Penguin Albatross Watching|Otago Peninsula

April 17th, 2009

Otago Peninsula, a 35 kilometre stretch of land to the north east of Dunedin city in the South Island of New Zealand is a veritable paradise for marine mammals, especially so for penguins and albatrosses.

Right year round, the Otago Peninsula is bustling with activity of marine birds and marine mammals.  This peninsula holds the unique distinction of being the only mainland breeding ground for royal albatrosses.

The penguins include the blue eyed and the rare yellow eyed varieties. There are variety of orca whales offshore. The mainland is a good place for fur seals and blue penguins. All in all, it is a marine lover’s delight.

More on Penguin and Albatross Watching in Otago Peninsula

Oparara Basin|Karamea|West Coast|New Zealand

April 16th, 2009

Oparara Basin, to the east of Karamea, is endowed with amazing limestone formations that is characteristic of the karst terrain.

You will be amazed by some of the towering karst formations that also featured in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Two standouts among the various limestone formations are the Oparara Arch and the Moria Gate Arch.

The other features of Oparara Basin are also amazing in terms of the ecological grandeur of the place and the richness of its flora and fauna.

More on Oparara Basin and its limestone wonders

Catlins Coast|Southland Attraction|South Island New Zealand

April 14th, 2009

Catlins Coast is a lesser known Southland tourism attraction in the South Island of New Zealand. It forms a part of the southern scenic coastal route connecting Dunedin and Invercargill.

The Catlins Forest Park is a protected forest reserve and is home to an incredible variety of rare birds and mammals. The entire coastline is extremely beautiful and takes a good couple of days to go around the place and do justice to its amazing natural beauty.

You will find it convenient to hire a rental vehicle to tour the region. There are alternatives in the form of  guided tours ranging between 2 and 4 days.

There are a variety of Catlins Coast accommodation and Catlins Coast activities options for you to have a great time in this amazingly wild yet naturally beautiful region in the South Island of New Zealand.

Auckland|City of Sails On Video

April 8th, 2009

If you have wondered what the largest city in New Zealand has to offer, then Auckland packs a terrific punch for the discerning traveller in you.

Auckland also known as the city of sails is a treasure trove of fun and thrilling activities, suited to individuals of all fitness levels. You can have a blast with your family and friends in this beautiful city nestled in between the harbours of Waitemata and Manukau.

There is no point in wasting any more words.  A picture is worth a thousand words.  So, go ahead and have fun watching this video on
Auckland the City of Sails

Franz Josef Glacier – Spectacular New Zealand Glacier

April 6th, 2009

About 150 kilometres south of Hokitika lies the majestic Franz Josef glacier, a grand sight to behold from afar and more splendorous from close quarters.

The Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier form the pride of  New Zealand glaciers. Over the years, Franz Josef  has developed much more in terms of accommodation and eating places.

Franz Josef glacier has rightly earned its place as a major player in the Te Wahipounamu, the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area. It offers a spectacular array of adventurous activities, the most popular being guided glacier walks and a wide variety of plane and helicopter flights.

More on Franz Josef Glacier

Karori Bird Sanctuary|Wellington Sights|North Island|New Zealand

January 13th, 2009

Hi all,
Welcome one and all to LooknbookNZ’s  New Zealand Travel and Tourism blog.  LooknbookNZ is a reliable and trustworthy New Zealand travel and tourism portal catering to the needs of travellers touring around this beautiful country.

This first post is on one of the top bird parks in the Southern Hemisphere, the  Karori Sanctuary in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.  This is a fantastic example of humans preserving fragile ecosystems and flora and fauna of New Zealand.

There will be many more interesting sights and sounds published on this blog on a regular basis and we sincerely hope we can keep you enthralled in our journey of discovery of the tanatalising Land of the Long White Cloud.

Best wishes for a grand 2009 to all of you.

Regards

Lou McDowell