Most beautiful country in the world...

What springs to mind?

Brazil with the Amazon? New Zealand and its fiords? Italy and its history?

Nope, apparently it's Latvia.

That's according to blog poll by 'Conflict of Pinterest' anyway, as voted for by internet keyboard warriors, and it's a very interesting read and result!

Obviously not the most in-depth research or reliable sample, and maybe Latvian's are voting in their hoards. And any poll which places Afghanistan higher than the Falklands (not a separate country we know, but French Guiana has its own vote too) or Fiji can't be taken too seriously.

But with the UK and New Zealand in the top 10 (5th and 7th respectively) we won't complain too much!

...and Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy (in Tauranga)

I have to be honest and say that Tauranga doesn't tend to feature heavily on my tailor-made holiday itineraries.  There is nothing wrong with the city at all but there just isn't too much in the experience that I feel is unique and special so I tend to suggest that my clients just call in on their way to Rotorua or Taupo.

That is all about to change though, especially for clients with children, and my children will insist that we visit when we are on holiday in New Zealand next year.  

Lynley Dodd's series of books about Hairy Maclary and his mates have been brilliant bedtime story material for nearly 30 years now and by this time next year there will hopefully be a number of statues dotted around Tauranga to commemorate their tireless work in getting children off to sleep.

Hairy himself, Schnitzel von Krumm, Muffin McLay, Bitzer Maloney and the rest will all be there, no doubt stalked by their nemesis Scarface Claw.  Well I'm excited anyway!

So is it really all rosy for kiwi conservation?

According to this article in Wanderlust it is.

Or you can read this article in Northland's Northern Advocate for a different perspective. Please do click on this link and look at the photograph of a pile of dead kiwi.

We need facts and hard truth here.  Too many people in the travel industry are eager to pick up on positive news and then move on, comforted by the knowledge that everything is going to be okay.  Grim, depressing reality and tourism don't usually mix and I just do not buy into the whole "take only photographs, leave only footprints" thing. Both tourists and those within tourism need to be leaving something a bit more useful than footprints. 

This story is about the Northland brown kiwi and, as The Northern Advocate tell us, "The unique Northland brown kiwi lays more eggs per year than other kiwi, and can start breeding at 3-4 years."   In addition, "Northland kiwi are phenomenal breeders, and can withstand reasonably high chick losses yet still have a growing population."

So what about the great spotted and the little spotted, the tokoeka and the rowi?

Or the fact that the little spotted kiwi can only survive on predator-free islands or behind predator-proof fences?

Or that once you would have found it almost impossible to wander through a New Zealand forest without hearing if not seeing a kiwi?

Or that since 1930 the population has seen a cataclysmic crash from 5 million birds to about 60,000?

This is the harsh reality of kiwi conservation and the danger of an article like Wanderlust's, albeit a completely inoffensive one, is that it gives false hope or encourages a misplaced belief that things are just fine and bypasses the fact that there is an environmental war raging in New Zealand.  And it is largely a guerrilla war being fought by a handful of "little" people who care such as Fergus & Mary Sutherland, Joyce Kolk & Johan Groters, Zealandia and Orokonui.

When the population is up to a good million or so, which is still less than 10% of the original population, then I think Wanderlust will be fine to go ahead and publish an article entitled "Kiwi's future could be looking up". 

Wairaurahiri stoat trap 7

And Wendy & Graham add a little bit of Macclesfield to Fiordland.

Wairaurahiri stoat trap 6

Thank you Marion & Keith, excellent work.

Close encounter with Maui's Dolphins

The critically endangered Maui's Dolphin is the smallest and rarest dolphin in the world, with a population of around 79 according to a recent estimate.

So to see four at once is a significant proportion of the population, about 5%.

Put into context, compared to the whole of the UK, that's the populations of Greater Manchester + Liverpool combined!

Brilliant blog about New Zealand's karearea falcon by Steve Attwood

...at Zealandia and the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellington, New Zealand's capital city located at the far south of the North Island.

What an engaging and compelling account of 5 months in the life of a pair of New Zealand falcons and their latest offspring, with brilliant photo illustrations....

Karearea – a season of the falcon

New Zealand falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae)

Reckon you'll need a bigger rod!

Tuna aren't the smallest fish, and probably take a lot of time and effort to catch using just a rod...

But imagine when gearing yourself up for a tussle with a tuna, you accidently snare a Killer Whale!

It can happen....

Spouting over Auckland

Yup, Auckland has a a few twisters floating around the harbour and creating water tunnels.

Nowhere near the size of the ones which rip houses from their foundations or chuck cows around, but still they still look pretty impressive!



(No-body was hurt though, don't worry!)

New Zealand's Top Ten Roads!

New Zealand is a place of such variety and wonder, there are so many roads throughout the country with fantastic scenery and views, many roads are experiences in their own right!

But which ones made the list?

The harsh truth about conservation in New Zealand...

Can't say that I'm actually happy to be helping to kill stoats as they are truly beautiful animals.  That said, they do have their place and it isn't in New Zealand - http://www.newzealand-indepth.co.uk/stoat-traps.htm.

TID at the Olympics

6 months today the London 2012 Olympics kicks off, and we have been having a look at how our TID destinations have been doing in their efforts to qualify.

Australia, as you would expect, have plenty of swimmers and rowers ready for an assault on the medals, as well plenty qualified for other sports such as shooting, athletics and teams such as basketball. As always we think they'll manage a good medal haul!

NZ are coming into 2012 having earnt 90 Olympic medals since their first in 1908 (which was coincidently, held in London), and are aiming for the 100 this summer. With nearly all of the Olympic sports represented by at least one Kiwi, we reckon they might just improve on their Beijing medal haul and make it to the tonne!

Chile have so far confirmed 18 participating Olympians in a wide range of sports, and will be striving to improve on Beijing, where Fernando González reached the final in the men's singles tennis and claim the silver (and Chile's only medal) after being beaten by Rafael Nadal.

99 Argentinians have so far reached the games, representing numerous disciplines in 15 sports. Argentina claimed gold in football and the Men's Madison cycling event in Beijing. As much as we are sure they will do better this time, we have to patriotic and back the GB Team to grab the football gold on home turf.

Tanzania have only ever won 2 medals at an Olympics, claiming 2 athletics silvers in 1980 in Moscow. Hopefully they can add a few more in London, where they have so far qualified for the men's marathon and the women's 5000m.

Boxing in 1980 was the single event where Guyana managed to grab themselves a medal (bronze) so we hope we can see a Guyanese athlete on a podium this time in London.

As part of the British team, a single Falkland Islander has won an Olympic medal, in hockey at the 1908 Olympic Games in London. Here's hoping for another!

Destinations Show in Manchester!

Find Paul, Von and Debbie at Stand AP40 at the Destinations Travel Show in Manchester Event City. Come along with ideas for a trip, or just to find out a little more about our destinations!

Paul hosted a 'Wild New Zealand' talk yesterday, but if you missed it don't worry, he'll be doing another on Saturday afternoon at 3.30pm talking all things Falklands called 'Falkland Islands - The New Galapagos'.

Chile & Tanzania go stateside

The NY Times have published their 45 places to go in 2012, and Tanzania and Chile have taken up 3 places between them!!

Tanzania came in 7th, and was named as the up and coming safari destination, whereas 2 areas of Chile have been named. The wilderness of Chilean Patagonia came into 8th, and Chiloé Island ran in at 37.

With NZ and the Falklands hitting other travel lists, we can add two more of our destinations to the list of places in go in 2012...

Swallowed whole?

Or at least with very little chewing.....

A girl at Wellington Zoo was filmed 'bonding' with a lion through the glass enclosure.
But to be honest, I don't think the lion wanted to be friends....

Fair play to her for not moving, even with the glass I don't think many would not be a little scared!

Deck the halls with bells and.... Hobbits

Though not due out until next December, a for the new (and first of two) Hobbit films, A Hobbit's Tale: An Unexpected Journey, has been released just in time to whet your appetite just before Christmas.

Again it's being filmed in New Zealand like the LOTR trilogy, making the most of NZ's spectacular landscapes to recreate the wilderness of Middle Earth.

(I'll be honest, I'm quite excited!!)

And finally,

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us here at TID!!

Even more Falklands....and a bit of New Zealand too...

....missed this last week but thanks to Twitter it wasn't missed for long....

The Falklands have made yet another '"Top Destinations for 2012" list, this time Travelbite's top 10.

Sadly no Guyana in the list this time but New Zealand did make an appearance.  I for one can vouch for a trip to Hobbiton (near the town of Matamata on NZ's North Island), the actual set where the filming took place for for the much awaited "The Hobbit" film and also for the earlier "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

If you're a Lord of the Rings fan, big or small, it's brilliant, won't fail to raise a smile for even the most reluctant visitor and given the right weather conditions and time of day, it might even feel just a little bit magical.

Running, Kayaking and Cycling.... Blind

A journey from one side of a country to another you would think would be quite tough, mentally and physically. Running, kayaking and cycling the 243km from one side of New Zealand's South Island would be a great effort for anybody.

A New Zealand woman, Neelu Memon, has decided to do just that, even if she is near blind, and has no balance because of a condition she contracted when she was younger.

Having already scaled Mt. Aspiring, she will start on the west coast and run the first 36km, including a 33km traverse of the Southern Alps. The cycling leg will entail pedalling 140km over three stages, and finally she will paddle 67km down the Waimakariri River to the east coast. (Each with a guide of course)

Good luck to her, though we're sure she won't need it!

Deadly birds and ghostly insects

Puffin the Takahe has caused a stir by chomping (or the bird equivalent) down a duckling in front of some school kids.

A bit grisly for them, but that wasn't the strange thing....

Takahes were thought to be veggies... from this video, looks like Puffin and her fellow birds aren't as friendly as they look....

(Interestingly, you will be able to see Puffin and her mate T2 on our new Zealandia page, coming soon!)

On a more milky note, trampers in NZ have found an albino snail, something which an expert said she'd only seen once before in more than 30 years of studying snails...

Obviously something strange is happening to the animals down in NZ....

Flying pigs anyone?

Little carrot or a big bug?

Definitely a big bug....

A man in NZ has spent 2 days tracking down a Giant Weta on Little Barrier Island. Giant Weta's are the biggest insects in the world, and weigh up to three times that of a mouse.

When he did find one up a tree, he let it have a chomp on the end of a carrot, before letting it go.

Its been said to be the largest one ever found.

Bear Grylls would be full for the rest of the day.........