The most common question I have been asked by people after returning home is, “which was your favourite country to visit?” For Cesca and I it has to be the majestic New Zealand. Not because it is terribly exotic. as everything is familiar (especially the road names), but rather because it is so much like you wish England could be. The lakes, the mountains, the rivers, the beaches. New Zealand has everything. The people have a real “get up and go” attitude that is infectious. They love their country, they also appear to know who they are and what they want. Living in such a culture is, and I hesitate to write this, idyllic.
Shame I don’t live there then!
Cesca and I have written many articles on the subject of New Zealand and also made a “love letter” of a short-film celebrating the country (found under “films” in the navigation bar). However, I have always wanted to do more to speak of our time driving around these islands.
Well, our wish has come true.
About a two weeks ago I was approached by a company working for Air New Zealand. They wanted to license all our content on New Zealand for use in the official Air New Zealand iPhone app!
On the go and in the air, Air New Zealand’s free Spot-On Travel Guide App Series help you make the most of your visit — even offline.
Browse hand-picked activities, events and destinations by region, then save them for quick retrieval upon arrival. Handy travel tools and social network integration make finding and sharing amazing spots a cinch.
Be a tourist without looking like one.
It’s the Kiwi in us – Air New Zealand.
We jumped at the chance of being involved because we loved our time in New Zealand and the idea of that being celebrated “officially” made us very happy. It gives us another way to share our experiences and give something back. Hopefully, this will have a positive effect on the places we experienced and make sure that people visiting the country for the first time don’t miss out.
I cut down the articles to 150 word long chunks with one picture per chunk. I then uploaded them to a custom CMS provided by my contact. A few days ago they were approved and went live on the app!
We uploaded articles on the following topics:
- See the splendour of Pahia and the Bay Of Islands
- Walk endless sands of 90 Mile Beach
- Be blown away on the cliffs of Cape Reinga
- Walk to the falls of Waitonga
- Cycle up Mount John.
- Walk the Hooker Valley for a view of Mount Cook
- Visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre
- See the wild waters of Hokianga harbour.
- Wonder at the Giant Kauri Trees
- Brave the unpaved roads to Waikawau Bay
- Get washed up in Cathedral Cove
- Bath in Mud at Hell’s Gate
- Dip in the Polynesian Spa at Lake Rotorua.
- Wander around the history of Rotorua museum.
- Early morning at Lake Rerewhakaaitu
- See the wondrous colour palette of Wai-O-Tapu
- See the huge Lake Taupo
- Walk the Queen Charlotte track
- Visit and stay at Furneaux Lodge
- Dig your own spa at Hot Water Beach
- Wonder at the strange Moeraki Boulders
- Get wet at Punakaiki’s Pancake Rocks
- See whales by helicopter in Kaikoura
I have created a special “landing page” for use in the iPhone in-built browser. This can be found here: www.outsidecontext.com/new-zealand
If you are thinking of, or planning, a visit to the best country on the far-side of the world, then get this app and read up on some of the above. We did so much in New Zealand. In two months we travelled one end to the other taking in mountains, beaches, volcanoes, islands, cities and vineyards. We walked on its glaciers, jumped off its bridges, worked on its farms and skydived over its mountains. We didn’t want to leave.
So, get this app and then you too can fall in love with New Zealand.
Just like me.
Basho.
PS. If you do get the app, and you like it, then please leave us a comment here to let us know – it would mean a lot to us to hear of your visits to NZ.
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