Smart Travel

New Zealand’s diversity – in landscape, climate, and people – has turned this small South Pacific country into a major tourism destination far exceeding its global imprint.

Trains and boats and planes, and Hobbit motels are just some of the quirky overnighters for travellers looking for out-of-the-ordinary accommodation in New Zealand.

New Zealand has laid down the welcome mat with a new campaign to assure travellers that the country is very much open for business, while bloggers throughout the world are extolling the virtues of the destination.

New Zealand’s reputation for sustainable practice and environmental awareness has prompted growth in eco-tourism as more travellers seek eco-friendly accommodation.

New Zealand has always offered environmentally-aware tourists a golden opportunity but now the experience can be rated officially thanks to a growing group of tourism operators who are walking the talk.

Savvy travellers wanting to fly in the face of the global credit crisis and still go on holiday are latching on to clever ways to make their funds go further.

Imagine hiking for six days, never seeing another soul and not even stepping out of a national park - that's Kahurangi National Park.

New Zealand - a land of four million people - is a country that's punching well above its weight when it comes to helping the environment and working towards reducing carbon emissions.

Travellers with a 'green' conscience can take heart because getting around New Zealand doesn't have to be hard on the environment.