3 Favourite Travel Spots for Kiwi Tourists

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India

Among the Asian countries, India is among the top destinations for the Kiwi tourists every year. It seems that the New Zealand tourist has a taste for India’s exotic delights. In January 2011, there was a significant increase of tourists heading to India from New Zealand alone, with most of them heading there for holidays. While data regarding the age group of who travels to India is hard to come by, a quick check reveals that the average traveller to India is usually on a tourist visa. What’s more, the introduction of direct flights between the two countries has seen the volume of tourist numbers increase on both sides, with cheap flights available from major airlines like Etihad Airways, Delta and Lufthansa.

The Kiwi tourist will definitely fall in love with India. The place provides a cost effective holiday destination for them, considering the price level. Additionally, it offers a wide variety of activities for the typical Kiwi tourist to enjoy. While New Zealand has excellent beach fronts and its own island forests, India’s culture, desert life in the north east, beautiful tea farms in the west, and lush landscapes up in the north offer a variety that the Kiwi tourist is sure to appreciate. What’s more, the cricket scene is as lively (if not more fanatic) as the one in New Zealand, a sport that is sure to excite the Kiwi traveller.

Maldives

This premier luxury destination has all the makings of a beautiful getaway. This island nation has whole islands dedicated to tourist activity. With about 99 resort islands, the choice on where to stay is one that may be daunting.

It is surprising that this destination would be popular with the Kiwi tourist. Is it not similar to the home country after all? However, the Maldives offer a new and exciting twist that home doesn’t have. Its culture: including the food, music, and history give it an edge. What’s more, New Zealand and Maldives are not that far apart, making it a convenient destination for the Kiwi tourist who wants to enjoy world class hospitality and private beaches. The warm diplomatic relationships between the two countries facilitates easy travel too, so Kiwis head here to relax in a luxury overwater bungalow, sip on a cocktail and enjoy living like a king.

The UK

Both New Zealand and the UK belong to the commonwealth. They also share a great deal of history between them. The attraction between residents of the two countries seems mutual, with large tourist numbers flocking both ways. When you place Australia aside, the UK is one of the top 3 destinations for tourists from New Zealand. In 2011, there were about 187,000 tourists from New Zealand, and they spent a total of about £163 million on their visits that year. With some fantastic tour operators like this to show you around, you can’t go around.

For those who are particularly adventurous, B&B trips around the UK are a fun way of enjoying the delights of the country. They facilitate easy and cheap travel, and also a more intimate experience. From a beach trip to Cornwall to a city escape whilst staying at a B&B in Edinburgh, Kiwis love to explore every corner of the UK. The Kiwi tourist will undoubtedly enjoy the large English breakfasts, delicious local pies, as well as sampling the local beer. The sports scene will also be very appealing, as New Zealanders are passionate about rugby and cricket.

With such a beautiful home country, finding an exciting holiday destination can be challenging for folks from New Zealand, but we think these 3 are more than worthy of a visit!

History: Check Out This Old Video from the 1970′s About Travel in New Zealand

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Video: Wild New Zealand – Gorgeous Timelapse

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The video is a compilation of the best clips from two weeks trip around the South Island in New Zealand. We went from Christchurch through lake Tekapo, lake Pukaki, Mount Cook, Hooker Valley, Tasman Lake, Kea Point, Lake Hawea, Lake Wanaka, Lake Wakatipu, Te Anau, Doubtful Sound, Milford Sound, Gertrude Saddle, Key Summit, and back to Banks Peninsula and Christchurch.

Website.

Video: 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand

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Video: Milford Sound Timelapse

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Beautiful views of majestic Mitre Peak in this special timelapse feature. See the activity on Milford Sound as boat cruises, hikers and kayakers do their thing.

Video: Peter Jackson talks about New Zealand

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Wellington: What to Do in the City on a Budget

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If you’re heading over to New Zealand for a break, you’ve probably had to shell out a fair fortune for the flights. Unless you have a literally unlimited budget, you may find that you can’t go all out with the holiday spends after splashing the cash on the journey out.

However, sometimes you’re going to want to treat yourself to something special – a great meal out, renting a car to head to the beach, something like that – so you’ll need a little extra money.

To save up for that occasion, why not try out some of the New Zealand capital’s free activities? There are loads of things to do for free in the Windy City; you can have a great holiday without spending a dime on activities if you want to!

Museum of New Zealand

The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (known as Te Papa for short) is a fab little place, and there’s always plenty to do and see there. A recent survey found that if you were to read absolutely everything here, it’d take you about 60,000 hours – nearly 7 years!

Make sure you visit the Colossal Squid exhibition!

Get Your Politics Head On

You can learn a little about the government of New Zealand by going on an education tour through the various Parliament Buildings in Wellington – tours go on every day, and they leave on the hour. The Beehive is a unique building, well worth seeing!

Embark on the Writers Walk

This lovely trek around the waterfront will serve as a wonderful introduction to the hordes of talented and beloved writers who call (or have called) Wellington their home.

The Wellington Writers Walk is a self-guided tour, so you can do it whenever – just pick up a map and enjoy your day!

Like Lord of the Rings?

If you’re a fan of Peter Jackson and his films (he’s a Kiwi, don’t you know?), then you will enjoy a visit to Weta Cave, a small museum dedicated to his works, complete with behind the scenes looks, tonnes of movie memorabilia and video interviews.

If You Have Money to Spare…

One way of saving money is by looking at Cheapflights in New Zealand; if you can manage to spend less on your trip over, then you can afford to spare a little more on the attractions while you’re there.

If you can afford a little expense, we would recommend spending a day riding the fantastic crocodile bikes along the waterfront before stopping off at Maranui for refreshments in the form of a fantastic milkshake.

Ride those bikes up to Zealandia, a conservation sanctuary where you can get up close and personal with some of NZ’s rarest animals. Finish off your evening with a nice meal then pop over to Ciocco for a warming chilli hot chocolate!

One More Thing

Ride the Wellington Cable Car! It only costs NZ$3 to get to the top, where you can get an awesome view across the city. Walk down again and take a (free!) stroll through the Botanic Gardens.

Video: 100% Middle-earth 100% Pure New Zealand – Extended Edition

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64qx95Ckrwc

Unveil your very own Middle-earth experience in a place that will forever keep your under its spell http://bit.ly/O79GUI. Traveller, your dreams are waiting right here in New Zealand.

Video: New Zealand Landscapes Timelapse Volume 1

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Stunning!

New Zealand Landscapes Timelapse Volume 1 from Bevan Percival on Vimeo.

 

Expat Info: Can Guernsey Revive Its Battered QROPS Industry?

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The Qualified Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) can be a high-yielding UK-pension investment system capable of tax savings and excellent returns if managed properly. Between 2006 when HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) OK’d the pension programs and April/May of 2012 Guernsey was consistently either the most popular destination for QROPS or among the top three. Particularly in the later years preceding 2012, Guernsey had pulled well ahead of the Oceania states as the premier QROPS destination for British expats. As things were, it looked to hold that crown for the foreseeable future. However, that was before the HMRC implemented Statute Instrument 1221 (SI 1221), which shattered the Guernsey QROPS apparatus as it was.

SI 1221, which went into force on May 23, 2012, was intended to thwart tax avoidance. Its chief provision prohibited patronage of any investment scheme favoring preferential tax benefits for non-resident investors. The day SI 1221 took effect more than 99% (310 of 313) of Guernsey’s QROPS programs were cut from the HMRC’s list of registered providers, effectively ending further QROPS traffic.

The good news for those with Guernsey QROPS in place is that their scheme will remain unaffected by the legislation. Otherwise, the future of Guernsey’s QROPS viability is in something of a limbo. In their favor, Guernsey is a long-established centre for pension investment. They already have a sturdy base of QROPS  investors grandfathered in to the older system and Deputy Gavin St Pier of Guernsey’s Treasury department (along with other lawmakers) has (and have) scrambled to amend the tax statutes as to provide the same benefits to residents and non-residents alike; obviously to (re)align their policy with the HMRC’s new guidelines. (Ironically, Guernsey’s S157E regime, established in March 2012, was passed to ensure preferential tax treatment wasn’t given to off-island investors so as to conform with HMRC’s tax guidelines. S157E was mentioned specifically in SI 1221’s clampdown on Guernesy.)

Guernsey is close, familiar and comfortable for many expats, has hundreds of men and women who specialise in QROPS and do it for a living. Furthermore, the government has a huge incentive to retain, maintain and expand an attractive QROPS marketplace as so much of their economy relies on British pension investment. How Guernsey will emerge from the shakeup remains to be seen. The suggestion that they’re down but not out is a reasonable one.

Mario Vitanelli is a freelance writer and blogger who specializes in international politics and finance. His areas of expertise include Asian, South American and European expatriate economic policy and QROPS. When away from his keyboard, he enjoys photography and appreciates the rest of the Vitanelli family’s endless patience with his football dependence.

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