Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
early 2000s) and have similar facilities, namely tea- and coffee-making equipment, fridge,
and TV - prices vary with standard.
Rental Accommodation
The basic Kiwi holiday home is called a 'bach' (short for 'bachelor', as they were historic-
ally used by single men as hunting and fishing hideouts); in Otago and Southland they're
known as 'cribs'. These are simple self-contained cottages that can be rented in rural and
coastal areas, often in isolated locations. Prices are typically $80 to $150 per night, which
isn't bad for a whole house or self-contained bungalow. For more upmarket holiday
houses, expect to pay anything from $150 to $400 per double.
PRACTICALITIES
NNews Leaf through Auckland's New Zealand Herald,Wellington's Dominion Postor
Christchurch's The Pressnewspapers. Online see
www.nzherald.co.nz
or
TV Watch one of the national government-owned TV stations (TV One, TV2, TVNZ
6, Maori TV and the 100% Maori-language Te Reo) or the subscriber-only Sky TV
(
www.skytv.co.nz
).
Radio
dio Tune in to Radio National for current affairs and Concert FM for classical and
jazz (see
www.radionz.co.nz
for frequencies). Kiwi FM (
www.kiwifm.co.nz
)
show-
cases NZ music; Radio Hauraki (
www.hauraki.co.nz
) cranks out the rock.
DVVDs Kiwi DVDs are encoded for Region 4, which includes Mexico, South America,
Central America, Australia, the Pacific and the Caribbean.
Weigh
ights & Me
s & Measuures NZ uses the metric system.
Children
NZ is a terrific place to travel with kids: safe and affordable, with loads of playgrounds,
kid-centric activities, a moderate climate and chilli-free cuisine. For helpful general tips,
see Lonely Planet's
Travel with Children
. Handy online resources for kids' activities and
travel info include:
