Tour Managers Tales

Friday 4 th March – Paihia, Bay of Islands Paihia  is the main tourist town in the Bay of Islands in the far north of the North Island. It is located close to the historic towns of Russell, and Kerikeri. Although the name Paihia appears to be in the Māori language its origin and meaning are unknown. Missionary Henry Williams settled in Paihia in 1823 and built the first church in New Zealand there the same year. William Williams joined his brother in Pahia in 1826. Bishop William Grant Broughton (the first and only Bishop of Australia) visited the Paihia mission in 1838 and performed several firsts in New Zealand including the first Confirmation and Christenings. In December 1832 the first mention of cricket being played in New Zealand was recorded by Henry Williams. In 1835 a game of cricket was witnessed here by Charles Darwin. In 1835 William Colenso set up the first printing press in New Zealand at Paihia. WAITANGI - The Birthplace of the Nation The Waitangi National

Handy Hints to Auckland Restaurants Angus Steak House 8 Fort Lane Select your own Steak, Venison or Lamb $34 inc Salad bar, side dishes extra. Tony's 27 Wellesley Street Steak, Pasta, Lamb and Chicken (Use the attached voucher for drink or discount) Little Italy Victoria Street Italian Food Lord Nelson Victoria Street Steak, Pasta, Lamb and Chicken Sightseeing Devenport Take the short ferry ride (12mins) to Devenport, on arrival join a 1 hour tour, Historic architecture and landmarks as well as galleries and cafés, restaurants and speciality shops make this a relaxed outing for every visitor to Auckland. Auckland Museum Our People, Our Land, our Stories, from the great pacific navigators – the Polynesians and New Zealand's indigenous people, the Maori – through the pioneers who settled New Zealand in the 19c. Skytower Open from 08.30 -23.00 Excellent panoramic views over the city Maritime Museum Cnr Quay and Hudson Street Eve those with little interest i

Wednesday 2 nd March – Auckland Parnell , a suburb of Auckland, dates from the European settlement of Auckland in 1841. To its west lies the Auckland Domain, to the south Newmarket, and to the north the commercial area of St Georges Bay with mainly office-space. Parnell was named after Samuel Duncan Parnell, who is credited with the establishment of the Eight hour day in New Zealand. The Borough of Parnell, established in 1877, was amalgamated into the Auckland City Council area in 1913or in 1915. The Parnell Road Board administered the area before the Borough was established. While Parnell has so far never had a dedicated train station, it is planned to construct a new station near the Mainline Steam Depot at the west of the Parnell shops area, north of the Parnell Tunnel, which has been located under the suburbs since 1873. The Anglican Cathedral, which stands at the top of the hill, has become an iconic feature of Parnell. It replaced the old wooden St Mary's, demolished

Tuesday 1 st March – Auckland Happy St David’s Day The  Auckland metropolitan area, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with a population of over 1.4 million residents, 31 percent of the country's population. Demographic trends indicate that it will continue to grow faster than the rest of the country. Increasingly cosmopolitan, Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world, and has seen many people of Asian ethnicity move there in the last two decades. In Māori Auckland's name is Tāmaki-makau-rau. The 2010 Mercer Quality of Living Survey ranked Auckland 4th equal place in the world on its list, while The Economist's World's Most Liveable Cities index of 2010 ranked Auckland in 10th place. In 2008, Auckland was classified as an Alpha-City in the World Cities Study Group’s inventory by Loughborough University, the only one in the country. Auckland lies between the Hauraki

Sunday 27 th February – Rotorua Rotorua  (from Māori: Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe, "The second great lake of Kahumatamomoe") is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns. Rotorua city has an estimated permanent population of 55,900, with the Rotorua district having a total estimated population of 68,600. Rotorua is a major destination for both domestic and international tourists; the tourism industry is by far the largest industry in the district. The city is known for its geothermal activity, and features geysers – notably the Pohutu Geyser at Whakarewarewa – and hot mud pools. This thermal activity is sourced to the Rotorua caldera, on which the city lies. The name Rotorua comes from Māori, the full name being Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe; roto means lake and r

Saturday 26 th February – Wairakei Levin  is a town in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand, and is the largest town in the Horowhenua district. It is on State Highway 1 and the North Island Main Trunk railway. The town was named after William Hort Levin, a director of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company. The name is a variation of the Jewish clan Levi. It is a shibboleth – unlike the usual pronunciation of the surname, stress is placed on the second syllable of the word. The name thus rhymes with the word 'begin'. The town's Maori name is Taitoko. Levin is a service centre for the surrounding rural area, and a centre of light manufacturing. According to the June 2010 estimate, the estimated resident population was 19,550. Over 20% of inhabitants were listed as over the age of 65, a considerably higher percentage than the national average. Taihape is a rural supply town and was at its peak during the 1960s when it was a railway and transport hub for the

Thursday 24 th February – Wellington Wellington, is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand. The urban area is situated on the south western tip of the country's North Island, and lies between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. It is home to 389,700 residents, with an additional 3,700 residents living in the surrounding rural areas. The Wellington urban area is the major population centre of the southern North Island, and is the seat of the Wellington Region — which in addition to the urban area covers the Kapiti Coast and Wairarapa. The urban area includes four cities: Wellington City, on the peninsula between Cook Strait and Wellington Harbour, contains the central business district and about half of Wellington's population; Porirua City on Porirua Harbour to the north is notable for its large Māori and Pacific Island communities; Lower Hutt City and Upper Hutt City are largely suburban areas to the northeast, together known as the Hutt Vall

Tuesday 22 nd February – Mount Cook Aoraki / Mount Cook  is the highest mountain in New Zealand, reaching a height of 3,754 metres (12,316 ft). It lies in the Southern Alps, the mountain range which runs the length of the South Island. A popular tourist destination, it is also a favourite challenge for mountain climbers. Aoraki / Mount Cook consists of three summits lying slightly south and east of the main divide, the Low Peak, Middle Peak and High Peak, with the Tasman Glacier to the east and the Hooker Glacier to the west. Aoraki is the name of a person in the traditions of the Ngāi Tahu iwi; an early name for the South Island is Te Waka o Aoraki(Aoraki's Canoe). In the past many believed it meant "Cloud Piercer",a romantic rendering of the name's components: ao(world, daytime, cloud, etc.) and raki or rangi(day, sky, weather, etc.). Historically, the Māori name has been spelt Aorangi, using the standard Māori form. While the mountain was known to Māori centu