New Zealand a Remarkable Country

“Lord of the Rings” scene shot on this Mt. Victoria spot.

Dogs herding sheep at Wharekauhau Lodge.

Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post Production in Wellington.

Wellington trolly bus.

Story & Photos By Stan Wawer

New Zealand is so far removed from that wild and crazy world in the Northern Hemisphere that it might be the main reason why its people are so darn friendly and happy. Going through airport security is remarkably uncomplicated. And, even more remarkable, New Zealanders refuse tips.

New Zealand is one of the last landmasses in the Southern Hemisphere north of Antarctica and the last discovered landmass on earth. That’s way down under. The country offers chains of stunning mountains, volcanoes, lakes, fiords, native forest and tidy beaches. Add to these award-winning vineyards and cuisine, a rapidly growing film industry and world-leading efforts in conservation and you have yourself a pretty neat place to visit.

The unique indigenous Maori culture is evident everywhere throughout New Zealand. The Dutch in 1642 were the first Europeans to check out the land of the Kiwi. But it was James Cook, a Brit Royal Navy officer, who rediscovered New Zealand 120 years later. The European hordes followed.

The British and Maori people signed a treaty in 1840 in the Bay of Islands, which established British law in New Zealand, while guaranteeing Maori authority over their land and culture.

New Zealand, population 4.3 million, has a vibrant economy with dairy, meat, engineering, wine and the film industry leading the way. The country has 60 million sheep, almost 15 for every NZ citizen. It’s no wonder New Zealand has become known for producing premium outdoor clothing, especially high-quality Merino wool. Merinos are regarded as having some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep.

Surprisingly, New Zealand is expensive. Even with the advantage of the US dollar (about NZ1 to US82 cents), everything in New Zealand appears overpriced. It is now summer in New Zealand, but when my wife and I visited in November it was the end of spring and sales items were higher than regular prices in California for similar merchandise.

We spent six days in and around Wellington, known as “the coolest little capital in the world.” Wedged between steep hills, the rippling waters of Wellington Harbor and the tempestuous seas of Cook Strait, Wellington is, with a population of about 180,000, the southern-most city on New Zealand’s North Island. Auckland, its largest city, is at the north-end of the North Island. Christchurch is the main hub for the South Island. Wellington as the nation’s capital is the seat of government and also has a lively art scene.

Peter Jackson has brought a new fame to Wellington and New Zealand with his Oscar-winning “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. The city has become known as “Wellywood,” which created a great controversy. There was a movement to place a Wellywood sign (ala the Hollywood sign) on the side of a hill overlooking the bay. It went to a vote in late November and was overwhelmingly defeated.

I took a tour of Middle Earth filming locations on Mt. Victoria only a short distance from central Wellington. A “Lord of the Rings” expert, who shared behind-the-scenes insights, hosted the tour. Phillip played six different character roles in the film. Highlights of the tour include the outskirts of the Shire, the Gardens of Isengard, River Anduin, Helm’s Deep and Minas Tirith. We strolled where the hobbits raced to the ferry and hid from the Nazgul, through the elf kingdom of Rivendell and alongside the Fords of Isen. Jackson is filming “The Hobbit,” which is scheduled for a 2012 release.

The tour also included a visit to Jackson’s post production studio (not included on the regular tour). Park Road Post Production is a California-style Craftsman building where we viewed the trailer for “TinTin,” which was released in December. It was directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Jackson.

A Maori heritage tour immersed us into Aoteroa’s (New Zealand’s) unique culture. We were greeted at the Waiwhetu, Lower Hutt City, cultural center by touching noses. The tour included demonstrations of Maori arts and crafts, an opportunity to create something special for ourselves and to view work from Leading Maori artists.

When visiting Wellington, do not leave town without riding the cable car — it’s iconic, it takes a great picture and there are great views at the top. Peruse the views from the top of Mount Victoria — it’s gorgeous up there. Sample the three C’s: coffee, cocktails and cuisine. Taste the wines — especially Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.

It’s a long way to Tipperary and even longer to New Zealand, but it should be high on your travel list. The country will leave a lasting impression, especially the people.

If You Go

Air New Zealand flies non-stop to Auckland twice daily from LAX. It is a 12-to-13-hour flight and crosses the international dateline. Air New Zealand partners with United Airlines.

Where to Stay

InterContinental Wellington: Only internationally branded 5 Star hotel in Wellington. Adjacent to the waterfront. Walking distance to a number of attractions. Excellent rooms, fitness center, spa, business center. Fee for wireless connection. www.intercontinental.com/intercontinental/en/gb/locations/wellington.

Museum Art Hotel Wellington: A 165-room luxury hotel in the center of Wellington opposite New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa. Fitness center, sauna, indoor heated pool, spa pool and day spa. The hotel boasts a total of 66 original artworks from 55, mainly local, artists. www.museumhotelart.co.nz/

Amora Hotel Wellington: Overlooks the harbor and just across the road from the Wellington Convention Centre and a two-minute walk to Te Papa. www.wellington.amorahotels.com.

All information is accurate at the time of publication but prices, dates and other details are all subject to change. Confirm all information before making any travel arrangements.

And the winner is...

For the eighth consecutive year, the Riviera Maya has been selected “best destination in Mexico” by readers of the trade publication Travel Weekly. The Riviera extends along the Caribbean shore of Quintana Roo south of Cancun all the way to Tulum, some 60 miles distant. It is dotted with many lavish — and some not so lavish — all-inclusive resorts. Playa del Carmen is the only town of any size in the area.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Former tourism chief moves up

Some will remember Pedro Joaquin Coldwell, who served as tourism minister from 1990 until 1994. He recently took over as chairman of the PRI, the Party of the Intuitionalized Revolution. The PRI governed Mexico for 70 years and is expected to elect the country’s next president. Joaquin Coldwell is the son of a hotelier and tourism pioneer in Cozumel. Young Pedro went on to serve as governor of Quintana Roo, then congressman and is now a senator.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Poor Showing

Mexico’s earnings from international tourism declined 3.3 percent and the number of visits by nearly 2 percent, this year, according to figure published by the UN’s World Tourism Organization. The rest of Latin America did much better, led by Uruguay (53 percent), Peru (20 percent) and Colombia (14 percent). Mexican officials blamed their country’s poor performance on poor economic conditions in the United States, source for the vast majority of visitors to Mexico.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Mariachis

The U.N educational and cultural agency, UNESCO, has added mariachi music to its intangible cultural heritage list, along with 232 items from 70 countries. Mariachi music, which features guitars, violins and trumpets, originated in and around Guadalajara, the bands supposedly getting their name because they were invited to play at marriages. Mariachis wear the charro costumes favored by Mexican cowboys because this is the way movie directors wanted them to dress.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Paris’ Hotel Fouquet’s Barrière Introduces ‘Fouquet’s Kids’

With the rising popularity of high-end family travel, Hotel Fouquet's Barrière, always considered “family-friendly,” has now gone a step farther and introduced the “Fouquet's Kids” program — a combination of fun workshops and shows taking place at 3 p.m. on afternoons through May 2012. The events include:

Lilli’s Trip to Balloon City (Dec. 29): This show introduces young visitors to Lilli, who has just returned from Balloon City where everything is made out of balloons. Having lost her photo album she enlists the help of children to recreate the balloon experience.

Laugh Out Loud (Jan. 22): Juggling, jokes, slapstick comedy and music are all part of this circus clown act that is guaranteed to have children laughing throughout.

It’s Our Planet! (Feb. 12): How can bottles become fleece jackets? How can paper, plastic bags, bottle tops be reborn as brooches, rings and bracelets? Hotel Fouquet’s Barrière’s commitment to sustainable development is behind the buzz word of this workshop: recycle! At the end of this fun workshop, children will get to take home their “treasures.”

Fouquet’s Magic! (March 11): A magic show to remember. Audience participation is encouraged throughout this introduction to a collection of surprisingly funny and entertaining magic wands.

Guignol Saves the River (April 1): April Fool’s Day finds the uniquely French

marionette, Guignol, off to a picnic by the river. His plans for a day of fishing are thwarted when he discovers the level of pollution in the river. The audience will hold an active role in this show, focusing on water and wildlife preservation, as Guignol strives to restore order to the river.

Budding Gardeners (May 13): Hotel Fouquet’s Barrière

invites all budding gardeners to come and get their hands dirty — literally — at this springtime event. Children will learn about a variety of plants and create their own take-home herbarium.

Following the afternoon entertainment, young gourmets will be treated to pastries created for the occasion by Head Pastry Chef Claude Decrozet. Parents have the advantage of sampling these bites in advance at Bar Le Lucien while waiting for their children to finish their activities; and for those looking for even more pampering, there’s time for a visit to the renowned U Spa Barrière.

Events, which run 90 minutes or less, are open to children, ages 7 and up, and cost 45€ (approx. US$60) per child.

For more information, visit: www.fouquets-barriere.com.

Fairfield hits Los Cabos

A Fairfield Inn has opened in Cabo San Lucas. The hotel is the first of 36 Fairfield Inns to be developed in Mexico. Next will be a 139-room Fairfield Inn in Guadalajara and the 120-room Fairfield Inn Queretaro next fall. The property in Los Cabos is in the downtown area, said to be a short walk from the beach and tourist attractions.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Yuletide

Today is Guadalupe Day, anniversary of the date in 1532 when the Virgin Mary appeared to a native recent convert and asked that a chapel in her honor be built where the temple of the Aztec Goddess of Life stood. To convince the Spanish bishop, the Virgin caused her olive-skinned image to be imprinted on the convert’s cloak. The cloak can be seen in the basilica in Mexico City where millions began to congregate last night. Today also marks what some call the Christmas season, although decorations appeared weeks ago. But to many, Lupe-Reyes is the real season. Lupe refers to Guadalupe, Reyes to the Epiphany (Jan. 6), arrival of the Three Kings (aso known as the Three Wise Men) at the birthplace of Jesus some two millennium ago.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

New Caledonia: A place less traveled

Drowned Forest in New Caledonia’s Blue River Provincial Park.

Nokanhui Atoll in the Coral Sea off New Caledonia.

Story & Photos By Stan Wawer

Today, New Caledonia is the place less traveled by Americans. That’s because Americans have little knowledge of this remote archipelago in the Coral Sea with its pellucid waters, white-sand beaches, rain forests and tropical temperatures.

New Caledonia, a French Territory and former penal colony, is the world’s second largest nickel producer and a diver’s nirvana. In 2008, The Caledonian lagoon, the world’s largest, was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 25-minute twin-engine plane ride takes you to Isle of Pines where you can snorkel, dive, swim, kayak or chill beneath the swaying palms.

The archipelago is Vanuatu, Fiji and Tahiti (French Polynesia) before mass tourism. Nouméa, the capital, is on a peninsula in the main island’s south region and a haven for kite and wind surfers. It is home to the majority of the island’s European, Melanesian, Indonesian and Vietnamese populations. Thirty percent of the island is tribal land, which no one can purchase.

“New Caledonia came into the 20^th century after World War II,” said Francois Tran, our guide (Caledonia Tours) and an encyclopedia of New Caledonia knowledge. He is a botanist, archeologist, geologist and historian rolled into one. “Many of the bridges were built by Americans during the war.”

The US had more than a million troops pass through New Caledonia over the duration of the war, with Nouméa serving as US military headquarters in the South Pacific. “Charles De Gaulle let the US use it as a base but told them they must leave after the war,” Tran said.

For those of you who have no clue, New Caledonia is east of Brisbane, Australia, northwest of New Zealand and southeast of Fiji and Tahiti in the South Pacific.

The unemployment rate is 2 percent. “If you want a job you can get one in New Caledonia,” Francois said. “Need a job? Come to New Caledonia.”

On my first day in New Caledonia, I got lost in the rain forest. I was on a Francois guided tour with a small group when I wandered off on my own to take pictures. I had a map but I left it back in my backpack along with my water. I followed a trail on my way back thinking it was a shortcut. I got to a trail head with a sign pointing left and right. I went left. If I had gone right, I would have been about 50 yards from camp. I kept taking different trails trying to find the high ground so that I could see the camp — a rain forest impossibility. I got farther and farther away from camp and where we originally hiked. After about an hour they sent out a search party, including the other six members of our group who turned out to be very concerned about my being missing in action.

I walked down treacherous trails and back up again. In all, I probably walked about 12 miles. It was very hot and humid. I was sweating like a stuffed pig and dehydrated but with no sense of urgency except that I was holding everyone up for a trip to lunch (which we never did make). I called out a few times but I was too far away from the search team. I finally decided to retrace my steps. After about three more miles, I came to an open space where a jeep was parked and a rescue team member sitting in the driver’s seat. The word went out that I was found and I was raced along a winding, treacherous path at about 40 mph.

None of the group was upset with me. They were all concerned and happy to see me. It took a little more than two hours to find me. I apologized for the missed lunch.

I went to another rain forest in River Blue Provincial Park in search of the elusive cagou, the national bird of New Caledonia and the fifth most rare bird in the world. I found not one, but two cagou. They are flightless and not at all shy. I was able to get within a few feet of the bird for a marvelous photo shoot.

River Blue Park also is home to the haunting Drowned Forest, leafless imprisoned trees in Yaté Lake, created when the Yaté River was dammed more than 50 years ago.

Francois cooked us a lunch of venison steaks, venison sausage, a veggie salad and bread. On our way out of the park, we observed a giant Kauri pine; its age estimated at 1,000 years. It is a little more than 131 feet height, with a diameter of nearly 9 feet.

Our overnight stay at Le Meridien on Isle of Pines afforded the group an opportunity to see and snorkel some of the most ridiculously beautiful beaches in the world. We took a 40-minute hike to a natural lake, sloshing through bush, mud and water to snorkel in chilled but beautiful water.

On our second day on Isle of Pines, we chartered a boat that churned and bumped over emerald and Tidy-Bowl-blue water to the white-sanded Nokanhui Atoll, which sits in the middle of nowhere in the Coral Sea. The charter, which included snorkeling and a lunch of spiny lobster and fish, could cost between 10,000 and 20,000 Pacific francs.

Cruise ships and tankers make their way into Nauméa’s harbor. Charters of all kinds also use the harbor as home base. While in the city, you can get a taste of French wines and chocolates made by chocolatier extraordinaire Patrick Morand at Chocolate Morand.

What is best in New Caledonia is its deserted beaches of fine white sand, coral, lagoons, clear waters and solitude found nowhere else in the South Pacific.

If You Go

There are no direct flights from LAX to New Caledonia. You have to fly to Sidney, Australia or Auckland New Zealand. Air New Zealand has daily flights that leave in the evening to Auckland and then a two-and-a-half-hour flight to New Caledonia. Air New Zealand partners with United Airlines and Aircalin

Where to Stay

Hotel Royal Tera opened in December of 2010. Apartment-style hotel on the beach. On Anse Vata Bay next to Le Meridien. It was once a Club Med. 108 rooms, all with balcony. Spa, beautiful pool, free Internet. E-mail: resa.royal@tera.nc or call +687 25 78 80. (www.starwoodhotels.com). Walk to downtown.

Le Meridien: Point Magnin. Phone: (687) 265000. Complimentary wireless high-speed Internet access. Business center. Large outdoor pool, scuba diving, health center, sailing, wind surfing. Walk to downtown.

Le Meridien (Isle of Pines): Reservations (687) 265000. Website: www.starwoodhotels.com. Beautiful infinity pool that looks out to a lagoon with white-sand beach. Comfortable bungalows. Nestled on Oro Bay, a natural lagoon protected by a colorful coral reef. No in-room Internet access. Fee for lobby Internet. A great honeymoon getaway. Flight from Nouméa’s Magenta Airport takes about 20-25 minutes.

Need to Know

The Pacific franc is about 100 to $1. Bring sunscreen and bug spray.

All information is accurate at the time of publication but prices, dates and other details are all subject to change. Confirm all information before making any travel arrangements.

Visas

The number of Mexicans visiting Canada has dropped from 280,000 annually to about 100,000, since that country began requiring that Mexicans obtain visas. Mexico has asked that the requirement be dropped, but Canadian officials reply that previously, about 10 percent of all Mexicans visiting Canada asked for asylum and a government pension. Meanwhile, the United States has been criticized for requiring Mexicans to use the services of a privately-operated Visa Application Center, which is said to be difficult to deal with.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Rocky Point

In English it is known as Rocky Point, a good translation for its real name, Punta Peñasco. Up at the top of the Sea of Cortés, it also has been called Arizona’s beach, and it is in trouble. Real estate prices reportedly have fallen by as much as 70 percent, the result of bad economic conditions north of the border. Owners are trying to sell what they own, builders have stopped building and as many as a dozen developers are being sued for not developing.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Airport fees rise

With the new year, airport user fees will rise, starting with Mexico City, where the hike is 3.5 percent. Domestic passengers will pay $15.43, those going abroad $18.99. The figures sound odd, but the fee is in dollars, not pesos. It can vary from airport to airport. Mexico City International — the busiest in the country — is federally operated. Most others are concessions run by private firms. The fee usually is bundled in with the ticket price.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

More Resorts for AMResorts

AMResorts has revived its Sunscape brand, the first one being the renovated Dorado Pacific in Ixtapa. This weekend also saw the opening of a Secrets Resort in Huatulco and the conversion of the Marquis Los Cabos into another Secrets. The company manages all-inclusive properties using a variety of brand names, each aimed at a different market segment. Sunscape focuses on the young and young-at-heart wanting lots of activity.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Caribbean Express

The neighboring states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo have announced plans to build a high-speed passenger railway that would connect Mérida with the Caribbean coast and would eventually extend from Cancun to Tulum. It might one day well run all the way to Campecheon the Gulf. Completion date has yet to be announced.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Socxiety of American Travel Writers

Airlines

Although American Airlines has sought protection from its creditors under the bankruptcy law, this will not affect operations in Mexico. American now serves Loreto, La Paz y San José del Cabo (all in Baja California Sur), Chihuahua, Monterrey, Torreón, Mazatlán, San Luis Potosí, Aguascalientes, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo,Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Veracruz, Ciudad de México, Morelia, León, Querétaro, Cozumel and Cancún. Meanwhile, Mexicana, no longer operating, has until February to either find new investors or face liquidation.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers