Waiheke Island – better known as paradise!

Waiheke Island is situated in the Hauraki Gulf and is only a 50 minute ferry ride from central Auckland. The Island is considered paradise for many and is home to over 8000 permanent residents with another 3500 owning holiday homes on the Island. A day on Waiheke could be spent enjoying vineyards, eating in beautiful restaurants or simply relaxing by the beach. The island boasts craft shops, boutiques and art galleries or if you are a little more adventurous there …

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15 New Zealand spots you have to check out in 2015

What to do in New Zealand in 2015? So much to see this year again with our usual local festivals as well as major international festival coming to our shores. New Zealand Herald has made a selection of their top 15 spots for the year, including: Crankworx, the world’s largest mountain bike festival, which is this year coming to Rotorua’s Redwood forest! Queenstown Winter Festival, 10 days of attractions amongst one of the most scenic spots of New Zealand Beervana, a festival dedicated …

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New Zealand’s best career prospects

Thinking about studying and eventually living in New Zealand? Or are you a fresh overseas graduate in engineering, science, or IT? According to a recent report by The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment of New Zealand, these fields have the promising career opportunities. Trade jobs (carpentry or welding) are also in high demand. Read the whole article here. New Zealand Shores has a list of jobs checked for suitability for 1 or more New Zealand visa categories. This list is …

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New Zealand stars in world’s clearest skies list

New Zealand South Island’s lake Tekapo has been named on of the world’s top 10 destinations for stargazing. The skies’ purity and the absence of urban lighting around this spot make it a wonderful location for catching a glimpse of the Milky Way. “Being surrounded by mountains which kept the low cloud away and made the stability of the night sky clearer and sharper because it was further away from the ocean also made Lake Tekapo a perfect location for …

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Christmas in New Zealand

Discover some of the most iconic sights of a typical Christmas in New Zealand. More on our Pinterest board: http://www.pinterest.com/nzshores/christmas-in-new-zealand/

The Southern Alps – The home of the Lord of The Rings and Hobbit Trilogies

Aaoraki Mt Cook and the Southern Alps were chosen by Sir Peter Jackson as the location for ‘Lake Town’ in The Hobbit: The desolation of Smaug and various other scenes in the Lord of the Rings trilogies.  The crystal clear lake which was formed by an ancient glacier and has become a popular region for stargazing, hiking, winter snow sports, cycling and more recently a place to visit for fans of the films. The location was perfect for Lake Town …

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New Zealand – The home of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup

In 2015 New Zealand and Australia are co-hosting the 2015 ICC Cricket world cup which is estimated to be watched by more than a quarter of the world. The Cricket World Cup started in England in 1975 and subsequently has taken place every four years since with New Zealand and Australia previously hosting the cup in 1992. New Zealand has games being played in several cities including Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Napier, Nelson, Dunedin and Christchurch which gives tourists and Kiwi’s …

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Dunedin – The Creative City of Literature!

Dunedin has recently been named the creative city of literature by the prestigious UNESCO, the only city in New Zealand to hold the title. Dunedin has been long known in New Zealand as a city of education, Scottish History and heritage and even has the highest number of churches per capita out of any other city in the world. Dunedin has joined Melbourne, Edinburgh, Dublin, Iowa City, Reykjavik, Norwich and Krakow. Dunedin is one of the most important settler cities and …

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A New Zealand Christmas tree with a twist

Red and green is the traditional colour scheme for christmas for many people around the world and New Zealand is no different. Except New Zealand grows its very own Christmas trees along the shore line. The first mention of the Pohutakawa as a christmas tree was in 1867 and since then the bright red flowers have been firmly planted in the New Zealand christmas tradition. The tree flowers over the New Zealand summer holiday period from November through to January …

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A New Zealand story: At home in Dunedin

Two years after moving to New Zealand from South Africa, this family has fully embraced Kiwi culture and lifestyle. The advantages of New Zealand life won them over, although it was not easy at first, having to adjust to the weather, the Kiwi accent, and slight differences in job environments. These now seem pretty minor and all that remains is “a wonderful experience”. Read out more about this particular experience of moving to New Zealand, browse our “Life in NZ” pages, …

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