Seduced by stunning Queenstown

A Qantas special earlier this year was offering flights for half the usual Frequent Flyer points, so The Thirsty Travellers snapped up two return tickets to Queenstown. Ginger had never visited New Zealand before, other than spending a day in Auckland on a cruise many years ago, so she was thrilled to finally make it…

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Our wild night on Milford Sound

Driving from Te Anau to Milford Sound is the most stunning journey, through forests, past waterfalls and along the edge of soaring mountain peaks. Our destination was a boat called the Milford Mariner for a night on the spectacular New Zealand fiord. After a day of gorgeous weather, the rain arrived just as we were…

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Jet boating on the Wairau River

The Thirsty Travellers enjoyed an early Christmas present on Monday: a jet boating ride in Tea Anau. It was filled with so many wow moments. DJ was mad keen to jet boat during our holiday on New Zealand’s South Island and we ended up doing it in the most perfect location. As we were driving…

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Escaping to The Catlins

The Catlins are a little off the beaten track, situated on the windswept south eastern tip of New Zealand’s South Island. We were drawn to the region by a picture we saw of the Nugget Point Lighthouse and it didn’t disappoint. Accommodation is pretty basic in the area, we stayed at a dinky place called…

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Exploring the Otago Peninsula

If you find yourself in the New Zealand city of Dunedin The Thirsty Travellers thoroughly recommend setting aside six hours for an eco tour of the Otago Peninsula. We chose Elm Tours for our adventure, which turned out to be a great call. Our guide was a vivacious Chilean called Claudia who is midway through…

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Oamaru: Steampunk & sublime seafood

The Thirsty Travellers were completely enchanted by our brief visit to Oamaru on New Zealand’s South Island. The sleepy town is the NZ home of steampunk and there’s a museum dedicated to it near the waterfront. It charges a $10 entry fee and it’s totally worth it – we loved exploring the bizarre artworks and were…

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Long lunching with Fourny & Fils

Sipping Fourny & Fils at Aria Restaurant on a gorgeous spring day was a delicious treat this week. Ginger was lucky enough to be seated next to the guest of honour, Charles-Henry Fourny, a fifth generation champagne producer. Charles is the eldest of two brothers who run Veuve Fourny & Fils, located in the premier…

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Daytripping to Rottnest Island

Ginger’s fifth anniversary wish was a selfie with a Quokka on Rottnest Island. Just in case you’ve never heard of a Quokka, it’s a type of small wallaby with a brown face, short rounded ears, black eyes and a black nose.  And Rottnest is about the only place in the world you can find them….

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Sunset at the Pinnacles

If you happen to be visiting Perth and don’t mind a longish drive, The Thirsty Travellers thoroughly recommend a trip to the Pinnacles. Around two hours north of the city, the lunar-like Pinnacles were formed over millions of years, with thousands of tall limestone spires now rising eerily out of the yellow desert sands of…

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Weekend away: Perth perfection

The Thirsty Travellers recently spent our second long weekend together in Perth and absolutely loved it. While it might seem a bit crazy for Sydneysiders to fly to Perth for a few days, the laid-back city has so much to offer and some great day trips within easy reach. We combined business with pleasure –…

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