There are ski fields in Tasmania and Victoria, but the largest ski fields are in New South Wales on the boarder with Victoria state and actually the first ski club in the world in 1861 was established in Snowy Mountains in Australia. Who could thought Australia has such long history of skiing?
Two largest downhill ski resorts are located not far from highest peak (Mt Kosciuszko) in Australia.  Thredbo ski resort has longest ski run and Perisher ski resort has largest ski fields – 12 square kilometers (4.6 sq miles) and it calls itself as largest ski resort in Souther hemisphere.

Both resorts are located somewhere in the middle between Sydney and Melbourne and only ~60 kilometers (~40 miles) away from each other, so you can visit both on your trip to snowy mountains.

Here is comparison of these two resorts if you want to choose one of these resorts.

* you can go up to 2034 meters (6673 feet) elevation and then climb 20 meters (66 feet) to the nearest peak. Both picture bellow are done from that highest point.

** all prices are in Australian dollars. The price of lift pass and ski/snowboard rent shows how much you need to pay if you pay at the resort. You can get better deals by buying lift pass and hiring skies/snowboard online in advance. Or buy visiting resorts during low season. Check their websites for the deals.

My choice was Perisher, because by lift you can get up to 2034 meters (6673 feet) elevation and climb another 20 meters (66 feet) to the peak of Mt. Perisher for fantastic view.

I also need to note that you should carry snow chains as you may require to put it on in case of heavy snow in a ‘snow-ice’ risk section within the Kosciuszko National Park. Chains can be hired in Jindabyne and Khancoban or in Cooma if you are coming from Sydney/Canberra.

So enjoy the snow but be careful and don’t underestimate snow in Australia, as it happened to these cross-country skiers.

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Probably the best place for penguin watching in New Zealand is Omaru town. It is located south of Christchurch in the South Island. It is possible to see both kind of penguins there. Every night they are coming back from the sea to the land and you can watch both kinds at the same night.

Their colonies are on different sides of peninsula, but yellow eyed penguins are coming back 1-2 hours earlier then blue eyed penguins. An hour before sunset go to Bushy Beach (about 5 minutes driving from city center) and wait in the hides for yellow eyed penguins appearing from the sea.

Just be careful there are seals on that beach too, so don’t step on them, if you will go down to the beach

After sunset go to blue eyed penguins colony. You can watch penguins there for a fee. I didn’t find any place where it would be possible to see blue eyed penguins in the wild for free in New Zealand. Let me know if you heard about such place. Also you can visit this web site (www.penguin.net.nz) for other places there it is possible to see yellow eyed penguins.

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It was couple years ago I was traveling in New Zealand. During Easter weekend I was visiting hot mud pool near Rotorua and because I didn’t have any decorated eggs for this occasion so decided to grab some mud from that pool and made my own decorations. That’s the result

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On your hike to Lake Marian you will need to pass this beautiful rain forest.

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Here are five perfect destinations for first-time solo travellers.

1. New Zealand

A good way to ease yourself into the travelling experience is to go somewhere where you speak the lingo! New Zealand is a fun, friendly place which attracts lots of adventurous tourists. Show off your wild side by exploring underground caves, plummeting through the air on a bungee jump or soaring through the skies with a skydive.

The small size of the country means it’s easy to get around. You can be in a stunning wild natural park one minute and a thriving city the next.

2. Iceland

If you want somewhere a bit closer to home, try an unusual European destination like Iceland. You’ll find that all the locals speak English, so it’s very easy to get around and organise your trip.

A long weekend break in Europe is a great way to get to know someone better and the bizarre volcanic landscapes and magnificent waterfalls make a great talking point!

3. Costa Rica

For an exotic beach destination, head to Costa Rica. It’s the most visited destination for tourists in Latin America, so you’ll have plenty of chance to meet other travellers during your stay. You can relax on peaceful beaches, trek through wildlife-rich mountains and explore ancient volcanoes.

Costa Rica is known for being one of the happiest places on earth and you’ll find that people are more than willing to chat and hang out.

4. Japan

Japan is very tourist-friendly and easy to get around, so not knowing the language won’t hold you back from exploring all the amazing things the country has to offer. A lot of Japan is made up of verdant hills and towering mountains, like the famous Mount Fuji. But Tokyo is a place like no other, with its futuristic lifestyle coupled with stunning shrines, temples and parks for cherry blossom viewing.

5. USA

America has something to suit everyone and, as everyone speaks English, it won’t be hard to make new friends! Rent a car and take a road trip or hop on a bus and backpack along the coast.  Spend a weekend in iconic New York city, visit infamous natural phenomenon like the Grand Canyon or party spots like Las Vegas, you won’t find it hard to create an amazing travel experience to suit your taste.

If you’re a first-time traveller going solo, you may feel nervous and apprehensive about going away. As long as you’re sensible, pay a lot of attention to your safety and pick the right travel location, you should come back with amazing memories of a fantastic trip. Try out one of these destinations for the chance to meet interesting people around the globe. 

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Auckland, New Zealand

Sydney, Australia

Taipei, Taiwan

Hong Kong

Singapoure

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Moscow, Russia

Berlin, Germany

London, UK

Toronto, Canada

Photo credit:  ekv8H, sydneynewyearseve.com, cfnews13.com, militaryphotos.net, channelnewsasia.com, cntraveler.com, emirates247.com, q8allinone.com, abc.net.au, thestar.com

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Only seven weeks left until premier and I think it is time to visit one of best preserved site where “The Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” trilogies were shot.

I am talking about Hobbiton. It is located in the middle of North Island in New Zealand and was “discovered” by Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema during aerial search for suitable “The Lord of the Rings” sites in 1998.

View Hobbiton in a larger map

The site closely resembled Middle-earth described by Tolkien. The large established pine tree later to become known as the ‘party tree’, was already perfectly placed in front of the lake. The surrounding rolling farmland was untouched by 20th century. There was no roads, power lines or any buildings on the site.

Thought the landscape was almost perfect it still required a lot of work to do. It took almost nine months to finish all preparation. Firstly New Zealand Army was contracted to build 1.5km (1 mile) road into the site. Then  thirty-seven underground hobbit holes (smials) were created, mill and double arch bridge were built out of scaffolding, ply and polystyrene, glued and painted. Barberry hedges and trees were brought in and gardens were nurtured throughout winter. Oak tree overlooking Bag End was cut down and brought in from near Matamata. Each branch was numbered and chopped, then transported and bolted together on top of Bag End (26 tonne).
Due to the intense heat of studio lights real trees on a set had a maximum “leaf life” of five days, millions of artificial (made from silk) leaves were imported from Taiwan and individually wired onto the dead trees to help foliate the woods of Middle-earth.

Site construction started in March 1999 and filming commenced in December of the same year and continued for three months. At its peak 400 people were on site including Peter Jackson, Sir Ian McKellen(Gandalf), Elijah Wood(Frodo), Ian Holm(Bilbo Baggins), Sean Astin(Sam) and others..

I don’t know how, but they managed throughout construction and filming all activity on the site to keep under strict security. It was even declared as no flight zone.

After the filming of “The Lords of the rings” all decorations supposed to be cleared, but because of heavy rain no machinery could go on wet ground for the couple of weeks. Later owners of the land made agreement with movie studio to leave everything as is. Of course a lot of decorations didn’t survive as it was made from polystyrene, but natural party tree is still there.

Most of smials are also in the place.

Just don’t expect to enter inside, as only Bag End was made as real home.

Other smials (hobbit-holes) were only imitations.

Last year the site was closed for public because  it was used for the filming of  “The Hobbit” trilogy. But now it is open and it probably looks even better because Sir Peter Jackson’s Wingnut Films Productions Limited and Rings Scenic Tours Limited created join venture called Shire Tours. My photos were taken 4 years ago and I expect they left more decorations this time. Picture below is taken from Great Sights New Zealand.

The only bad thing with this new venture is the new price. It was $50 entry fee couple years ago, and now it is $75. But if you are fan or LOTR or The Hobbit this site must be on your to do list. Make sure you have “The Lord Of The Rings” trilogy DVDs ready at home, as you definitely will want to watch it again after your visit to Hobbiton.

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In the last 3 years I have been on and off New Zealand for may be 10 times. I always had great time out there, but there is one thing which really annoys me every time I come to airport to catch my out bound flight from New Zealand. It is departure fee. For all international departures you need to pay departure tax (currently it is 25$NZ).
It looks a small charge comparing with amount of money you already spent in the country. That is the thing I can’t understand – they collect so much taxes from all tourist industry, as it is expensive country to travel, and it is still not enough and they just want to ruin all your wonderful experience about New Zealand. Small thing, but I am sure it will be remembered by most of tourists. Especially all whose long queues to pay that fee.

Gladly at least in Auckland airport you don’t need to pay this fee, but keep 25$NZ in you pocket if you are flying out from any other airport in New Zealand.

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Have a save trip!

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