in 2013, including:

World Travel Awards (2013): Australasia's Leading Airline | Australasia's Leading Airline Lounge

Cond� Nast Traveller: Air New Zealand named one of the top five international airlines in the world. 

China Travel & Leisure Awards: Top 10 International Airlines

 

 The West Coast Wilderness Trail 

 

The latest addition to Nga Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail - has been officially opened.

 

A joint venture between the Government, the Green Party, Grey District Council and the Westland District Council, and developed with significant support from the Development West Coast, the Trail was opened by the Minister for Local Government and Associate Minister for Tourism, Hon Chris Tremain, at a ceremony in Kumara.

 

Thousands of people congregated at an all day celebration to mark the opening of the $7.9 million Trail. Close to 80% of the off-road sections of first three days riding between Greymouth and Hokitika is complete, with the remainder being linked by existing public roads. Work on the remaining off-road sections is expected to be completed by autumn 2014.

 

"This is a hugely exciting initiative for both the West Coast and wider New Zealand," said Hon Chris Tremain.

 

"I have no doubt that the benefits of cycle tourism for both citizens and business are only just starting to be tapped.

 

"Over the next decade New Zealand will become the must visit destination for those interested in the outdoors, particularly cycling," he said.

  
For more information on The West Coast Wilderness Trail please call 

 

NZ: 0800 377 378 or Australia: 1800 044 633

or email: [email protected]

 

Nicky is also available during office hours for "live web chat", click the red box at the bottom of any page on our website to get Nicky's instant response to your questions. 

 

10 Insider Travel Tips and Tricks You Need to Know
  1. Never wear jandals (flip flops) on a plane. In the unlikely event of an emergency, it's best to have a good set of sturdy shoes that will protect your feet from heat or sharp objects.
  2. Keep. your mouth shut. If you are in a country where it is unsafe to drink the water, keep your mouth shut in the shower.
  3. Jiggle it (just a little bit). If you're scared of turbulence during flights, try slightly jiggling your body when you hit some rough air. No one will notice because everyone is being moved around due to the aircraft movement. Sounds a little crazy but your movement will counteract that of the aircraft and you won't feel the turbulence so much. It really does work!
  4. Take a money belt AND a wallet. If you get mugged you can calmly hand over the wallet and carry on your holiday with minimum hassle. If you meet new friends, use the wallet, as it can be a bit insulting to go into a money belt to pay for your beers.
  5. Pre-book an airport lounge. If you're flying long-haul, pre-book yourself into an airport lounge. There's an upfront fee, but it provides a quiet environment with complimentary drinks, food, magazines, newspapers, WiFi etc. 
  6. Never exchange money in your hotel. Instead, shop around for the best rate. Find a credit/debit card that doesn't charge for purchases abroad, and don't bother with traveller's cheques anymore.
  7. Always travel in a hoodie. They may have become the uniform of unruly teenagers, but hooded tops make excellent travel garments. Just slip up your hood to retreat from the world of noise and light when you want to sleep on a flight/airport seat/bus.
  8. Roll your clothes when packing. Once you roll, you'll wonder why you ever bothered to fold.
  9. Choose the Asian-vegetarian food option on the plane. You get fed before anyone else, you avoid anything too greasy and stodgy (helps the jet lag allegedly) and the more niche meals are much better quality as they're made in smaller batches.
  10. Hide your guidebook. If you're in London and need to ask directions but don't want people to avoid you, hide your guide book and map.

Maintaining Your Bike Chain 

  

When to Clean and Lube

Before each ride, look at the entire chain by standing to the side of your bike and lifting the rear wheel off the ground. Use your free hand to slowly rotate the closest pedal, inspecting individual chain links for dirt buildup, rust and/or tight links (links that do not bend easily as they pass through the rear derailleur). Check for adequate lubrication by listening for squeaks while riding. If you find either condition, your chain needs at least a spot-cleaning.

 

To spot-clean the chain while it's still on your bike: 

Brush out the links with a firm brush (an old toothbrush can also work well). Relubricate the links from time to time with a chain lubricant. Wipe off excess lubricant with a clean, dry rag. Over-lubricating can actually attract new dirt. For a more thorough cleaning, use a chain-cleaning tool. Attach it to your chain for a quick, deep cleaning.

 

Occasional Off-Bike Cleanings:

Every few months or so (more often for mountain bikes), completely remove your chain using a chain-removal tool. Brush it well and completely immerse it in a chain solvent to get rid of built-up grime that brushing can't remove. Let the chain soak until most of the dirt has been freed from the links and bushings. Dry the entire chain using a clean rag. Make sure that the solvent has completely evaporated, then relubricate the chain and re-install.

 

Problems to Watch for When Cleaning

Tight Links

Chain links that don't bend smoothly as they pass through the curves of the chain path may contain tight links. To spot them, pedal your chain slowly backwards and watch as individual links pass through the tight turns of your rear derailleur.

 

Most tight links are caused by dirt or corrosion between link plates and can be fixed with a good cleaning, some lubrication and a little flexing back and forth. Damaged chains should be completely replaced.

 

Chain Stretch

As chains wear, they become longer. This is called stretch. Chains lengthen as wear occurs between the rollers and the link pins. This creates slop or free play that leads to gear "skipping" in some cases. It also causes extra wear and tear on your chain rings and rear cog teeth.

 

It's much cheaper to replace a chain than it is a cog set. To check for chain wear, use a wear-indicator tool. When the prong no longer fits into the chain gap, the chain has lengthened and should be replaced.

  

Little Blue Penguins... 

  

Little Blue Penguins or Korora (Maori name), are the world's smallest penguins. They are approximately 30cm tall, weigh around 1kg as an adult, and live to about 8-10 years old. At the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony there are birds that are 18 years old, the oldest penguin on record is 25.

 

 

Blue penguins breed on the coastal mainland and islands of New Zealand and southern Australia.

  

There are several things that are unique to the blue penguin:

  • Its colour: blue with a white chest
  • It walks on land with a forward stoop
  • Blue penguins come onto land mainly to breed and moult, but will also spend time ashore during non-breeding months. 
  • They are only active on land at night. They leave from the colony early in the morning before sun-rise, and return to the colony after dark.
  • During the day, if the penguins decide not to go to sea, they will stay hidden inside their nests. The penguins will normally make their nests by digging a burrow into soil or sand or finding a crevice amongst the rocks. 

At the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony there are artificial nesting boxes for the penguins to use, as they are less prone to collapsing or flooding than natural nests.

  

Cooling off

Occasionally on land blue penguins need to cool down, for example when they return from a days fishing they have swum a long way. Methods for cooling off include ruffling the feathers to break up the insulating air, they can hold their flippers away from the body or in extreme cases they can pant.

  

Vocalisations

Blue penguins are very vocal, they have a range of calls which serve many purposes. To recognise each other or claim or defend territory they have a braying call. As they come ashore they quack, this keeps the group of penguins together and may alert the birds ashore of their return.

  

  

Join us on the Alps2Ocean Trail or Otago Rail Trails and on completion spend an extra night in Oamaru to view these delightful creatures.

 

 
 

For more information on these tours please call 

NZ: 0800 377 378 or Australia: 1800 044 633

or email:[email protected]

 

Nicky is also available during office hours for "live web chat", click the red box at the bottom of any page on our website to get Nicky's instant response to your questions. 

 

Fire permits Needed For All Public Conservation Land 

 

You must get a written fire permit from DOC (Department of Conservation)to light any fire in the open on public conservation land.

 

In some cases you need a permit for a fire within one kilometre of these lands. Call your local DOC office and they can help you work out whether your fire site falls within the one kilometre fire margin around conservation land.  

 

Fire bans

A fire ban, is declared when conditions are such that any fire is likely to put life and property at risk. During a prohibited fire season, no fires can be lit in the open air and all fire permits are cancelled.

 

DOC fire staff calculate the daily fire danger. They monitor wind, rainfall, relative humidity and other indicators via remote weather stations scattered throughout the countryside, and this enables them to calculate the fire risk.   

 

Causes

Most fires are due to carelessness; either when permitted or non-permitted fires get out of control, or when a campfire is not fully put out before leaving a campsite. 

 

Why does DOC fight fires?

Wild fires can put lives at risk, destroy property, and devastate natural areas. Fire poses a serious risk to public conservation lands and their natural, cultural, historical and recreational values.

 

If a fire occurs, putting it out takes priority over all other DOC work. During periods of high to extreme fire danger, DOC staff carry their fire kits where ever they are working so they can respond to a fire call.  

 

The DOC fire team is made up of staff and volunteers, about 1000 nationally, who are backcountry trained and equipped to fight fires in rural areas.

 

The department has six central fire depots around the country. Specialised fire depot staff maintain fire equipment for DOC and other rural fire authorities.

 

 

 

Tuatara Tours is a major concessionaire to the Department of Conservation and contributes to the funding of conservation.

 


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If you are visiting our website and need some help or questions answered please use our Live Help Button and Nicky will chat with you.

 

The average tourist wants to go to places where there are no tourists

 

 

 

Sam Ewing  

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Tuatara Tours now fully endorsed by Qualmark NZ 


   
Up and Coming Events Around New Zealand

 

February 2014

March 2014

 

April 2014

Hyundai A-League Football - Wgtn Phoenix v Adelaide Utd, Sat 1 Feb 

Eden Park, Auckland

 

Avice Hill Arts and Crafts Festival 2014, Sun 9 Feb,

Avice Hill Art & Craft Centre, Christchurch City

 

The Yard Men, Sat 15 Feb, 

Pog Mahones Irish Pub, Queenstown

 

Charles Bradley, Sat 22 Feb,

James Cabaret, Wellington

 

Auckland Cup Carnival, Fri 28 Feb, Alexandra Park Raceway, Auckland

  

 

School Principals Challenge/Stock Car Tea - Baypark Speedway, Sat 1 Mar , ASB Stadium, Mt Maunganui

 

GKR Karate - Self Defence for All Ages, Tue 4 Mar, Isleworth School, Christchurch City

 

WOMAD 2014, Sat 15 Mar, TSB Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth

 

Cancer Society Relay For Life, Sat 22 Mar, Riccarton High School, Christchurch City

 

The County Road Manawatu Cycle Classic, Sat 22 Mar, Memorial Park, Palmerston North

Peninsula, Fortune Theatre, Tue 1 Apr, Otago

 

The Rolling Stones, Mt Smart Stadium, Sat 5 Apr, Auckland

 

State New Zealand Ocean Swim Series, Sat 12, Apr King of the Bays, Takapuna Beach, Auckland

 

Copp�lia, Thu 17 Apr, St James Theatre, Wellington

 

Afternoon Delights, Thu 24 Apr, Music Centre of Christchurch, Salvation Army Citadel, Christchurch City

 

Billy Connolly - High Horse Tour 2014, Tue 29 Apr, Theatre Royal, Timaru

Safe Travelling and a Happy New Year.
Tuatara Tours | [email protected] | www.tuataratours.co.nz
Level 1, 35 Mandeville Street
Riccarton
PO Box 13544
Christchurch, 8141
New Zealand

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