Not All Motels Are Suffering The Honesty Attack

Some motels are so blatant it borders on dishonesty. Strathern Motor Lodge is one. On the AA website they list their prices as from $90 - $280. On their home page, however, they show studios at "From" $79. '

Yeah, right. Do these guys write Tui billboards in their spare time?

When you click on Book Now and get taken to the reservations site they list those same units as having a "Full Price" of $140 which they then generously discount to $115 for a three night stay.

Click through to dates in June and the rate is, sure enough, $140.

$140 minus $79 . . . is there a discrepancy here? Let me think?

Hello Commerce Commission - here I come.

New Zealand motels having and attack of honesty?

Are me beady old eyes deceiving me . . . or has the New Zealand motel industry had an attack of honesty?

In the course of checking out motel prices in Blenheim and Kaikoura as I write the State Highway 1 material for my Travel Guide I have noticed a phenomenon not previously seen: Motels actually offering rates below their advertised rate on the AA Travel website.

I have been a trenchant critic of the motel industry using bait advertising. Rates shown on widely used sites such as Jasons and AA often have no relation to reality.

But in these two towns things have changed - or maybe it's just that things are tough and there's a bit of discounting. Either way, in Kaikoura, for instance, 12 out of 20 motels surveyed were showing low season rates that were equal to or below their AA rate and another couple were only $2 a night dearer than advertised.

One, however, Beachcomber Motel, was a full $20 above their advertised rate. That's dishonesty by any measure.

In Blenhein four out of 13 were offering units at the promoted rate.

It may be that the now widespread availability of online booking engines means that the punters can check out rates instantly . . . thus removing the incentive to use bait advertising. It's not a good look to be caught lying about tariffs. Might lead to instant use of the back button.

For more on New Zealand accommodation go to http://new-zealand-travel-guide.com/accomm.htm

Hobbit Movie Filmset A Big Attraction

The Hobiton movie set near Matamata has seen a huge boost in tourism numbers this year as a result of filming the latest Peter Jackson trilogy.

Must say I wonder how they are going to stretch a fairly slim book intro two full-length movies . . . Lord of the Rings, yes, because it was three full-length books. But I read The Hobbit to my kids in the course of about a week of bedtime stories.

Never mind, I'm sure we will just love what the Jackson-Weta team do with the story.

In the meantime the rebuilt Hobbiton is pulling in the crowds. Over the past 12 months it has attracted 266,000 visitors, a 60% increase on the previous year. The Matamata business community must be happiness-filled.

When it was originally constructed for Lord Of The Rings in 1999 it was temporary and was to be bulldozed when filming finished. Problem was that more and more Ringies kept turning up at the gate of farmer Russell Alexander and asking to wander over his paddocks to see it. Initially his deal with the film company was that no commercial use was to be made of the abandoned set, but the sheer numbers of fans arriving caused a change of game plan and a formal tour was set up.

This time the 44 hobbit holes have been built of permanent materials with the intention of making it a major tourist attraction. Can you hear the ker-chang of the cash registers?

You can learn more about Hobbiton Tours at http://www.hobbitontours.com.

And learn more about attractions in the Waikato region at http://new-zealand-travel-guide.com/Waikato-New-Zealand.htm.

Ride The Rails 21st Century Style Near Rotorua

Fancy taking a ride in your own railcar? Mamaku Express will put you in the cab and on the rails.

They have taken a lease on a chunk of the old Putaruru - Rotorua railway line, the 20km bit between Mamaku and Turekenga, and developed a world-first hybrid petrol / electric rail-car to ride the rails.

The 4-seater cars are fully automated - you just sit back and enjoy the view as you rumble along at 20kmh.

In so doing you ride the North Island's steepest gradient at 3.5:1 through the rain forest in the Dansey Scenic Reserve and enjoy 360 degree views over rolling hills and Lake Rotorua.

It carries with it the heritage of past generations who built and lived their lives on the commerce of the rail: tourist operators; loggers; haulers; millers and foresters of all sorts. The railway was the heart of a forestry industry that thrived in Mamaku for many years around the 1940's. It is this heritage and stunning scenery in addition to its reach into the local tourist centre of Rotorua that made the Rotorua Railway the perfect place to offer a new and entirely unique rail experience.

You'll find Mamaku Express at the Mamaku Railway Station on the top of the Mamaku Ranges just off State Highway 5 between Tirau and Rotorua.

Mamaku Express: 11 Kaponga St Ph 0800-724-574 (0800-RAILRIDERS) Email info@railcruising.com.

You can read more about Rotorua's attractions Rotorua page of my New Zealand Travel Guide

Arrowtown's Autumn Festival is a must if you are travelling New Zealand

If you are on a New Zealand travel adventure, arrange your schedule to be in Arrowtown, Central Otago, on tbetween April 20 - 29. It's the annual Arrowtown Autumn Festival and it is days of history, fun, music, food and all round good times.

That time in April is when the Central Otago foliage is at its glorious finest. Like any climate which has hard winters, the summer foliage in Central turns to fiery displays of colour in autumn.

Arrowtown, 20km from Queenstown, is at the very heart of that autumnal finery . . . and the good folk of the town celebrate it in down home country style.

Let's put it this way: I am specially arranging my travel affairs to be there again. It's that good.

Proceedings kick off on Friday night, April 20, with an art exhibition at the Lakes District Museum. Given that Central is home to some of NZ's finest artists this will be a good night out even if you "don't know much about art, but know what you like". Entry is a miserable $5 . . . and that includes your first drink. What's more you can have a wander around one of the best small museums in the country. How good is that!!

And, just as an extra sweetener, there's $5500 in prize-money up for grabs.

Saturday is market day, family day and a parade. A village wide market experience with over 120 stalls selling some of the best NZ made products ranging from arts and crafts, to farmers and artisan food. Set amongst the canopy of autumn trees, this vibrant market is full of atmosphere and with live entertainment throughout the day. It's on the village green and admission is a gold coin donation. Priceless!

Jazz bands, international street performers, aerobatic displays - you can even go gold panning to see if you make your fortune. (Don't bet the ranch on it). And that night is the 70s Disco Inferno at the Athenaeum Hall. $30 gets you in, cash bar and a light supper served. Heartland fun at its best.

I've been to this festival before. Take it from me it really is a great day out. For the traveller it's something you'll fondly remember for the rest of your days.

You can get more information and tickets from the Arrowtown Autumn Festival Website.

For more on Central Otago attractions go to the Queenstown and Central Otago page.

Winery Tour a feast of New Zealand music - travellers should catch it.

If you are travelling New Zealand on holiday try to catch the More-FM Winery Concert Tours somewhere along its way. It's a feast of world-class New Zealand music.

At Ascension Vineyard, between Warkworth and Matakana last night a crowd of 4000 sat under the setting sun enjoyed the venue's fine wine products, supped up on picnic hampers and were treated to a pot-pourri of classics from Tim Finn, Bic Runga and Dave Dobbin.

The warm-up set was done by Runga's younger sister, Boh Runga, along with major hip-hop star, Supergroove front-man Che Fu - and they alone would have been feast enough to justify the entrance money. They were on stage for well over an hour.

The three main players reprised a tour they did together 10 years ago, and time has not wearied them. They gave us all the hits we wanted to hear with Finn reaching back to the days of Split Enz , Crowded house and his own solo career. We got Weather, I See Red with it's high energy and discordant piano riffs, Six Months in A Leaky Boat. Bic Runga's hits Sway and Driver were there and Dobbin served up Wailing, Loyal - anthem of New Zealand's America's Cup bid a few years back - and You Oughta Be in Love, the theme from the film Footrot Flats.

Not surprisingly, given the career paths of the performers, the age range of the audience was wide, very wide. At least three if not four generations. The middle age moshers down front had their kids, and grandkids, boppin' to the beats.

The show covers 18 shows at 16 venues from as far north as Tutukaka to Millbrook at Queenstown.

Seriously, if you are here on holiday this is your chance to sample the best of Kiwi music.

Get more from the tour website www.winerytour.co.nz.

For more on what to see and what to do in New Zealand go to http://New-Zealand-Travel-Guide.com

Jazz on the Auckland, New Zealand, waterfront

The Mission Bay Jazz and Blues festival has become one of those very Auckland things to do each year . . . like Christmas In The Park, barbecues and picnics on the beach. Any beach. We got hundreds of them.

Mission Bay is one of my favourite beaches. When I was rich and famous . . . well, maybe not famous, more infamous probably - I used to live in Mission Bay and sail my little 12ft Z-class sailboat there. Loved going to the restaurants and cafes that had started to spring up along the waterfront.

But that was years ago and today the seafront is alive with cafes, bars and shops.

On 27 Feb this year the whole beachfront will light up with the sound of music when the Jazz and Blues Festival, now in its tenth iteration, starts.

They actually close off Tamaki Drive, one of the main thoroughfares in the city, to allow bands to play on the street itself and thousands of music lovers to enjoy an event with friendly atmosphere, dining, dancing and festivity.

Fans can enjoy over 20 New Zealand bands and international acts made up of over 180 musicians who will entertain spectators from 6-11pm. Continuous concerts on various stages located within the venue, including beach front and fountain stages, ensure a night of non-stop entertainment.

For more - and to buy tickets - go to http://www.jazzandbluesstreetfest.com/

For more on what to see and what to do in Auckland go to http://New-Zealand-Travel-Guide.com/auckland.htm