New Zealand makes Lonely Planet's bluelist
13 Nov 2007
A giant kiwifruit, a backpackers inside a prison and a boutique brewery where possum tails can be exchanged for beer are just a few New Zealand quirks rated highly in the 2008 edition of the Lonely Planet’s Bluelist.
Compiled annually, the Bluelist is a collection of the world's best destinations, journeys, experiences and trends.
This year several New Zealand destinations featured highly amongst the Bluelist's 30 categories.
Giant kiwifruit
In the Bay of Plenty region, Te Puke's giant kiwifruit rated as one of the world’s "best big things". Described as a "giant, green, circular sculpture sticking out of the ground", the giant icon in the self proclaimed 'Kiwifruit Capital of the World' left the Bluelist in no doubt where lies the world's best kiwifruit: "OK we get it - Te Puke’s kiwifruit rules".
Backpackers in a prison
The Napier Prison backpackers ranks as one of the "best places to sleep behind bars". Now a backpackers, guests can tour the hanging yard - where locals used to pay a shilling to watch executions take place - before getting a mug shot taken to remember their time in New Zealand’s oldest prison. They can then rest their heavy heads in converted cells which used to house gang members, mass murderers and the criminally insane.
Possum tails for beer
Under the category of 'Best Brews - The World's Finest Beer Headquarters' is the South Island's Mussel Inn. Situated two hours from Nelson in Golden Bay, the Mussel Inn is a boutique brewery and restaurant famous for its steamed mussels and other fresh local fare. When their local countryside was threatened by possums (a pest in New Zealand), the Mussel Inn offered its punters a "beer bounty" in which a free handle of beer was offered in exchange for every possum tail brought in. The motivation for the Mussel Inn's delicious beer was so strong 5000 possums were duly eradicated.
The Bluelists's other New Zealand must-do's:
Great River Trips: Jetboating the Shotover River
"For high-octane thrills in a high-octane city, head for Queenstown on New Zealand's South Island, where one of the signature activities (among a smorgasbord of adventures) is jetboating the Shotover River. Through the river's steep-sided canyons, jetboats skim past the rock walls, fishtailing and throwing themselves into 360-degree spins. It's 30 minutes that's like a drug-induced dance on water, deep in the mighty Middle-Earth scenery of the Southern Alps. Tolkien geeks may recognise the Shotover as the Ford of Bruinen, if they can look beyond the spinning bow of the jetboat, that is."
Explorers and their Journeys: James Cook, Queen Charlotte Sound
"To see James Cook's hometown, visit Whitby on the Yorkshire coast. To see the place where he felt most at home, visit Queen Charlotte Sound on the frayed north coast of New Zealand's South Island. In suitably titled Ship Cove, Cook anchored five times, staying a total of around 100 days (and where he is celebrated today with an elephantine monument). Offshore you can climb to the summit of Motuara Island and a plaque commemorating the spot where Cook raised the Union Jack to claim British sovereignty over New Zealand. Nearby there's accommodation in Endeavour and Resolution Bays, named for Cook's ships."
Best Volcanoes: Whakaari (White Island)
"White by name, but black by nature, White Island has been in almost constant eruption for the last three decades. Sitting in the Bay of Plenty, the island marks one end of the highly active Taupo Volcanic Zone, which also includes the volatile Mt Ruapehu and the geothermal fields of Rotorua, and though the latter is one of New Zealand's premier tourist attractions, the ever changing colours and fury of White Island are arguably more impressive. The island can be visited by boat or helicopter from Whakatane, and once ashore at Crater Bay you'll witness an array of volcanic features."
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