House of Travel has a seven night package priced from $999 per person share twin from Auckland staying at the three star Moorings Hotel.  Package includes return economy class airfares to Port Villa from Auckland, seven night’s accommodation, return Port Villa airport transfers and Tropical Breakfast daily.
Valid for travel commenced and completed 08 – 22 December 2010 and
19 January – 27 March 2011.
Sales until 24 December 2010.

For more information phone 0800 838 747 or call in to your nearest House of Travel store.

 Visit www.weekendandshortbreaks.co.nz for great weekend ideas and offers

SAND TIGER SHARKS – Come meet the scariest sharks of all

After more than 18 months of planning, Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World is now home to five fearsome Sand Tiger sharks – all the way from Maryland US.

The new residents’ alarming appearance – including one of the meanest sets of teeth you’re likely to see on any predator – and their fondness for hanging out in coastal waters have previously earned them the title of Man Eaters.

These Sand Tiger sharks have travelled more than 15,000 kilometres to their new home under the watchful eyes of a team of US and New Zealand marine experts.

To celebrate their arrival, Kelly Tarlton’s has a special Sand Tiger shark exhibition running throughout January. Kids can learn all about Sand Tiger sharks before meeting the new arrivals face-to-face in the Underwater World. To keep kids busy and engaged there are Shark Activity Sheets and lessons on how to draw sharks and spot different species, plus popular Kelly Tarlton’s costume character Sammy the Shark will be making an appearance at 12.30 every day throughout January.

The Sand Tiger sharks are new permanent residents 
The special Sand Tiger shark themed exhibition is running until January 31st  2011

Open 7 days, 9.30am – 5.30pm (last admission 4.30pm)
Shark feeding every Tuesday & Thursday at 2.30pm
Special appearances by Sammy the Shark (costume character) daily throughout January at 12.30pm
Regular Kelly Tarlton’s activities such as stingray feeding and penguin encounters continue as normal.

Visit www.kellytarltons.co.nz for more information and times for all other scheduled activities.
Visit www.weekendandshortbreaks.co.nz for great weekend ideas and offers

Dive! Tutukaka is New Zealand’s premier full-service dive charter operator, servicing the Poor Knights Islands; “the best sub-tropical diving in the world”. Dive! Tutukaka delivers a total experience.

Dive! Tutukaka has the largest dedicated dive charter fleet in New Zealand, available for day trips and private charter. Designed for diving, their vessels are licensed and fitted with safety and oxygen equipment. With five boats to choose from, they can cater for groups from 10 to 26 divers.

All Dive! skippers, and crew, are fully qualified, Emergency First Response trained, certified and compliant with all regulations.

All the boats have a galley with unlimited complimentary tea, coffee, milo and soup. There are hot showers, marine toilets, plenty of seats & ample dry stowage, plus fresh water & rinse facilities for gear and cameras.

Poor Knights Dive Centre
Marina Road
Tutukaka RD3
Whangarei
Email: info@diving.co.nz
Freephone (0800) 288 882

Visit www.diving.co.nz for more information
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Uniquely European, stylishly comfortable, friendly hospitality

Superbly situated in central Queenstown, Browns Boutique Hotel is like a “best kept secret”, tucked away on a quiet street, over looking the town and by using our own private path it is an easy 2 minute walk to the Queenstown shops and restaurants.

This stylish European inspired Queenstown hotel offers a special bed and breakfast experience and is the perfect Queenstown accommodation or alpine ski lodge for your next vacation.

Whatever the season you’ll love the stunning views of the town, lake and mountains. The majestic Remarkable Mountain Range dominates your view – whether standing on your own private balcony or enjoying a quiet sunny moment on the ground floor patio.

This luxury Queenstown hotel has an intimate, timeless feel.  Its soft toned European décor combined with friendly New Zealand hospitality ensures our guests feel completely at home.

CLICK HERE to view their summer room rates – which all include a delicious gourmet cooked / continental breakfast each morning.

Browns Boutique Hotel
26 Isle Street,
Queenstown 9300
Phone (03) 4412050
email  stay@brownshotel.co.nz
Visit www.brownshotel.co.nz

Visit www.weekendandshortbreaks.co.nz for great weekend ideas and offers

Family Holiday Programme
From 21 December 2010

Science and history are being brought to life at Auckland Museum these holidays. Volcanoes & Giants takes place against the backdrop of the museum’s award-winning Natural History Galleries and includes hands-on activities for children to explore the workings of the world — past and present.

Find out how rats track wetas and try it out, go on a jumping journey with magma hotscotch, help create a feathered tyrannosaur (and ponder whether these great beasts actually had them) and see what scientists have found out about the world under the sea.
 
Volcanoes & Giants
Natural History Galleries
Free. Daily from 21 December

Kauri Tree label
How high are you compared to a Kauri tree?
The giant kauri is one of the tallest trees in the world. Tane Mahuta is one of the world’s biggest living kauri trees and lives in the north island of New Zealand. He is 51.5 metres tall. Measure yourself on the height chart and compare yourself to Tane Mahuta. How long would it take you to climb to the top of Tane Mahuta?

Poo! What’s that smell?
Did you know that a weta smells like its own poo? It’s true. The smell comes from the decaying leaf matter inside their intestines. As Giant Weta live largely in trees, predators can sniff around the bottom of trees and when they find a nice pile of fresh weta droppings, they climb the tree and sniff out the weta for a tasty dinner.

Help Warren the Weta!
Here’s Warren Weta. He’s a long way from home and needs to find his way back to his little pile of rotting logs. Can you find the way home without making him bump into any hungry rats? Warren has had a big meal so hopefully he won’t give himself away with his smelly belly!

Feather a T. rex
(From 2 January 2011)
10am–2 noon and 1–3pm (storytime at 12.30pm)
Scientists have known for a long time that dinosaurs and birds are closely related, but it wasn’t till the 1990’s that dinosaur fossils were discovered with preserved feathers! Now some scientists believe that even the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex had feathers when young. What do you think? Decorate a feather and add it to our giant T. rex to see what the fluffy fellow would look like.

HOTscotch
Hop aboard our HOTscotch game and find out what happens to a little blob of magma on a big journey! Choose which route to take and become a different type of volcano each time. 

EXPLORER PACK
Budding scientists and explorers can add to the fun with a Volcanoes & Giants Explorer Pack. The pack includes an activity book chockablock with facts and fun things to do in the Museum and at home, extra information to help families explore the Natural History floor and a magnifying glass to examine objects close-up.
Available from the tills for $5.
From 21 December

Auckland War Memorial Musuem
Auckland Domain

Visit www.aucklandmuseum.co.nz for more information
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Tasman Trespasser II calls Voyager its permanent home

The team at Voyager are delighted to announce that on Tuesday 7 December, the museum will take ownership of Shaun Quincey’s Tasman Sea conquering row boat Tasman Trespasser II, in which Shaun successfully rowed solo from Australia to New Zealand earlier this year. From Tuesday the boat will call Voyager home as Shaun rows her one final time from Devonport to the museum marina. All of us at Voyager are excited to welcome this incredible vessel into the museum’s collection.

This acquisition is of special significance as the original Tasman Trespasser boat is already a popular part of our collection. The vessel belonged to Shaun’s father Colin Quincey, who rowed it from New Zealand to Australia in 1977. Shaun and Colin are the only two people to have successfully rowed solo across the Tasman Sea.

Tasman Trespasser II will be on display at Voyager from Friday 10 December.

Phone 09 373 0811
Email info@maritimemuseum.co.nz

Visit www.maritimemuseum.co.nz for more information
Visit www.weekendandshortbreaks.co.nz for great weekend ideas and offers

Discover the striking contrasts of Australia’s north, south, east, and west on an incredible circumnavigation aboard Dawn Princess. 

House of Travel has a 28 night cruise priced from just $6075 per person, share twin including meals and entertainment onboard.  PLUS:  you’ll receive an AU$150 onboard credit per person!  Cruise departs Sydney on 07 September 2011. 

Valid for sales until sold out. 
Airfares are additional.
Subject to availability and conditions apply. 

For more information phone 0800 838 747 or call in to your nearest House of Travel store.

Visit www.weekendandshortbreaks.co.nz for great weekend ideas and offers

Experience dairy farm life first hand while you relax in our bright, modern 3 bedroom farmstay. Step away from the everyday and enjoy the tranquillity and natural beauty of a Waitapu Farms country break.

One hour north of Auckland lies Waitapu Farms, a 350ha coastal dairy farm nestled between the townships of Wellsford and Warkworth.  The beautiful beaches of Pakiri, Te Arai and Mangawhai are all nearby as are the vineyards and restaurants of Matakana. Other local amenities include cinemas, schools and a playcentre all adding up to an incredible lifestyle experience.

To book, phone  Sue on 09 425 0244 or email sue.dudding@waitapu.co.nz

Visit www.waitapufarms.co.nz for more information
Visit www.weekendandshortbreaks.co.nz for great weekend ideas and offers

Situated just 20minutes north of Whangarei, Zion Wildlife Gardens is a tranquil countryside retreat.

The park like environment provides a sanctuary to some of the world’s rarest big cats and allows you a unique chance to learn about these magnificent endangered animals.

The wildlife gardens currently has a collection of 37 cats consisting of Barbary and White Lions, White and Orange Bengal tigers, at times some very cute cubs, two Serval cats, two Cheetahs, a Black Leopard and special honorary members to the Zion family Foxy the Baboon and some deer. 

All of the cats are extremely rare and most are extinct in the wild.  Zion Wildlife Gardens is dedicated to the preservation of endangered species of big cats.  To help fund habitat development and the ongoing care of it’s big cats, Zion Wildlife Gardens offers a range of guided tours, available daily. 

The wildlife garden is open for guided tours 364 days per year (closed Christmas day only) with our booking office operating between 9.00am and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday only.

Gray Road, 
Whangarei
Northland
Phone: (09) 435 0110
Email: zion@zionwildlifegardens.co.nz

Visit www.zionwildlifegardens.co.nz for more information
Visit www.weekendandshortbreaks.co.nz for great weekend ideas and offers

Te Ana Ngāi Tahu Rock Art Centre, an interactive tourism attraction housing the largest and most significant collection of Māori rock art in the world, will be officially opened at a special ceremony to be held in Timaru on Friday 10 December.

The event, to be attended by some 200 invited guests including Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Mark Solomon, Sir Tipene O’Regan, the local mayors and members of parliament, will begin with a blessing at 11.30am and will be followed by a pōwhiri to officially welcome guests.

“The centre is hugely significant for Ngāi Tahu. It is the culmination of years of hard work and devotion to protecting and preserving this important cultural and historical toanga for the iwi and now we have the perfect showcase for sharing it with the world,” says Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere, Mark Solomon.

The art of visual story telling through rock drawing is one of the oldest recorded art forms, dating back as far as 40,000 years in some countries. The South Island of New Zealand and in particular the Aoraki region is well known for its historic rock art sites with more than 500 sites recorded within the tribal boundaries of Ngai Tahu.  Māori rock art paint was made from animal or bird fat mixed with vegetable gum and soot or kokowai (red ochre) to make black or red paint and was believed to have the qualities required for lasting the test of time.

“Te Ana will offer a genuine cultural interpretation of the rock art from this region. Visitors will be taken on a unique journey through the rich cultural history of Ngāi Tahu via interactive multi sensory displays  supported / hosted by our especially trained local guides,” says Amanda Symon, Curator for the Ngāi Tahu Rock Art Trust.

“We are pretty excited about what the future holds. With growing interest internationally in rock art and a significant rise in cultural tourism we are projecting that Te Ana is likely to attract up to 34,000 visitors each year.  That’s a huge boost in terms of the protection of the rock art – as all profits from Te Ana will be used for that purpose – but also for the South Canterbury economy, and as a great source of employment for the locals,” says Symon.

Te Ana, Ngāi Tahu Rock Art Centre
2 George St
Timaru
Phone (03) 363 8962
Cell (021) 272 1170

Visit  www.teana.co.nz for more information
Visit www.weekendandshortbreaks.co.nz for great weekend ideas and offers