October 2014, Issue 125                                                                      
  
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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 !

Queen Charlotte Walk and Cruise

NEW from Tuatara Tours

 

6 Days / 5 Nights

The Queen Charlotte Walk is a truly unique and exciting way to explore the treasure that is the Marlborough Sounds, the shining jewel of the South Island of New Zealand.

 

Join us onboard the small cruising ship the

Affinity for a cruise that will leave you with a lifetime of memories and new friends.

 

The advantages of walking and living aboard

Affinity is that your accommodation follows you and is there at the end of your days walk with a hot shower and the same bed and all your meals are cooked for you.


You don't have to worry about your luggage as it is still in your cabin and you have no heavy packs to carry every day.

 

For more information on the NEW Queen Charlotte Walk /Cruise  or other tours please call: NZ: 0800 377 378/Australia: 1800 044 633 or email: info@tuataratours.co.nz

 

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. 

 

 

 Worried About Over Packing

 

Meet the world's smallest digital camera, measuring just over 2.5cm square and weighing only half an ounce.

 

Reminiscent of devices employed by the Cold War-era operatives for intelligence gathering, the camera appears to require Lilliputian agility, yet its one-button operation provides easy picture taking.

 

After a twist of its tiny lens for manual focus, it uses a 2 MP image sensor that takes still images at 1600 x 1200 resolution and captures video at 30 fps at 640 x 480 resolution.

 

 


 

 


The Mesopotamia High Country Walk

If you want to enjoy this magnificent area of New Zealand 
join us on one of our exclusive tours
 

   

 

The Mesopotamia High Country Walk is an awe-inspiring four day fully guided walking tour, which includes Mesopotamia High Country Station and the spectacular Peel Forest Scenic Reserve.

 
You will be captivated by the grandeur of soaring landscapes, snow-capped mountain ranges and wide open tussock-covered tundra. Be inspired by stories of hardship and survival, explore the land New Zealand's pioneers fought to tame, and enjoy the peace and isolation of one of this country's most iconic high country farms - the true Middle Earth.
 

For more information on the Mesopotamia High Country Walk or other tours please call 

NZ: 0800 377 378 or Australia: 1800 044 633or email: info@tuataratours.co.nz

 

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. 



 

Bike Locks

 


U-Locks: This widely used style offers your best deterrent. The bulky locking mechanism resists hammers, chisels and the like. Its horseshoe shape can limit leveraging-provided it's not oversized for the bike. The goal is to reduce the amount of space in which a thief can insert a crowbar and leverage enough force to pop it apart. U-locks come in various sizes. 

 

Cable Locks: These are versatile and adaptable but generally offer less theft deterrence than U-locks. They are a good choice to use in combination with a U-lock to secure easily removed parts (e.g., seat). Many have integral locks; others require a separate padlock. Some feature sliding sizing or an armoured coating. A few newer models feature stylish designs and even come in colours!

 

Chain Locks: These locks use a specially designed chain link that disallows leveraging and resists hacksaws or chisels. Be sure to invest in a padlock that's just as sturdy as thieves can easily cut through thin locks, no matter how sturdy the chain. The downside? Chains are heavy and bulky, so they are best for stationary uses.

 

Wheel/Seat Skewers: Quick-release wheels and seat posts are, unfortunately, as convenient for thieves as they are for bike owners. Locking skewers disable the quick-release feature and make it a lot tougher to steal. They're easy to install but require a special wrench that comes with the skewer.


 

O-Locks: These are designed to stay mounted on the bike. Modelled after the concept of wheel clamps placed on illegally parked cars, O-locks simply stop the wheel from rotating. They are generally too small to be attached to fixed points such as a signpost, so are less secure than other choices.

 

Cuff Locks: Just as the name implies, cuff locks can attach your bike to a secure post. The middle hinge is specially built to resist tampering.

 

Promoting New Zealand As a Cycling Destination - Gearing Up For 2015


Sunshine, live music and 25,000 cycle enthusiasts - the recent GO Bike Expo in Melbourne provided the perfect opportunity to promote New Zealand as a unique cycling destination to a receptive Australian audience.

 

Tourism New Zealand and cycling operators from all over New Zealand exhibited at the cycling consumer show, which was held at the finish line of Bupa Around the Bays cycle race.

 

Justin Watson, Tourism New Zealand's Director of Trade, PR and Major Events says that the organisation's attendance at GO Bike Expo and other cycling trade and consumer shows reflects its wider strategy to actively target the international cycling sector as part of its focus on special interest activities, which have the potential to deliver increased value to the country's tourism industry.

 

Cycle tourists stay longer and spend more during their visits compared with other holidaymakers.

 

In order to target these people and inspire them to make New Zealand their number one holiday destination choice, Tourism New Zealand kick-started its campaign activity last year following the completion of Nga Haeranga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail Network.

 

Catering to both recreational cyclists and passionate mountain bikers, the trail network offers 23 'Great Rides' which explore the best that New Zealand landscapes have to offer - from the subtropical forests of the far North to the sweeping alpine vistas of Southland.

 

For more information on Nga Haeranga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail Network. or other cycling tours please call:   NZ: 0800 377 378 or Australia: 1800 044 633

 

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. 

                                                       

Tuatara Tours is an Official partner of the New Zealand Cycle Trail Network 

 

The NEW Akaroa Walk and Westland Wilderness Cycle Trail Combo Tour


The NEW Akaroa Walk
Spend time in paradise with native birds, plants and fabulous company, as well as huge panoramic landscapes that are unique to the area whilst completing your journey from Christchurch to Akaroa.

 

 

 

The Westland Wilderness Cycle Trail

Enjoy gentle cycling in a landscape rich in beauty, history and diversity. Distances average around 30 km a day, and the cycling is suitable for beginners and families. Where else but in Westland can 

you see such diversity: towns, alps, lakes, rivers, wetlands, ocean and native bush, all in such close proximity?


Hunters and Trampers Urged to Report Sightings of Rare Kakabeak 

 

 

Hunters, anglers, trampers and rafters are being asked to keep their eyes out this spring for one of our most striking native plants, the critically endangered kakabeak.

 

Wild kakabeak (clianthus maximus or ngutukākā) carries heavy bunches of large, curved bright red flowers, and is typically found clinging to cliffs and inaccessible bluffs. The plants have been decimated by goats, deer, rabbits and other exotic browsers, to the extent that there are now only about 120 naturally seeded plants known to exist in the wild. 

 

The Department of Conservation (DOC) is working with the Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust, to prevent the extinction of the kakabeak and together, are appealing for anyone who has sighted the plant this spring to report it to the nearest DOC office.

 

Conservation Week 2014

 

Conservation Week is run by the Department of Conservation each year to raise awareness of the benefits of conservation and encourage people to get involved.

This year's theme is 'Discover the world where you live' and it's about getting out and enjoying your local treasures. These are the local campsites, scenic reserves, wetlands, forests, walking tracks and other areas that have conservation values that can be found right on your doorstep.

Conservation Week gives you the opportunity to celebrate the natural environment and make a connection with your local special places. There are heaps of special places in New Zealand that you can visit all year round with your family and friends. 


 

Tuatara Tours is a major concessionaire to the 

Department of Conservation and contributes to the
funding of conservation.
The Underwater Railway That Will Link China To The US!

China is taking the audacious, if not impossible, step of
building a rail line underwater, which would - in theory - link it to the United States.

Chinese officials are considering a route that would start in the country's northeast, threading through eastern Siberia and across the Bering Strait, via a 200km long underwater tunnel into Alaska. The "China-Russia-Canada-America" would be approximately 12,875km long. (For comparison, thats 2,900km longer than the Trans-Siberian railroad.

Not surprisingly skeptics abound, but China insists it does have the technology and means to complete a construction project of this scale. 

Judging by the country's rail construction boom of the last few years (tens of thousands of kilometres of track for high-speed lines have already been laid), China just may be onto something.


Quote of the month

V Activity
Live Help!
Nicky - now online

 


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.

 "A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.


 


 

George A. Moore


 


 

Qualmark

Tuatara Tours now fully endorsed by Qualmark NZ 


   
Up and Coming Events Around New Zealand

 

 

November 2014

 

December 2014 

 

January 2014

 

Boulder Bay Classic, Sun 2 Nov, Taylors Mistake Beach, Banks Peninsula

 

Yoga for Trampers

Tararua Tramping Club Clubrooms, Wed 15 Nov, Wellington

 

Blue Penguins Pukekura - Little Blue Penguin Tours, Royal Albatross Centre, Fri 24 Nov, Dunedin

 

Last Night of the Proms

Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Fri 31 Nov, Christchurch City

 

Business Leadership, Tue 2 Dec, Parklane Motor Inn, Auckland

 

Parkrun Porirua, Sat 13 Dec, Bothamley Park, Champion Street, Porirua

 

7 Days Live, Mon 15 Dec, Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch City

 

Sumner Sunday Market, Sun 21 Dec, Sumner Village Green, Christchurch City

 

Blue Penguins Pukekura - Little Blue Penguin Tours, Mon 22 Dec, Royal Albatross Centre, Dunedin

 

Mount Pleasant Farmers Market, Sat 3 Jan, Mt Pleasant Community Centre, Christchurch

 

Show Me Shorts Film Festival, Thu 8 Jan, Monkey House Theatre, Whitianga

 

Port of Tauranga Half Marathon, Sat 10 Jan, Pilot Bay Beach, Mt Maunganui

 

Antiques, Curios and Collectables Fair, Sat 17 Jan, Tamahere Community Hall, Hamilton

 

The Bannockburn Music Festival, Sat 24 Jan, Cromwell Racecourse, Cromwell

Safe Travelling
Level 1, 35 Mandeville Street
Riccarton
PO Box 13544
Christchurch, 8141
New Zealand

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