New Zealand Travel Blog

Bret McKenzie, half of New Zealand’s fourth-most-popular folk duo Flight of the Conchords, has won an Oscar for the song Man or Muppet. Bret McKenzie has carved his name alongside Sir Peter Jackson and Sir Richard Taylor as a Kiwi Oscar-winner. The Flight Of The Conchords star won best original song for Man or Muppet, from The Muppets film, at the star-studded ceremony this afternoon. He beat out the only other nominated tune, Real in Rio, from animated film Rio.

McKenzie started his acceptance speech by recalling his New Zealand upbringing.

Smarter than the Average Monkey

The New Zealand Kea, the world's only alpine parrot is known as the 'Clown of the Alps' to South Islanders; and has recently been heralded as the world’s smartest bird (its intelligence rivals a monkey’s) says the Institute of Cognitive Biology in Vienna.

"We wants it, we neeeds it. Must have the precious. They stole it from us. Sneaky little hobbitses. Wicked, tricksy, false!"

In a hole in the ground there lived the hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. Welcome to 100% Middle Earth!

One good thing about heading our way for the festive season. We never have a white Christmas and the majority of our New Years Eve Parties are on a beach! 

For those planning a holiday in the South Pacific between December 2011 and March 2012 it’s going to be a great time to be here for a summer holiday.

A long, hot, dry summer is on the way thanks to a returning La Nina weather pattern. Scientists say this year's La Nina is weaker than last year's so temperatures may not quite reach the highs of last summer which is probably a good thing….

In New Zealand Last summer was a record-breaker with heatwaves creating the hottest February on record for Auckland and Nelson.

Firstly an apology.... For those who visited our fine land during September and October you probably experienced something  rather unusual - MASS HYSTERIA, GROWN MEN CRYING, TRIBES OF PEOPLE WITH PAINTED HEADS - you are probably looking for an explanation.

Well, New Zealand has just hosted the seventh Rugby World Cup and this was the largest sporting event ever to be held in New Zealand, attracting over 85,000 international visitors and WE WON!!!!

Meet the Peacock spider - this 5mm Long showoff; raises his abdomen vertically, expands his flaps and displays them like a peacock's tail. But the brilliant colouring is not just for decoration.