Our Travel

There are few places one can land a plane on a lake, creep through treetop canopies, dangle feet in geothermal waters and explore the pockmarked landscape left by an enormous explosion.

What better way to get to know a region than by doing a little retail therapy? Treat yourself to a little something special in these four Manawatu stores - a souvenir of sorts.

A long ride on a spine-cracking rickshaw and ten days of excruciating, immobile silence lead to a place of slow-and-surprising recognition.

A cruise passenger speed-dates destinations along the south-east Asian coast, and hopes to meet some of them again.

There are secrets to discover in the Cook Islands by following the road less traveled.

Trying to make sense of South and East Auckland is like peering into a kaleidoscope. Every twist reveals a new scene – there’s the colour of Otahuhu, the calm of Clevedon, the mana of Mangere, the solitude and beauty of the regional parks and the history of Howick.

Sabine Ruijters guides NZ Life & Leisure's Yolanta Woldendorp for a horseback ride to remember in Crete.

Discover "real New Zealand like it was 100 years ago" on Otago's cavalcade, the high country horse ride of a lifetime.

In the monasteries and churches of lower Bavaria, spiritual and secular pleasures go hand in hand.

They say the only way to conquer a fear is to confront it, but Lisa Scott discovers singing “la la la” and completely ignoring it might be less psychologically damaging in the long run.

A New Zealand bibliophile discovers the pleasures and pitfalls of running a bookshop in a small Scottish town.

A gentle walk in the Japanese countryside is an intriguing introduction to the country’s spiritual and cultural heart.

There are three excellent multi-day walks on Stewart Island and one of them is officially Great.

The journey has been every bit as important as the destination for two farming families behind New Zealand’s longest-running private walk.

Visiting Golden Bay - the Insider's Guide has got you covered.

The earth moved for the Feckless Miss Scott on her first three-day tramp high in the Naumann range north of Lake Ohau.

From a very cool bar with a DC3 plane out back, to a cafe where the homemade crumpets have a fan club: here are four places to eat in sun-soaked Gisborne.

'Tis the season for a bit of present shopping. With food, retail, homewares, fashion and entertainment under one roof, everything the heart desires can be found in The Colombo in Christchurch.

Kelly Gillbanks drives the Holden Equinox SUV through the Forgotten World Highway and discovers some colourful New Zealand history  including the feline vice-president of the 'Republic of Whangamomona' and a brand new private museum.

The decommissioned Stratford-Okahukura line covers some of the most isolated country in the North Island making it home to the tunnels, bridges and townships that time forgot.

A visitor to Dublin meets Molly Malone, Oscar Wilde and Handel, and downs his first-ever Guinness in the embrace of a local pub-goer.

Every vista in this world-class garden, photographed through the seasons, tempts visitors down a path laden with promise. Barewood Garden's creator shares how she's grown alongside her garden.

A farewell tour of some of the United States' most famous destinations comes close to breaking the heart of this nature photographer.

Lisa Scott wears her gravel rash as a badge of honour after testing her skills at Queenstown MTB (Mountain Bike) Park.

Gold is hidden in the black sands and gravel creeks of Greymouth but travelers need to venture no further to find quirks and curiosity than Blackball, 30 kilometres inland from Greymouth.

This week in the water cooler: we're exploring Napier's Art Deco architecture in style, reducing our use of plastic bags and taking part in an important study.

When a legendary gardener dies, what becomes of his or her garden? Ask Fergus Garrett, the guest speaker at November's Nelmac Garden Marlborough.

Lisa Scott’s first day of snowboarding at Awakino skifield in North Otago involved a helicopter and an avalanche.

There’s plenty waiting to be discovered in the big city of Invercargill and in the small towns that line its wild coast.

New Zealand Photographer Birgit Krippner captured the gritty reality of Russian village life on her journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

To truly get to know Wellington’s hidden secrets, leave the preconceptions at home.

It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but what do Game of Thrones, a jigging Irishman and Bill Clinton have in common? Belfast

In this award-winning story, Lisa Scott travels on foot through northern Southland’s high country and on board a helicopter to the roof of the world  in Southland.

Garry Wycherley and Robyn Ansell are putting tiny Awakino on the map, one building at a time