Travel Agent - August 18, 2008 - (Page 34)

DESTINATIONS NEW ZEALAND DOWN SOUTH And Down Under A seven-day journey through the West Coast of the Southern Alps, New Zealand IF YOUR CLIENTS WANT TO REALLY GET AWAY, the Rough & Tumble Bush Lodge (www.roughandtumble.co.nz) in the northwest corner of South Island, New Zealand, is the place to send them—a warm and welcoming detour in a land of endless breathtaking vistas and strange names. This vast primeval and rugged region, which is officially known as “the West Coast of the Southern Alps” (www.west-coast.co.nz), is all about adventure. Late April is fall in New Zealand, and we’ve flown to Nelson from Auckland in 1.5 hours, and decided to do the drive south—the famed West Coast Touring Route—and then continue to Queenstown. Rough and Tumble is a tributary of the Mokihinui River, in the shadow of the Mt. Glasgow ranges. We’re glad this is not a more 34 | TravelAgent August 18, 2008 A view of majestic Fox Glacier BY STEPHANIE STEPHENS formal “super lodge”; the vibe is just right. Both Susan Cook and her husband, Marion “Weasel” Boatwright, are keen to urge guests into a sit-on-top kayak or a dog-paddle in the Mokihinui’s “pool” out front, to cycle along the foot-friendly Chasm Creek Walkway or to cast for huge brown trout. Trained gourmet chef Susan will skillfully sauté your clients’ prized trophy or prepare other scrumptious homestyle dishes like cioppino with crusty sage bread. For those who like to pair wine with their meal, you can bring your own bottle here, too. On day two, we head to Karamea, 61 miles, 1.5 hours north of Westport, curling back and forth over the mountains and descending to the coast, studying this unusual mountain-toTasman Sea ecosystem. Karamea is also the southern entrance to the famed Heaphy walking (“tramping”) track. Oparara Guided Tours’ (www.oparara. co.nz) informative expert escorts us inside Honeycomb Hill Caves, where, sporting caving helmet with headlamp, we quiz our subterranean leader about luminous “moon milk” on cave walls, and about how to differentiate stalactites from stalagmites. To finish the day, we easily hike in to magnificent Oparara Arch, one of Australasia’s largest natural land bridges. The next day we eagerly head to Charleston, once the gold-mining hub of New Zealand with 30,000 people, but now home to 150 lucky residents, including the pros at Norwest Adventures Ltd. (www.caverafting.com). After donning wetsuits, life jackets and helmets, we hop aboard the open-sided Charles Nile River Rainforest Train that chugs through rainforest once used as a location for the BBC’s CONTINUED ON PAGE 36 http://www.oparara.co.nz http://www.oparara.co.nz http://www.roughandtumble.co.nz http://www.west-coast.co.nz http://www.caverafting.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - August 18, 2008

Travel Agent - April 18, 2008 Online Now Contents From the Editor Pacific/Asia: Visitors to Ubud will Discover the Essence of Balinese Art and Culture Special Supplement: Malaysia Travel Planner New Zealand: There is Plenty to See and Do Throughout the West Coast of the Southern Alps Europe: Beauty, History and Culture Combine in Valencia, Spain Caribbean: Scrub Island is the BVI’s First Development in 15 years The Wyndham Rio Mar’s $40 Million Makeover is Well Underway in Puerto Rico The Latest on Grenada, a Caribbean Up-and-Comer Mexico: Big Hotel Plans are in the Works for the Riviera Nayarit Florida: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel turns Orlando into Italy Las Vegas: Dinner at these Restaurants Can Get your Clients into Vegas’ Hottest Nightclubs Cover Story: Medical Tourism Special Supplement: Destination Weddings Specialist 3.0 Hotels: Everything Old is New Again at New York’s Algonquin Cruise: Short Cruises Keep your Clients on the Move for Less Group Travel: Disney makes Exotic Locales Friendly for Family Travel Car Rentals: How Much Insurance Does your Client Need for a Rental Car? Agency Profile: Corporate Travel Sales are Rising at MTravel.com, a Division of Montrose Luxury Travel Expo Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Hyatt comes to Curaçao New Hotels and Resorts in Asia CLIA Tightens Qualifications for ID Tripology Links Agents to Clients In the Spotlight Agent Access Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - August 18, 2008

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