Travel march 2016

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Volume 37 No 3March 2016

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3TravEL DIgEST, March 2016

The voice of the trade

PubLISHEr / EDITor:Lorraine Thomson

CoNTrIbuTorS:Roger AllnuttPaul Davies

Yvonne Walus Sarah Weeks

aDvErTISINg:Melodie Davies

MarKETINg:Caroline Voisinet

aCCouNTS:Tanya Pikhtina

DESIgNEr:Lorraine Clark

auSTraLIaN rEP:Pat Monneron

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Airlines will transport 3.8 billion

passengers and 53 million tonnes of

air cargo this year. In doing so, they

will support some $3.6 trillion in

economic activity and some 58 million jobs.

In Asia-Pacific, the corresponding numbers

are over $1,057 billion in GDP and 33 million

jobs. By 2034, global demand will reach

seven billion passengers.

These are the numbers touted by the

International Air Transport Association (IATA)

director general Tony Tyler and they make

fairly impressive reading.

Mr Tyler made his remarks at the

Singapore Airshow Aviation Leadership

Summit and he cited the collaborative event

as an example of the working together

approach. “It’s great that we are looking at

the challenges,” he said, “of future growth

together with all stakeholders.”

At the time of writing this, I am on the

other side of the Tasman, enjoying a long

weekend in Sydney. The short flight over is

like a domestic flight and the number of

airlines offering flights always surprises me.

I can’t help but feel these airlines are not

looking at future growth together, but more

as arch rivals in some cases. The number of

empty seats on aircraft crossing the Tasman

can’t be economic for the carriers surely?

On the day of my travel there was a choice

of Jetstar, Emirates, Virgin Australia, Air New

Zealand and Qantas, all offering a three hour

and 35 minute flight – a total of 21 direct

Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

ASEAN Tourism Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Air lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Interview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Cruise lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Philippines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Weddings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Manly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Barossa Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Taranaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Hotel hot line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Small business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Social scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

CoNTENTS

EDIToRIAL

Lorraine Thomson Publisher / Editor

flights. If I wanted to make one stop along

the way [such as Brisbane or Melbourne]

there was a choice of 68 flights!

I am not sure what all these flights are

doing for sustainability, but according to Mr

Tyler: “Environmental sustainability is our

license to grow. The aviation industry has

adopted ambitious carbon reduction targets,

such as cutting net carbon emissions in half

by 2050, compared to 2005 levels.

Infrastructure development is another

area that needs to be addressed.

We will add 3.2 billion new air travellers

in less than two decades, according to IATA.

Of these, 1.8 billion – 56 per cent – will be

in Asia-Pacific – the vast majority on routes

linked to China. If we can realize that growth

potential, then jobs and economic activity

will follow.

It will be a challenge to keep

up infrastructure

development in line

with growing

demand. But if

you add up the

numbers we could

be heading towards

a capacity crunch –

with a shortfall

against demand.

Many readers

I suspect, will

however, relish the

additional demand.

COVER: The Datai Langkawi, Malaysia.

Adding up thenumbers

4 March 2016, TravEL DIgEST

NEWS

The Australian-initiated trend

for high school graduates taking

week-long holidays following

the end of their final exams in

late November and early December

– called schoolies – is catching on in

New Zealand.

Australian operator schoolies.com is

reaching out to the growing number of New

Zealand students spreading their wings to

the Gold Coast for their post-exam

celebrations. Schoolies.com chief executive

Matt Lloyd said New Zealand had emerged

as an exciting market as more and more of

its students [1,127 last year] searched for

alternative schoolies experiences.

Last year saw the strongest influx of New

Schoolies pool party, organized by Unleashed Travel, on Mana Island, Fiji.

Kiwis latch on to schoolie holidays

Brazil is heading the list of the most

cases in the recent Zika outbreak,

sparking major concern due to the

nation hosting the Olympics in

August. For New Zealanders, however, the

Ministry of Health is advising a national

mosquito surveillance programme has been

operating for some years at New Zealand’s

international points of entry. The ports and

airports are monitored regularly throughout

the year to ensure the early detection of any

exotic mosquitoes.

The Zika virus is a mild febrile viral

illness transmitted by mosquitoes, but the

mosquitoes that transmit Zika virus are not

normally found in New Zealand. Therefore

Zika should only be considered in people who

have recently travelled overseas.

Zika virus is however, closely related to

dengue and cases of the virus have

previously been reported in the Pacific

Islands, Africa and Southern Asia. Beginning

ProTECTIoN FroM ZIKa

For protection from the mosquito

that transmits Zika, the World Health

Organisation advises:

Using insect repellent – repellents

may be applied to exposed skin or

to clothing and should contain

DEET. Repellents must be used in

strict accordance with the label

instructions. They are safe for use

by pregnant women.

Wearing light-coloured clothes that cover as much of the body

as possible.

Using physical barriers such as

screens, closed doors and windows.

Sleeping under mosquito nets, especially during the day, when

Aedes mosquitoes are most active.

Identifying and eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites, by

emptying, cleaning or covering

containers that can hold even small

amounts of water, such as buckets,

flower pots and tyres.

Travellers will need to watch out for this Aedes aegypti blood-sucking mosquito.

Zika virus raises issues for Olympics

in 2014, Zika virus outbreaks have occurred

throughout the tropical and sub-tropical

areas of the western hemisphere, as far north

as Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Although symptoms associated with Zika

are generally mild, the World Health

Organization advises a possible association

has been observed between the unusual rise

of Zika cases and microcephaly cases in

Brazil since 2015. Microcephaly is a

condition where a baby is born with a small

head or the head stops growing after birth.

Vaccines to fight the Zika virus, according

to the World Health Organisation, are at least

18 months away from large-scale trials.

— Lorraine Thomson

Zealand students in schoolies history, with

20 per cent more graduates crossing the

ditch compared with 2014 and the forecast

for 2016 is even higher.

“Schoolies.com is looking to substantially

grow that figure in 2016 on the back of

strong marketing campaigns.”

The Gold Coast is the traditional and most

favoured destination, according to schoolies.

com, however other places include Airlie

Beach, Byron Bay and Lorne.

Meanwhile, another Australasian operator

Unleashed Travel, is also offering overseas

school leaver experiences. Last year the

company sent 40 New Zealanders on

schoolies trips, typically for one week at an

average cost of $2,500.

“We run graduate trips to Fiji (do more),

Vanuatu (adventure), Cambodia orphanage

(volunteer), Fiji youth development

(adventure and volunteer) and to Europe for

the big OE,” said Unleashed Travel head of

marketing Amit Anil.

Unleashed Travel organized schoolies last

year for a total of 785 students.

— Lorraine Thomson

CouNTrIES wITH aCTIvE ZIKa vIruS TraNSMISSIoNPacific IslandsAmerican Samoa

Samoa

Tonga

AfricaCape Verde

AmericasBarbados

Bolivia

Brazil

Colombia

Costa Rica

Curacao

Dominican

Republic

Ecuador

El Salvador

French Guiana

Guadeloupe

Guatemala

Guyana

Haiti

Honduras

Jamaica

Martinique

Mexico

Nicaragua

Panama

Paraguay

Puerto Rico

Saint Martin

Suriname

US Virgin Islands

Venezuela

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Dept of Health.


NEWS

The theme for this year’s forum –

One community for sustainability –

was shared by all ten ATF member

nations: Brunei Darussalam,

Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia,

Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand

and Vietnam.

The 35th annual event, which attracted

2,600 tourism officials, buyers, sellers and

media, was officially opened by Philippines

president Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

With tourism being a vital foothold in

the economic and social growth of the

region and its countries, ASEAN is

committed to strive towards delivering a

quality destination experience for each and

every visitor – an endeavour centred on

responsibility, sustainability and inclusive

tourism development.

Tourism ministers at the forum adopted a

new ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2016 to

2025 with the following vision: “By 2025,

ASEAN will be a quality tourism destination

offering a unique diverse ASEAN experience

and will be committed to responsible,

sustainable, inclusive and balanced tourism

development, so as to contribute to the socio-

economic well-being of ASEAN people.”

The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) is a regional co-operative

effort to promote the Association

of South East Asian (ASEAN) region as one

tourist destination.rogEr aLLNuTT reports from the annual event,

held earlier this year in Manila.

One community for sustainability

Tourism ministers at the ATF opening ceremony.

In recent years ATF has focused on

encouraging tourists from within the ASEAN

community to explore within their own

country or other counties of the group.

However, with the huge markets of tourists

from China, Japan and Korea and India,

efforts are now concentrating on deriving

maximum numbers from those markets while

also tapping into other markets such as

Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.

CoMMuNITY INvoLvEMENT

Although it is the development of new

hotels and resorts that attract the most

media attention, there is a concerted

push for more resources to be devoted

to projects that increase community

participation. This can be as simple as the

construction or improvement of roads to

remoter areas and attractions, be they

beaches, mountains, waterfalls or local

museums. The spin-off to the local

communities can be game changing.

The increase in community involvement

has great potential for money to flow to

remoter areas and for example, local guides

to be trained and employed. A recent

development has been a marked increase in

accommodation options through such

initiatives as homestays, which provide the

opportunity for a more in-depth experience

for tourists. A number of homestays were

honoured in an awards presentation during

ATF and it was a joy to see the pride of the

recipients so recognised.

FLIgHTSThere is a growing emphasis within

ASEAN countries for better connectivity of air

flights between countries with one aim of

making it easier for tourists to include more

than one country on an itinerary. The

aviation sector is a key driver of the economic

future of the region.

Until recently there were no direct flights

from New Zealand to the Philippines but in

December last year, Philippine Airlines

introduced a four-times weekly service

between Auckland and Manila, via Cairns.

Early signs are that the service has been

well patronised with satisfactory loadings in

both directions. It is understood the

situation will be reviewed around the end of

March 2016 with a view to the longer-term

plans for the route. The airline also has

direct flights to Manila from other Australia

airports including Sydney and Brisbane.

The number of New Zealand tourists to

the Philippines was 15,724 in 2015, an

increase of 17 per cent on the previous year.

It is hoped this growth will assist in the

maintenance of the flights to Manila.

vISaSProgress is being made to make visa

free travel available for tourists from

countries within the ASEAN region to other


NEWS

✈

countries in the region. Many countries have also introduced (some

over many years) visa free travel for tourists from other countries.

New Zealand passport holders (and also Australian) have been

“penalised” with a visa for many countries still required, even for

short tourist visits and this can be an expensive consideration when

planning to visit a number of different countries. Nowadays the

introduction of e-visas or visa on arrival at major airports has

simplified obtaining a visa.

The question of visa free travel is essentially a political decision.

However, I was informed that Indonesia is likely to have visa-free

travel for tourists from New Zealand sometime in 2016.

ECoTourISMOne of the most rapidly developing area for visitors is ecotourism,

sometimes in conjunction with volunteering which is attracting more

participants. Options are being introduced in many packages.

FESTIvaLSAll ASEAN countries hold festivals during the year and it is

worthwhile to investigate the timing of festivals when choosing travel

itineraries. From a photographer’s viewpoint the colour and vitality

of festivals is a huge bonus. During my visit to the Philippines for

ATF I noted a seemingly continuous line-up of festivals, many

associated with ethnic or religious celebrations.

Roger Allnutt attended ATF as a guest of the Philippines

Department of Tourism.

Kingdom of Cambodia booth.

Travel Digest writer Roger Allnutt with Philippine Airlines [Manila] product

manager Ped Dimaculangan.

New research has

revealed Kiwi travellers

continued to cross the

ditch for a holiday in

2015, with three destinations

in Australia featuring in their

top five international getaways

last year.

The latest Hotel Price Index

from Hotels.com has revealed

Kiwis stamped their passports

most frequently in Melbourne and

Sydney in 2015, as both cities

came in at first and second place

for the third year running as the

most popular travel destinations.

The sun and sand of the Gold

Coast also won Kiwis’ hearts,

with this Queensland hot spot

landing in fifth place on the list.

The Hotels.com data also

revealed that despite the

weakening dollar against the

US, Kiwis dusted off their

suitcases for a trip to the States,

with the bright lights of Las

Vegas, the palm-lined shores

of Honolulu and the streets of

New York included in the top

10 most popular destinations

for 2015.

Commenting on the latest

figures, Hotels.com regional

director for Australia, New

Zealand and Singapore, Katherine

Cole, said: “With the Kiwi dollar

predicted to continue to stay

strong against the Aussie dollar in

2016, there hasn’t been a better

time for Kiwis to visit their

trans-Tasman neighbours in a

long time. We’re confident travel

to Australia will continue to see

solid growth in 2016.”

Top 10 overseas destinations for Kiwi travellers

Rank 2015 2014

1 Melbourne Melbourne

2 Sydney Sydney

3 Las Vegas Las Vegas

4 Honolulu Honolulu

5 Gold Coast New York

6 New York Gold Coast

7 Bali London

8 Bangkok San Francisco

9 Singapore Bali

10 London Singapore

Melbourne retains top city status

Strongest airline growth in five years

Global air passenger traffic grew by 6.5 per cent in 2015

as a whole – its fastest pace since 2010. The outcome,

according to the International Air Transport Association

(IATA), Airlines Financial Monitor, was set against a slightly

weaker economic backdrop than in 2014, but was boosted by the fall

in global air fares. Annual growth eased in the final months of the year,

partly reflecting airline strikes in Europe, but IATA is expecting another

strong year in 2016. Airlines reacted to robust travel demand by adding

capacity cautiously. Global passenger capacity increased by 5.6 per

cent in 2015 as a whole. Demand growth outstripped capacity growth

in all regions except the Middle East, where capacity surged by

12.6 per cent.


AIR LINES

SoLoMoN aIrLINES aDDS FLIgHTS

New Solomon Airlines flight schedules

operational from 25 April have been

structured to allow passengers departing on

the carrier’s international services ex-

Australia and the Solomon Islands same

day through-connectivity to the national

carrier’s extensive domestic network.

As part of the new scheduled timings,

passengers flying on the airline’s Brisbane

and Sydney to Honiara have ample time to

connect with Solomon Airlines scheduled

domestic services.

aIr NZ ParTNErS wITH aTr

Air New Zealand has entered into a

partnership with aircraft manufacturer ATR

to equip its 68-seat turboprop fleet with

advanced required navigation performance

(RNP AR) technology. This will save fuel

and emissions and help reduce the impact

of bad weather on services. The airline will

meantime purchase 15 new ATR72-600

aircraft to operate its regional services, four

to allow for further growth on regional routes

and 11 to replace its ATR72-500 fleet,

bringing its ATR fleet to 29 aircraft.

JETSTar ExPaNDS rEgIoNaL NETworK

New Jetstar services have started from

Auckland to New Plymouth and Palmerston

North, and Nelson to Wellington. The three

routes are an expansion of the airline’s new

regional network, which has delivered strong

passenger growth in Nelson and Napier since

launching in December last year. Overall

passenger numbers through Nelson Airport

rose 18 per cent in December, compared with

the same month the previous year, with traffic

on the Nelson to Auckland route jumping

33 per cent.

CaTHaY PaCIFIC aDDS NEw DESTINaTIoNS

Cathay Pacific Airways will launch a new

four-times weekly service to Madrid, the capital

city of Spain, on 2 June, subject to government

approval. This new link between Hong Kong

and Madrid means Cathay Pacific will offer

the fastest and most convenient air service

between New Zealand and Spain via

the Northern Hemisphere. The airline will also

launch a new four-times-weekly service to

London’s Gatwick Airport on 2 September,

subject to government approval. ✈

THE WAY WE’RE TURNING OUR LOUNGES INTO A LOCAL EXPERIENCESee what our frequent flyers have to say.

#irecommend

J006842 Travel Digest Press Ad.indd 1 15/02/16 2:57 pm

Fiji’s national airline Fiji Airways, is to

commence twice-weekly flights to

Vava’u, Tonga, starting 2 April. Fiji

Airways managing director and chief

executive Andre Viljoen said: “The new

route offers a seamless addition to Fiji

Airways’ South Pacific network. The Tongan

culture is guided by values that are rooted

in family and respect; visitors are treated

more like family

than tourists. This

ethos is aligned

with Fiji Airways

mission – just as

we welcome you

to our home when

you step on board, Tongans welcome you to

their tropical paradise when you arrive.”

Fiji reconnects with Tonga


INTERVIEW

New Zealand Captain Claudia Walding

has become the first female pilot to

take command of Solomon Airlines’

flagship Airbus A320. The

29-year-old has been piloting Solomon

Airlines’ Islander and Twin Otter aircraft

since joining the carrier in 2007.

Her attainment of an Airline Transport

Pilots License allows her to take the helm of

the carrier’s A320 flagship, in the process

becoming Solomon Airlines’ first female pilot

to do so.

Commenting on her achievement,

Solomon Airlines chief executive Captain Ron

Sumsum said she had set a benchmark for

the carrier’s equal opportunity development

for its female pilots – her success

representing a major achievement especially

in the context of a traditionally male

dominated Melanesian environment.

“She is an inspiration to her gender,

having the right mindset to turn a long term

potential goal into a reality.

“Congratulations must go to Claudia for

her determination to rise to the occasion and

lead from the front – literally the front of the

cockpit – in her quest for high achievement.”

Claudia says she is honoured to be given

the opportunity to set the milestone.

“I do so in the hope that it will set a

pathway for future candidates from the

domestic scene,” she says.

“Ever since I could remember, I’ve always

dreamed of flying planes. Growing up, my

enthusiasm and fascination with aeroplanes

led me to take it up as a career. Also, the

experience of travelling and going to different

and new destinations was something I’ve

always wanted as part of my life.

Much of her theory training was

completed at Advance Aviation Training

in Fiji. She then moved to Christchurch

and completed her Commercial Pilots

License at the International Aviation

Academy of New Zealand, which took just

over a year to complete.

“From memory, I was the only female

graduate in my class.”

Claudia knows of at least 15 other Kiwi

Captain at the helm

female pilots, some of whom were at the

flying school she went to, but in a different

year and some she has met abroad.

“Along with a few other professions, the

aviation industry is a male dominated

environment. However, having said that, it is

slowly growing in numbers with female pilots

taking up the position. Secondly, the lifestyle

requires a lot of commitment as pilots are

away from home for days, if not weeks at

a time.

“There’s a gradual change to try and

equalise the ratio, through promoting and

highlighting females in the industry. However,

it will take many more years before we see

much change.”

At Solomon Airlines there are 28 pilots

and Claudia is one of just two females in

the role.

“Solomon Airlines is and has been the

only airline I’ve ever worked for,” she says.

“Having grown up in Fiji and with my

family there, working in the Solomon’s was

ideal as it was close to home. In addition, the

Solomon Islands is a country I’d never been

to before, but had heard so much about.”

Some of the challenges Claudia faces

include the cultural differences, which over

time she has adapted to and the scarce

resources, in terms of infrastructure.

“The experience of it all, teaches you not

to take anything for granted and to be

appreciative of what you have.”

Claudia doesn’t have a favourite

destination “as they are all unique and have

their special characteristics”.

As far as getting back to New Zealand

goes, she says: “Not often, as most of my

family are situated in Fiji. However, I try and

get back at least once a year to visit other

family members and friends.”

Claudia would love to fly the A380 one

day, as she sees this as a new challenge.

“However, the lifestyle that usually

accommodates it, would be very demanding.

In the meantime, I’m happy flying the A320

short haul.”

Asked what innovations she would like to

see on aircraft, she says: “The innovation on

aircraft systems is forever evolving. On the

flight deck, we have some of the most

sophisticated instrumentation. Again, that is

something that we as pilots have to always be

up to date on.”


INTroDuCINg SILVER MUSE

With only 596 guests, Silversea’s new ship

Silver Muse has a graceful silhouette

encompassing a fusion of state-of-the-art

technology with flawless Italian craftsman-ship.

As well as numerous al fresco lounges and

restaurants and a high-end amenities, the ship

has the highest number

of large suites aboard

any Silversea vessel.

Reservations are now

open for voyages aboard

Silver Muse – with the

inaugural Mediterranean

season commencing in

April 2017.

Claudia has meantime been simply

following in her father’s footsteps.

“The role model I have, is my father.

Being a pilot himself, he has taught,

guided and supported me throughout

my flying career.”

In her eight years of flying, Claudia

has only experienced one disruptive

passenger. “He had consumed too

much alcohol and started being verbally

abusive towards the cabin crew. Once

we landed, the disruptive passenger

was escorted off the plane by officials.”

On her days off, Claudia’s time is

spent mostly outdoors – cycling, tennis,

gym, rock climbing and checking out

different cuisines at restaurants with

friends. Her ultimate career aspiration

is to become a check and training

captain, which encompasses training

and assessing pilots.

Captain Claudia Walding . . . the first female pilot to take command of Solomon Airlines’ flagship Airbus A320.

— Lorraine Thomson +612 8227 7333 | [email protected] | www.tramada.com

tramada connect BISeamlessly integrated Business Intelligence

®

DIFFERENTIATE WITH REAL-TIMEBUSINESS INSIGHTSINTO YOUR TRAVEL MANAGEMENT DATA

Cruise ships carrying the

Princess name are

looking decidedly upbeat

as they cruise into New

Zealand waters. Majestic

Princess was the first ship in the

fleet to debut the elegant new

livery design, featuring the

company’s iconic logo. The new

livery design will roll out

fleet-wide over the next few years.

The modern, sophisticated

look is designed to reinforce the

premium experience of Princess

Cruises.

Princess Cruises president Jan Swartz said

for nearly half a century the Princess logo had

represented the adventure of cruise travel around

the globe.“Now our ships sail to more than 360

ports of call worldwide and will be instantly

recognised from afar.”

Princess Cruises debuts new artwork

Majestic Princess sports the new livery design.

JaZZ ‘N CLaSSIC SaILINg

Featuring a special

concert programme of

world leading Jazz, swing

and classical music artists,

Amras Cruises has

announced a new,

one-of-a-kind, eight-day

musically themed cruise

set to sail from Paris on 6

October 2016. Sailing

aboard the MS Amadeus

Diamond through some of

Europe’s romantic cities

and countryside, the

itinerary follows in the

footsteps of van Gogh,

Cezanne and Gauguin –

with live music rounding

off each evening.

MSC CruISES buILDS bIggEr SHIPS

MSC is to build two Meraviglia-Plus next-

generation ships, featuring increased tonnage and

overall size, with a total of 2,444 cabins and a

maximum number of passengers and crew of

8,000. The two ships will be due for delivery

in October 2019 and in September 2020.

CRUISE LINES

✈


PEoPLE

✈

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Travel Personnel

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QaNTaS has appointed Wes Nobelius as its new regional general manager for

New Zealand, South America and the Pacific

Islands. Mr Nobelius, who will be based in

Auckland, has been with Qantas for 20 years

and was most recently the airline’s deputy

legal counsel. He replaces Igor Kwiatkowski who returned to Sydney in February to

become Qantas executive manager of

loyalty operations.

aMaDEuS has appointed Justin Montgomery as the new head of

commercial for the Pacific region (Australia,

New Zealand and Pacific Islands).

Mr Montgomery joins the senior manage-

ment team in the Sydney office and will

be responsible for growing Amadeus’

distribution business across the South

West Pacific. Previously he was managing

director at TraveltheWorld.

INTErCoNTINENTaL HoTELS grouP (IHG) has appointed Yvette Peverell to the role of director of

communications - Australasia and Japan,

in readiness for IHG’s anticipated expansion

in the region. Ms Peverell has 15 years’

experience in public relations in the

tourism sector, including a decade in the

hotel industry.

aIr NEw ZEaLaND has

promoted Jodie King

to the executive

position of chief

people officer. She

takes over the role

from Lorraine Murphy, who is moving to

Australia to become

group executive – people at National

Australia Bank. Ms King joined Air New

Zealand in 2013 to drive key initiatives and

more recently she has led the people

streams for airports and global sales.

NaNuKu aubErgE rESorT FIJI has appointed Mark Stanford as general

manager. An Australian national, Mr

Stanford’s career spans 25 years in resort

and operations management. Prior to his

Fiji appointment Mr Stanford served as

pre-opening general manager at the Royal

Purnama in Bali.

STar aLLIaNCE Country Steering

Committee has a new chairman. South

African Airways country manager Australasia

Tim Clyde-Smith will lead Star Alliance’s

activities in Australia. He brings to his new

role 25 years’ travel and tourism experience.

He joined South African Airways in 2012

from Emirates.

SouTHErN DISCovErIES has a new chief

executive. Tim Hunter will join Southern

Discoveries in April,

taking over from John Robson who steps down

after 20 years’

involvement with the

business, most latterly as general manager.

Mr Hunter started his tourism career as a

commercial pilot in the Southern Lakes

area and has held airline planning roles

with Air New Zealand. In 2010 he

became chief executive of Christchurch

& Canterbury Tourism.

MaNTra grouP has appointed

Scott Wallace to the role of regional general

manager – New Zealand. With 30 years’

experience within the hotel industry, most

recently he was Wyndham’s director of

operations – Queensland, Victoria and

New Zealand.

HErITagE HoTEL MaNagE-MENT has appointed James Pringle as

national sales manager, based in Wellington.

Mr Pringle has ten years hotel industry

experience, working mostly for the Hotel

InterContinental Wellington. Most recently

he was a sales executive for Positively

Wellington Venues.

CHrISTCHurCH aIrPorT has

appointed a new

marketing manager.

Sarah Carrick-Leslie

began her new role in

February, after more

than five years as

national advertising

manager for PGG

Wrightson. The airport

has also appointed Gareth Williamson

to the new role of trade development

manager – New Zealand. Mr Williamson

was sales and marketing manager for

The Walshe Group.

FIJI aIrwaYS has a new official

brand ambassador –

championship winning

Sevens coach Ben Ryan. The charismatic

Englishman arrived in

Fiji in 2013 to coach

the Vodafone Fiji

Sevens team and has

quickly become one of Fiji’s most popular

sporting personalities after coaching his

team to success at the 2014-2015

HSBC Sevens World Series.

Tim Hunter

Sarah Carrick-Leslie

Jodie King

Ben Ryan

Multitude of travel roles, for a multitude of skills.Check out the TopDog website for outstanding roles.


The capital Manila is the first port of

call, but it is also worth venturing

further afield to other parts of the

island archipelago to Cebu, Boracay

or Palawan for a relaxing holiday, although

nowadays many adventure activities have

been developed.

On my visit I travelled to the Ilocos region,

north of Manila, in the northern part of Luzon

Island and found this a most stimulating

region full of history and unique attractions.

MaNILaThe capital of the Philippines is a large,

sprawling city with over 12 million

inhabitants in the metropolitan area, which

has 16 districts. Manila is a city of great

contrast with skyscrapers and vast upmarket

shopping malls side by side, with huge

shanty towns where the local inhabitants lead

a very basic existence.

Most visitors to Manila stay in one of the

excellent hotels in the Makati area and after

seeing the main sights fly out to popular

beach side island resorts for a relaxing break.

The Makati area is home to many of the best

hotels from the Peninsula and Manila to more

recent additions such as Shangri-la, Ascott,

Dusit Thani and Sofitel.

The shopping options in the vast malls

are overwhelming, although prices are

comparable with other major Asian

destinations. The Mall of Asia is reputed to

be one of the largest in the world.

The main attraction for tourists is

Intramuros, which literally means within the

walls. Established as a fort (Fort Santiago)

in 1571, it has gone through various

iterations of use by Spanish, Japanese and

US forces and there are a number of

different facets to be seen. A guided tour is

the best option, but maps are available to

show yourself around. After climbing up on

to the walls, you appreciate the solidity of the

construction and you can view the golf

course, which has been built within the old

moat area outside the walls. At the historic

St Agustin Church, you appreciate this to be

one of the few buildings to survive the

bombing at the end of World War II.

Horse-drawn carriages called kalesas

(sometimes spelt calesas) are one way to get

around Old Manila, but I felt sorry for the

smallish horses working all day in the busy

Manila traffic. A typical sight in Manila is the

colourful jeepneys, a sort of mini bus / large

taxi, used by the locals to get around through

the difficult traffic. They are usually painted

in bright colours with lots of personal

accessories. They are a very cheap form of

transport, although taxis are also

inexpensive. If you want to get a feel of the

“real” Manila where the locals live in

crowded shanty like areas, take a jeepney

along one of the main thoroughfares to one of

the local shopping areas and explore on foot.

Philippines previewThe Philippines is now a new destination for New Zealanders

with the arrival of direct flights. rogEr aLLNuTT visits Manila and the Ilocos region.


A jeepney is a good way to get to

Las Pinas, only 5km from the centre of

Manila, for a visit to the San Joseph Parish

Church, famous for its bamboo pipe organ.

Further on you can visit Tagaytay and Lake

Taal, a “mountainous” area of hills and

volcanic craters.

The Filipinos love to eat and socialise and

there are literally thousands of restaurants,

cafes and bars to choose from. Many of the

hotels have excellent buffets. Karaoke is

popular – all Filipinos are wonderful singers.

If you want to get out of the crowded city

for a day trip, then take the cruise out to the

island of Corregidor, about 48km offshore,

which the Japanese occupied during most of

World War II until General Macarthur

returned in 1945. Numerous war

monuments, tunnels and memorials add to

the interest.

ILoCoS An hour’s flight north from Manila to

Laoag, brings you to the fascinating Ilocos

region of northern Luzon Island, at the top of

the Philippines archipelago. Prior to the

arrival of Spanish conquistadors under Juan

de Salcedo in 1572, the numerous tribes of

the region traded with Japanese and Chinese

merchants. The Spanish colonialists first

settled in Vigan, which became the centre for

the “galleon” trade between the region and

the Spanish settlements in Mexico, especially

from Acapulco.

Vigan, in Ilocos Sur, about a two-hour

drive south of Laoag, represents a unique

fusion of Asian building design and con-

struction with European colonial architecture

and planning. It became a listed UNESCO

World Heritage site in 1999 as an

exceptionally intact example of a European

trading town.

The compact layout of the small town

encourages walking as you admire the old

buildings and plazas and see the tourists

parading while shopping for souvenirs or

eating at one of the many restaurants. Even

in winter the temperature is pleasant and

eating outside is common. In the narrow

streets the local taxi is a motorcycle, with

attached small side car into which up to five

people are crammed.

One strange sight was to see a sign over a

doorway in the main street saying “accredited

mortuary” and I peered inside to see a

line-up of different coffins for use – many are

apparently rented!

A number of old mansions highlight the

status of the wealthy families in the region.

Syquia Mansion is one of the best ancestral

homes in the Philippines and is still lived in

by descendants of former President Elpidio

Quirino (1948 to 1954).

Hotel Luna is a good choice of

accommodation. An old heritage house, all

the facilities are modern, while the house

contains a great collection of artefacts and

paintings. It is like staying in a gallery.

Much of the city life centres on Plaza

Salcedo, with the imposing St Paul’s

Cathedral at one end. The Philippines is a

strongly Roman Catholic country and the

evening mass was well patronised by family

groups – the service was actually in English.

The large fountain in the plaza is lit up at

night for a “performance” of the dancing

fountains with a colourful interplay of music

and lighted water display.

Vigan is famous for the production of jars

using the local red clay and also a handloom

weaving technique called Abel Iloco.

Examples of the cloth, table runners and

scarves, make a good souvenir. The new

Vigan Conservation Complex is an arts and

crafts museum, training centre and

conservation laboratory.

At Bantay, a village a few kilometres

outside Vigan, a stop at the St Augustin

Church and Bell Tower is worthwhile. Climb

to the top of the bell tower for panoramic

views of the countryside with the rugged

Cordillera Mountain range on the horizon.

There are many large churches in Ilocos

Norte, but the St Augustine Church at Paoay

(also UNESCO World Heritage listed) has

imposing interior, unique balustrades along

both sides and a large coral-encoated

belltower. The Museum of the North

provides information on the local tribes in

the area and many still live in the nearby

Cordillera Mountains.

The region is mainly agricultural

with crops including garlic, corn, rice,

tobacco and dragon fruit. Local delicacies

include longganisa [a garlic flavoured

sausage] and empanada with its deep pastel

coloured wrapping.

Ex-president Ferdinand Marcos was born

in the area and at the village of

Batac you can visit a museum about him and

see his embalmed body in the adjacent

mausoleum. Buggy rides on the sand dunes

are a new attraction and you can see some

interesting rock formations and many wind

farms on the breezy coast north of Laoag.

If you are really adventurous, then include

a visit to the Cordillera Mountains,

particularly to Banuae to see the 2,000

year-old Rice Terraces, recognised as

one of the wonders of the world. ✈

Colourful jeepney mini-buses.

St Augustin Church and belltower,

Paoay.

PHILIPPINES

Fort Santiago, Manila.

PhilippinesBoracay ,

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.

Norfolk Island is becoming one of the hippest destinations for weddings,

with its fantastic climate, pristine beaches and the unpretentious nature of

Forrester Courts Luxury accommodation. Forrester Court has played host to

numerous boutique weddings over the years and has received rave reviews

from past guests the world over, we offer a number of ceremony and

reception options. Our grounds provide a romantic and exotic backdrop

Forrester Court Clifftop CottagesP.O Box 496 Norfolk Island 2899 P: + 672322838 E: [email protected]

www.forrestercourt.com

Set across sixteen sub-tropical acres this parkland estate is nestled on

the cliffs edge overlooking Cascade Bay with views of Bird and Elephant

Rock. Our cottages are self -contained, self catering and fully serviced;

our focus is to provide a serene, tranquil and relaxed environment where

guests’ can maximise their holiday experience. Forrester Court is the

perfect backdrop to begin exploring Norfolk’s countless activities in the

islands pristine marine playground, lush hinterlands, tranquil beaches

and rich historical tapestry.

Perched between Sea and SkyPremium Accommodation in our Oceanfront Cottages

You Dream it, we do it

You’ve decided to get married – but where do you want to exchange your vow?

to a truly unique wedding, vow renewal or elopement. Forrester Court

Clifftop Cottages, this five star property overlooks Cascade Bay. With its

stunning location and majestic views it is the perfect backdrop for your

wedding photos which will reflect the magic, which is exclusively Norfolk

Island. Whether it is a intimate wedding for 2 or 200 your special day will

be a breathtaking experience for you and your guests.

Wedding & event experiences


a SPECIaL wEDDINg aT SINgaPorE’S raFFLES

The secret lies in the service.

Impeccable, personalised service.

People will tell you that Raffles Hotel

in Singapore “stands for all the fables

of the exotic East”. They will talk about the

welcoming faces of the silk-turbaned

doormen, about the unrushed atmosphere of

splendour, about the fragrance of frangipani.

They will wax lyrical about the French

Renaissance architecture, with a three-storey

high central atrium, marble floors and

Corinthian columns. They might even

mention the numerous awards (most recently,

Singapore’s Leading Hotel 2015 bestowed by

World Travel). All of it is true. Yet, what

deservedly makes the Raffles one of the most

famous hotels in the world, one worthy of

hosting you and your loved one on your big

estination weddings

If throwing a party for a hundred people fills you with dread, if you

couldn’t care less about the colour

of the bridesmaids’ dresses, if you can’t

say “rehearsal dinner” with a straight

face – it may be time to elope, writes YvoNNE EvE waLuS

and have a wedding somewhere

exceptional and far away.

Sunset wedding in Rarotonga.

PH

OTO

: Wed

ded

Bliss.

The main staircase at Singapore’s Raffles Hotel is perfect for wedding photos.


WEDDINGS

PH

OTO

: Ho

lly Wallace, Q

ueensto

wn W

edd

ing A

ssociatio

n.

FROM LEFT: A white wedding in Queenstown and a wedding limo on the grandiose gravel driveway of Raffles Hotel, raked every morning.

day, is the way everything is

geared towards making your

experience effortlessly luxurious.

From the little chair the

restaurant waiter brings for your

handbag, to the daytime dish

they are delighted to deliver to

your room in the middle of the

night; the staff members take

pride in ensuring you are totally

comfortable with being treated

like their favourite member of

the royal family.

You can exchange your

vows in one of the courtyard

gardens under a wedding

archway, or indoors. The

East India Rooms opens out

onto a patio with a fountain

that refracts the sunlight.

The bright Jubilee Lounge is

perfect for a cosy romantic

ceremony. The Ballroom is

bigger and more formal,

with its impressive chandeliers

adding an atmosphere

of grandeur.

When planning your wedding,

remember that in Singapore

April is the warmest month;

January the coolest and

November the wettest.

a wHITE wEDDINg IN QuEENSTowNAlpine scenery is why you get

hitched in Queenstown and what

makes this destination unique is

that you need (well, ok, want) a

helicopter to get to the most

scenic wedding locations. You

may wish to hold the entire

ceremony on the slopes, or get

married at one of the luxurious

lodges and take the chopper to

the mountain for the bride-and-

groom photos.

Almost any location will be

dazzlingly dramatic, but check

out Coromandel Peak with its

vast mountain and lake views.

Nestled amongst the tussock

and overlooking Glenorchy, Mt

Alfred provides 270 degree

views and snow between June

and October. If you are after the

snow, but without the cold

temperatures, then Mt Larkin

is your wedding spot.

Expect warm weather in

summer, stunning colours in

autumn and carpets of blooms

in spring. But the winter is for

photo-ready backdrops of

guaranteed white.

a FaIrY-TaLE FESTIvITY IN FIJISay “bula vinaka” to white

sand and translucent lagoons.

Whether you get married on the

mainland or on one of the

islands (you have more than 300

of them to choose from), your

photos will take your breath

away every time you look

through the album.

Almost every Fijian hotel

can organise your wedding, but

Tokoriki Island Resort promises

an experience so memorable

that you’ll be back year

after year to celebrate your

anniversary. Their choice of

venues ranges from a relaxed

beach wedding under

a canopy, a conventional

ceremony in their stone chapel

with stained glass windows,

or a stylish spread by a private

infinity pool. Depending

on the wedding package,

a native warrior will escort

the bride, girls dressed

in traditional clothing will

scatter flower petals and a

Fijian choir will perform at

the ceremony. Conclude the

celebration with an ocean-

side banquet.


WEDDINGS

Beach wedding at The Datai Langkawi, Malaysia.

The clement climate ranges from

18 to 30 degrees depending on the season.

Visit in April through to November to avoid

the wet season.

PrIvaTE baY IN MaLaYSIa

Voted as one of the best beaches in the

world by National Geographic, the Datai Bay

in Langkawi, Malaysia, makes for a truly

memorable barefoot beach wedding. Walk

down a rose petal path to a fragrant bridal

arch of roses, orchids, gerbera, peacock and

lilies or pledge your promise beneath a

billowing muslin and organza blessing tent,

surrounded by white sand, emerald water and

sapphire sky.

A leading resort, The Datai Langkawi,

has enchanting appeal – a private bay and

pearly-white beach alongside pure rainforest

air and purling creeks. It’s a place to

indulge in both simple and sophisticated

pleasures; to live, love and laugh in the

moment; and to appreciate fine food,

luxurious accommodation and superlative

service. It’s all these that make The

Datai Langkawi a magical wedding and

honeymoon venue.

Whether a romantic beach wedding

or a traditional Malay blessing, The Datai

Langkawi’s team personalise every

celebration to perfection. Bespoke by

design, from food and beverage to

flower arrangements, local music and

firework displays.

Set in the heart of the rainforest and

built in the style of a traditional kampung

“village” home and adorned with local

artefacts, The Gulai House is ideal for a

traditional Bersanding wedding. Such

time-honoured local customs as a decorative

pelamin (wedding dais), live gamelan

(percussion) music and a culinary feast

of traditional halal specialties, make

for an authentic Malay celebration.

Book your Hen or StagParty today!

Take your vows

of love with the

Never Ending

I Dos at Vivanta

by Taj – Coral Reef,

Maldives. Lose yourself

in the scenic visuals

of this gorgeous

wedding location.

What could be

better than falling in love all over again against the scenic

backdrop of azure Maldivian waters, with flutes of champagne

at your disposal? Recite your vows standing at the altar, on

the powdery soft sands at the Moondeck.

Surrounded by traditional torches made from coconut

husks, under the shade of blue skies, or under millions of stars

and the vision of tiny sail boats at the horizon, soak in the

magic of unconditional, ever-lasting love. Take home a wedding

certificate and the champagne bottle cork in a special box,

before heading for the 45-minute spa treatment, which

includes a luxurious, revitalising massage and special seafood

dinner on the beach, with a bottle of house wine.

Taking vows

in the Maldives

We now fly from Auckland to Kuala Lumpur (via the Gold Coast) and then onwards to a hundred other

destinations around Asia, including some of the world’s best islands, like Langkawi, Boracay, Lombok and Phuket.

With our only-pay-for-what-you-use service, we’re the affordable, easy way to see Asia.

Book @ airasia.com

We’ll take you there for less


WEDDINGS

a TraNQuIL TaHITI TrEaT

Built upon Bora Bora’s coral islet,

the Four Seasons Resort is a sprawling

grove of coconut palms and herb-scented

pandanus trees with crowns of sword-like

leaves. Imagine your wedding ceremony

with a backdrop of the lush Pandanus

Grove set on the edge of a lagoon – unless

the turquoise water calls you to sail into the

sunset and tie the knot aboard the Four

Seasons Resort’s own luxury catamaran,

right between the ocean and the lagoon.

You can hold a custom-made reception

aboard or come ashore for your

commemorative dinner.

If the name Aherenoa (Eternal Love)

sounds like a good omen, you may

prefer to get married in the resort’s chapel

as you look out onto Mount Otemanu.

You can also choose to hold the wedding

at the intimate Sunset Motu, or a private

beach of one of Four Seasons Resort

ocean-view villas. With 54 acres of land

to choose from, you’ll be sure to find the

perfect spot for your special day. The best

part, though?

Your personalised wedding cake

prepared by the resort’s pastry chef will

tempt you with flavour combinations such

as vanilla-praline, chocolate-raspberry and

pineapple-coconut.

High season in Tahiti is in the cooler less-

humid months, May through to October.

rELax IN raroToNga

Planning your own wedding is fun, but

the reality of a destination wedding may

prove a bit stressful and more than a bit

time-consuming. If you’d like somebody

else to do all the worrying, remembering

oTHEr roMaNTIC wEDDINg DESTINaTIoNS1. The 13th century castle in Heildelberg, Germany is where you can get married in

its historic chapel and hold the reception in the royal ballroom.

2. The white terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water in

Pamukkale, Turkey.

3. The Sacred Valley in Machu Picchu, Peru. You can have a symbolic Andean

ceremony led by a shaman who calls upon the Incan gods to guide your relationship

to last eternally.

4. Arrive on an elephant for a Hindu-style blessing and wedding banquet in a private

garden overlooking the Taj Mahal in India.

5. Say “I do” on the Maid of the Mist tour boat as it sails through the Bridal Veil Falls on the way to Niagara Falls.

Four Seasons beach wedding against the backdrop of the majestic Mount Otemanu, the landmark of Bora Bora.

and co-ordinating of overseas wedding

suppliers, look no further than your

experienced Wedded Bliss experts in

Rarotonga. You can do as little as letting

them know your budget and preferred style

(carefree, elegant, traditional), or you can be

involved in every decision from the comfort of

your own home while leaving the actual

organising to the professionals.

The eastern side of Rarotonga

encompasses Muri Beach, lagoon islets and

marine conservation areas. The western

coastline is ideal for sunset weddings. You

can marry standing in a heart-shape made of

seashells, or in a white coral church, or be

rowed in a vaka across the lagoon to an atoll

to the sounds conch shell and ukuleles.

Visit Rarotonga in April to May

or September to October. June through

to August can get quite chilly for a

tropical island, while summer is the

cyclone season.

FACT FILE

✈

A marriage ceremony overseas may not be legally binding unless one or both parties are citizens of the country in question.

There are a number of things that New Zealanders have to do before getting married overseas and the Department of Internal Affairs in Wellington will be able to provide details.

If you want to make it official, either be prepared for some admin, or have a quick transaction-like wedding in New Zealand before you elope to your dream wedding abroad.

PH

OTO

: Do

n Rid

dle.

For more information, contact our events team:Email [email protected] or call +64 9 912 3006

www.stamford.com.au/spak

winand go into the draw to

$3,000!

a weekend

get awayvalued at

we understand how important your wedding day is. you can relax knowing that everything we’ve planned together

is taken care of, and that your special day will be just perfect.

visit us at the bride & groom show in auckland on 1st may 2016 at stand #18

CeLeBRateyOUR weDDing witH US at

StaMFORDP LAZA AUCKLAND


momentsManly

Manly is a destination in itself and

an alternative for those who have

stayed in the Sydney central

business district before and are

now looking for somewhere else to stay.

There are the beaches, galleries, markets,

walkways, seaside cafes and shopping

arcades – all on a smaller scale and with

more of a relaxed holiday atmosphere.

Manly Beach itself is actually a world

famous Australian landmark – and one of the

most renowned patrolled beaches in Australia

for surfing. Captain Arthur Phillip named the

beach, after the indigenous people living

there. “Their confidence and manly

behaviour,” he said, “made me give the name

of Manly Cove to this place.”

Manly was one of the first seaside resorts

in Australia to allow daylight swimming and

surfing in 1903. The beach is easy to get

to with regular short ferry trips departing

from Sydney’s Circular Quay, followed

In Sydney for the weekend or the week and looking for a

quaint seaside place to stay

and to explore, LorraINE THoMSoN

recommends taking the

30-minute ferry ride across

Sydney Harbour, to Manly.

ManlyCorso.


by a casual stroll along the Manly Corso.

The cosmopolitan resort-style Manly Corso

is the central focal point of Manly – a

part-pedestrian mall lined with surf shops,

pubs, cafes and fashion retail outlets. The

Corso is also the fastest route to Manly’s

Ocean Beach.

The Manly to Shelly Beach / Cabbage Tree

Bay Eco-Sculpture Walk is my favourite walk.

This is a 15-minute walk beginning at South

Steyne, passing the Manly Surf Club at the

south end of Manly Beach. The Cabbage Tree

Bay Eco-Sculpture Walk hugs the coastline

all the way to Shelly Beach, passing Fairy

Bower Rockpool and delightful beachside

cafés. Along the way you gain an insight into

the bay’s marine life, plants, animals, history

and attractions through eleven sculptures

along the waters edge. Shelly Beach is the

perfect place for snorkelling and surfing,

or just plain relaxing on a delightful white

sandy beach.

The Manly Lagoon Reserve is home to

breeding grounds and habitats for a wide

range of fish species, as well as sea grasses

and birds. The reserve stretches from

Pittwater Road on one side, to North Steyne

Road on the beach side and there are plenty

of grassy areas around the park. The pathway

along the lagoon is a great place to ride bikes

or scooters and at the end of the reserve, at

Keirle Park, there is an outdoor exercise

equipment area, skate park and a large oval.

On the opposite end is Queenscliff Beach,

which is accessible by heading north

along the footpath.

Manly Cove; Manly ferry and view from North Head.

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A short 15-minute walk

starting from the East

Esplanade heads to Little Manly

– a waveless beach, perfect for

paddle boarders and kayakers.

Little Manly is an alternative to

that of the more wide-sweeping

Manly Beach and is well set up

for looking at the harbour views

and enjoying the picnic areas.

Beyond Little Manly, North

Head is part of the Sydney

Harbour National Park and is a

perfect location to watch the

sunset. Here you will experience

awe inspiring panoramic views

of Sydney Harbour and the city

skyline. The walk to North Head

from Manly’s town centre takes

around 25 minutes and passes

the impressive building housing

the International College of

Management Sydney and Manly

Hospital.

North Head Sanctuary is

home to the most delicate flora

and fauna, complete with

hanging swamps. Its wild,

island-like nature has made

North Head Sanctuary a place

for isolation, observation and

contemplation. Rich in history,

North Head is a special place

for the Aboriginal people.

Manly Wharf, on the shore of

Manly Cove, is a well-

landscaped area with large

shaded grass lawns, perfect for

picnics. Nearby is the Manly

Art Gallery and Museum

featuring a selection of art,

beach culture collections and

ceramics. The exhibitions

change regularly, so there is

always something new to see.

Opened in 1930 by Manly

Council this was the first

metropolitan regional gallery in

New South Wales.

For the kids to let off some

energy there is Manly Water

Works – fully supervised giant

slides with large spectator

viewing areas. Fun activities

include riding the twisted

Cobra, daring the slippery

python and slithering in

the blackened tube of the

Insane Earthworm.

Opposite the gallery and

water works is the Manly Sea

Life Sanctuary, only four

minutes walk from Manly

Wharf. The sanctuary features

Penguin Cove, Underwater

Sydney, Shark Harbour and

Shark Dive Xtreme, (for those

brave enough to go diving with

the sharks).

For exploring the 20km of

dedicated cycle tracks, it is

well worth hiring a bike. Manly

Bike Tours has the largest fleet

and latest models of bicycles

for hire in the area. Suggested

routes include Bike the Beach,

Sydney Harbour National Park

Explorer and an off-road

mountain bike adventure to the

Manly Dam.

For those unsure of head-

ing off on their own, there

are a number of local

tour companies.

One such company, Life’s

an Adventure Manly, is the

winner of 17 tourism awards of

excellence, including Best

Australian Adventure Tourism

Business. This company

provides daily guided walking,

mountain biking, kayak and

4WD tours.

The Manly Tri Fun involves a

one-day cycling, kayaking and

walking tour to see the best of

Manly. It really makes the

sightseeing more interesting if

you have someone with you

who is familiar with the area

and has helpful information to

pass on.

After all the sightseeing it is

a good idea to visit Manly’s

only local brewery, the 4 Pines

Brewing Company. The

international award-winning

beer is brewed daily and can

be sampled in the bar and

restaurant. Live music plays

on Mondays, Tuesdays,

Wednesdays and Sundays. On

Thursdays there is an in-house

magician providing breath-

taking entertainment.

For low cost shopping,

Manly is well set up for markets

with the Manly Market Place

open every Saturday and

Sunday 10am to 5pm. The

Manly Design open-air markets

showcase emerging design,

fashion and gifts. The Farmers

Market is on Saturdays and

open until 2pm. The Beaches

Market every Friday is the best

place to buy quality food items.

Here you can find organic and

conventional fresh fruit and

vegetable sellers, meats direct

from the farm, delicious dairy

products and tasty cakes and

treats. There is great tasting

coffee, a wide choice of yummy

ready-to eat foods from around

the world and unique fashion

and homeware.

Q-Station, which used to be

the North Head Quarantine

Station, is at North Head

Scenic Drive. Only a five-

minute drive from Manly,

the Quarantine Station is

now listed as a heritage

site inside Sydney Harbour

National Park and is renowned

for its expansive, historic

surrounds. The building was

established in 1832 to

quarantine early immigrants

afflicted by disease until 1984.

Free historical exhibits retell

this story. To this day Q-Station

is said to be one of Australia’s

most haunted places, offering

Ghost Tours to those who dare

sleep the night. So yes, you

can stay at Q-Station in

four-star suites, dine at the

restaurant, have a massage, go

kayaking, do yoga, or simply

enjoy the public beach.

One of the bigger hotels

to stay at is the Novotel

Sydney Manly Pacific and this

is directly opposite Manly

Beach. The hotel has 213

guest rooms with uninterrupted

views from downtown Manly to

the beach and beyond. You

definitely don’t feel like you are

staying in Australia’s largest

city when you stay here.

No views of other high rise

buildings or congested

city traffic. ✈

MANLY

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South Australia is the wine capital of Australia, with 200 cellar doors on Adelaide’s doorstep – the majority in the Barossa Valley.

LORRAINE THOMSON shares the

advantages of the vintages.

Wine barrels of the Barossa Valley


First settled in 1842 by European

immigrants, the Barossa Valley

[70km from Adelaide] still retains

its old-world charm, with around

150 wineries and cellar doors in the valley.

Half of the cellar doors are open to the

public, with most of the others open by

appointment. Many conduct tours of their

estates and winemaking facilities.

The Barossa Valley is also renowned

for its fresh seasonal produce, artisan food

producers and award-winning restaurants.

Visitors can drive the Barossa’s food and

wine trails or explore the countryside by

bicycle. Other options are to tour by

motorbike, vintage car, hot air balloon

or helicopter.

The magic of Barossa Valley’s world-

acclaimed wines lies in the diversity of its

growing conditions. The Eden Valley produces

distinctive cool-climate wine varieties; while

the region’s flagship shiraz is grown in the

warmer, low-lying areas.

Jacob’s Creek was the Barossa Valley’s

first commercial vineyard and one of the

oldest in the region. Penfolds and

Seppeltsfield are other iconic Australian wine

names found in the valley.

On the Butcher, Baker and Winemaker

Trail there are delicious home-baked breads

to try, as well as smoked meats and regional

produce. On the Barossa Cheese and Wine

Trail there are hand-made cheeses to sample.

The Barossa Heritage Trail, which stretches

from Kapunda in the north to Mt Pleasant in

the south, links many historic sites and cellar

doors housed in historic buildings. The trail

passes through charming heritage towns with

local artists displaying their paintings and

sculptures at galleries and craft shops.

The Tanunda Heritage Trail shows

historic photos and stories of the early

days of the Barossa and offers a rare

insight into this unique part of Australia.

For an organized wine tour, Ultimate

Winery Experiences Australia takes visitors

to premium wineries for wine tastings,

restaurant dining, wine matching, wine

education and gastronomy. There is the

opportunity to interact with the winemaker

and enjoy first-hand the rich diversity of

the region.

One such tour, Behind the Scenes of

Jacob’s Creek, takes visitors to places only

the locals know exist. Here the views of the

Barossa are breathtaking and the stories told

ignite your imagination – like the tale of the

Bavarian family who created one of the

world’s most famous wine brands on the

banks of a small creek. The tour begins

with a visit to the Steingarten Vineyard

where there are spectacular views of the

Barossa and the opportunity to sip on a

glass of Steingarten Riesling. Next is a visit

to the historical homestead of the Gramp

family, where visitors can enjoy a glass of

Johann, the company’s flagship wine. On this

site is also the original winery and vineyard

where the first Jacob’s Creek wines was

created. After a home cooked morning tea,

there is a visit to the Jacob’s Creek Visitor

Centre and a private food and wine master

class, followed by lunch in the restaurant.

The afternoon is spent at Jacob’s Estate

wondering through the kitchen garden and

observing the Jacob Family’s original

homestead, dairy and servant’s quarters.

This memorable day is finished off with a

walk down the unique Cork Tree Drive.

Another option is the Jacob’s Creek

Cooking Classes held in the outdoor kitchen

at the historic Jacob’s Estate Cottages. The

classes, led by the talented Jacob’s Creek

chefs, are held overlooking the kitchen

garden. Participants work in small teams,

picking fresh produce from the garden, which

will then be specially prepared into a gourmet

meal. After cooking skills have been put to

the test, there is a leisurely lunch matched

with Jacob’s Creek wines. This experience is

perfect for anyone looking for an engaging

hands-on activity and the unique venue offers

the perfect setting to experience the Barossa.

At Seppeltsfield Winery – the only winery

in the world to release a 100-year-old, single

vintage wine each year – this place is famous

for its Centennial Collection. The collection

is an unbroken lineage of Tawny of every

vintage from 1878 to the current year. At the

Centennial Cellar visitors can taste Tawny

made in their birth year directly from the

barrel, as well as table reds released in small

batches from the historic 1888 Gravity Flow

Winery, or the renowned 100-year-old Para

Vintage Tawny.

For a broad selection of Barossa Valley

wines, it is a good idea to visit during Aussie

Wine Month in April or the region’s annual

major event, the Barossa Gourmet Weekend,

in August.

After visiting the vineyards, one way to

indulge and unwind is by playing golf

amongst the gum-trees on one of Barossa’s

championship courses. Surrounded by

Jacob’s Creek and St Hallett vineyards and

adjacent to the Novotel Barossa Valley

Resort, the Tanunda Pines Golf Club is a

regional golf course on natural bushland.

There are 18 holes par 72, a Nike Concept

Golf Shop, equipment rental and motorised

golf carts. There is also golf tuition, group

clinics and a golf driving range.

A day spa experience is another way to

relax and at the Endota Spa, the signature

FAR LEFT: Jacob’s Creek is where 165 years ago, a Bavarian family created Australia’s largest wine brand on the banks of a small creek. MIDDLE: Barossa Chateau is surrounded by 22 acres of dedicated rose gardens. LEFT: A royal tour by Prince Charles and Camilla at Seppeltsfield Vineyard. The royal couple visited the Barossa as the first official destination of their Australian visit late last year.

BARoSSA VALLEY


Red Wine Soak is a romantic

option. This is where a couple can

immerse in a half-hour nourishing

red wine spa bath full of

antioxidants to help combat the

signs of ageing. The Endota Spa,

which also offers yoga classes, can

be found at the four-star Novotel

Barossa Valley. In addition to the

spa and the adjacent golf course,

this resort hotel offers basketball

volleyball, swimming and tennis.

Other places to stay include the

Lanzerac Country Estate, in the

heart of the Barossa Valley, set on

five acres in Tanunda. There are

five large suites, all refurbished

with modern bedrooms and

bathrooms but hidden inside a 100

year-old homestead over-looking

the Barossa Ranges.

Breakfast is served in the

“Barn” and this can also be used

for special occasion events. When

staying at this place you can walk

through 80-year-old vines or

explore the iconic wineries next

door – the Chateau Tanunda and

Turkey Flat.

At the Vine Inn Barossa there

is a range of accommodation

options. There are 18 four-star

executive rooms at the Vine Inn

Barossa hotel along with 11 self-

contained apartments and 18

standard recently refurbished motel

rooms at the Vine Court, just 350

meters north of the main hotel.

The family-friendly, award-winning

restaurant is open for three meals

a day, seven days, and has a casual

dining area, as well as the a-la-

carte Vine Garden Bistro.

For luxury accommodation, the

residence at Barossa Chateau is

furnished to exceptional standards

and appointed with original antique

and art pieces. Guests are invited

to immerse themselves in the

genuine hospitality of the premises

and spend a moment living as a

distinguished Barossan. Stately

surroundings combined with modern

facilities provide exceptional

comfort with three bedrooms,

two and a half bathrooms, formal

dining, full kitchen, lounge and

television room.

✈

gETTNg THErE: Air New Zealand has a four-

and-a-half hour direct flight from Auckland to

Adelaide. Other airlines with one stop on the way

in Sydney or Melbourne, include: Qantas, Jetstar,

Emirates and Virgin Australia. The Barossa Valley is

a 1.25 hour drive, north-east of Adelaide.

CLIMaTE: The Autumn months (March to May)

are mild but sunny, averaging 22 degrees,

although there can be chilly evenings. The

autumn leaves on the vines are a sight to behold.

CurrENCY: The New Zealand and Australian

dollars are fairly equal at the moment. $NZ1.00

equals $AUS 0.92.

EvENTS: The Barossa Vintage Festival is held

every two years, with the next festival held 19 – 23

April 2017. This is the Barossa’s biggest celebration

of wine, food, music, art, culture and tradition

and also the longest running wine tourism festival

in Australia with a history spanning more than

six decades.

FAST FACTS

BARoSSA VALLEY

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From Taranaki’s picture-perfect

mountain, to the sparkling sea along

the coast; there’s countless opportunity

to explore, discover and experience this

region’s magnificent gardens, rich Maori

heritage and numerous fine art galleries.

New Plymouth is one of the few cities in

New Zealand where you can be relaxing on

the beach one minute and climbing up a

mountain the next. And more Kiwis than

ever will now have access to New Plymouth

with Jetstar’s new service from Auckland –

with New Plymouth Airport adding a

temporary Jetstar terminal building to

support the launch of the new service.

For those planning a city break, Huatoki

Apartment provides a beautiful living space

right in the heart of the central business

district. Situated in the historic Colliers

Building, this comfortable, modern

accommodation is on Huatoki Square, Devon

Street – the city’s main street. The best cafes,

bars, galleries and shopping are right on the

doorstep of this spacious apartment, which is

fully-furnished with two double bedrooms (one

small mezzanine) and a well-equipped

kitchen. There’s plenty of room for you to

spread out and feel right at home and there’s

also double-glazing to keep you warm at night.

The apartment is ideal for up to four

people wanting to experience all New

Plymouth has to offer. Just a short stroll away

is the award-winning New Plymouth Coastal

Walkway running 13km from the port and all

the way to Bell Block – ideal for walking,

running, cycling or simply enjoying views of

the dramatic west coast.

The famous Len Lye designed art piece

known as the Wind Wand, is a kinetic

sculpture well worth a visit, particularly at

night. Also not to be missed is Pukekura

Park, one of New Zealand’s leading botanical

gardens featuring bush walks, formal

gardens, lakes, play areas, sporting

facilities and a tea house over 52 hectares.

Taranaki combines the charm of rural New Zealand with the sophisticated provincial appeal of New Plymouth. With Jetstar adding Auckland to New Plymouth flights and Govett-Brewster Art Gallery adding the Len Lye Collection, SaraH wEEKS finds

there’s a whole lot more to discover in this unique region.

MountainStrathmore Saddle,

Mt Taranaki.

PH

OTO

: C

arol

Dig

by /

East

ern

Tara

naki

Exp

erie

nce.


TARANAKI

Fully licensed transport operators, operating in Central and Eastern Taranaki for 14 years2 times Winner of Taranaki Tourism AwardsSmall Business Commended Award in 2015

In July last year, the Govett-

Brewster Art Gallery reopened

with the new addition of the Len

Lye Centre, giving a permanent

home to the collection and

archive of New Zealand’s

pioneering filmmaker and kinetic

sculptor Len Lye. From its

engineering to its architectural

design to the artworks within it,

the Len Lye Centre celebrates

the genius of Christchurch born

Len Lye who gifted his work to

be housed and cared for by the

Govett-Brewster. As New

Zealand’s first institution

dedicated to a single artist,

the exhibitions change out

quarterly, showing themed

selections of artwork from the

collection including kinetic

sculpture, film, painting,

drawing and photography.

Adjacent to the Govett-

Brewster is international art

cafe Monica’s Eatery, inspired

by the life and spirit of Monica

Brewster, a globetrotter even

before the golden age of air

travel and founding patron of the

Govett-Brewster Art Gallery.

Open every day for breakfast,

lunch and dinner, Monica’s

provides an exceptional food

experience in a comfortable and

edgy environment that draws on

re-purposed materials. Diners can

enjoy a hearty meal of wood-fired

angus scotch fillet with French

fries and béarnaise or a simple

salad of warm lentil, crispy

pancetta, avocado, baby spinach,

Zany Zues halloumi and free-

range poached egg.

For good food and drink in a

relaxed and comfortable

environment, Joe’s Garage on the

corner of Devon Street East and

Gover Street offers a selection of

brunch, burgers and thin-based,

custom-made pizzas, cooked to

perfection in a purpose-built

pizza oven. They’re fully licensed

with Steinlager Super Cold,

Speight’s and Isaac’s Cider on

tap, along with a Marlborough

Sauvignon and Pinot Noir

poured straight from the barrel.

Classic dishes include Chicken

Joe, a chicken breast stuffed

with herbs, lemon and cream

cheese with Joe’s slaw, gravy

and mash or stan the wallet,

a sirloin with caramelised

onions, Joe’s slaw, garlic

butter and chips.

The Black Harp is one of

New Plymouth’s most popular

Irish pubs – a place where

people can come together and

have a card game or two or

listen to live music. Those

spending a night down here will

be sure to have a whale of a

good time. The restaurant

sports a cosy yet stylish look

and is famed for its friendly

staff and delicious pub-style

menu, such as the legendary

chicken, leek and potato pies;

or family-style roast of the day

with all the trimmings. There is

Forgotten World Highway.

PH

OTO

: C

arol

Dig

by /

East

ern

Tara

naki

Exp

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nce.

Email: [email protected]: www.pioneervillage.co.nz

Take a nostalgic stroll through yesteryear and experience an outdoor museum presenting the life of Taranaki pioneers in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

OPEN 10am to 4pm daily

SH3, Main Road, Stratford

Ph. (06) 765 5399

CAFE FUNCTION CENTRE VILLAGE RAILWAY

Preserving yesterday, for today, tomorrow

www.facebook.com/PioneerVillageTaranaki


✈

often live Irish entertainment and happy hour

is always around the corner.

While it’s only 150km long, the Forgotten

World Highway is a memorable driving

journey. Built on colonial bridle paths formed

in the late 19th century, the highway is

remote and mysterious. It can be approached

from Stratford or Taumarunui and wriggles its

way over four mountain saddles through an

eerie one-lane tunnel and crooked river gorge.

Eastern Taranaki Experience guides Carol

and Dave Digby have nearly 40 years local

tramping experience, so know the highway like

the back of their hands. Operating since

September 2001, they run tramping and P

HO

TO: R

ob

Tucker

Wind Wand kinetic sculpture, Coastal Walkway, New Plymouth.

TARANAKI

cycling tours and Stratford Heritage Lodge

accommodation – providing package deals for

transport and transfers. Their small tour

groups allow more quality interaction with the

guide and they use comfortable, air-

conditioned vehicles. It’s a long day driving,

but they make extra stops with optional

guided walks to break up the trip. They’re also

Taranaki tourism and hospitality award

winners so you know you’re in the best hands.

During the tour there is a visit to the

Douglas Brickworks site and Te Wera for

morning tea where there is a lesson about

the forestry history and a visit to the camp

site (now an Education Centre). The highway

leads to the small historic village of

Whangamomona, where there is time to

wander around this place full of character and

enjoy lunch at the hotel. Interestingly,

Whangamomona declared itself a republic in

1989 and visitors can get a passport from the

local hotel.

The tour makes it’s way further east to the

heart of the Tangarakau Gorge to see the

74-metre Mount Damper Falls, one of the

highest waterfalls in the North Island, in the

lovely Moki Forest. There’s also the historic

180-metre Moki Tunnel, built in the 1930s that

goes through the heart of the hill. The

Whangamomona Saddle provides spectacular

views of native beech and podocarp forest.

Before returning to Stratford, there’s a side road

leading to the historic Bridge to Somewhere.

Carol and Dave are also agents for

Forgotten World Adventures, a tourism venture

allowing people to travel along a

decommissioned railway line in a self-driven

rail cart (ex-golf cart) through tunnels and

over bridges and rivers to townships that have

faded into the past. Using an abandoned

railway line, local Ian Balme, thought it’d be a

great idea to put railway wheels on a golf cart

to let tourists drive down – the ultimate in

Kiwi ingenuity and a great way to explore rural

New Zealand.

While in Stratford, it is worth visiting the

Taranaki Pioneer Village. Open every day

from 10am to 4pm, visitors can take a

nostalgic stroll through yesteryear and

experience this outdoor museum presenting

the life of Taranaki pioneers in the 19th

and 20th centuries. This attraction has appeal

to all ages as you step back in time when you

enter the village main street. And no visit

would be complete without taking a ride

on the Pioneer Express train

PH

OTO

: Glenn Jeffrey

The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery / Len Lye Centre in New Plymouth.

The Govett-Brewster Art

Gallery is New Zealand’s

first and only museum

of contemporary art and

is set in the coastal city of

New Plymouth. The latest

addition to the Govett-Brewster

– the Len Lye Centre – is New

Zealand’s first institution

dedicated to a single artist, the

pioneering filmmaker and kinetic

sculptor, Len Lye.

With its curved exterior walls

of mirror-like stainless steel, the

Govett-Brewster Art Gallery /

Len Lye Centre is the country’s

first example of destination

architecture linked to

contemporary art and now one

of its most iconic buildings.

Experience inspiring

architecture, innovative and

provocative work by New

Zealand and international

artists, quarterly changing

exhibitions, a regular event and

education programme, tours

and a late-night on Thursdays.

The 62-seat state-of-the-art

Len Lye Centre Cinema is a

welcoming environment to

experience Len Lye’s films,

cult, classic, arthouse and

experimental films, and regular

film festival programming.

For something a little

different, the Govett-Brewster

Shop is not your usual tat.

Contemporary design and

objects of inspiration, jewellery,

Len Lye and Govett-Brewster

merchandise, books, gift cards,

kids stuff and limited edition

collaborations mean you’ll

definitely need to add extra

time to your visit.

Monica’s Eatery, next door

to the Govett-Brewster, is an

Destination architectureand contemporary art

international art cafe inspired by

the life and spirit of Monica

Brewster, a globetrotter even

before the golden age of air

travel and founding patron of

the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery.

The cafe is open seven days for

breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The Govett-Brewster Art

Gallery combined with the new

Len Lye Centre is open six days

a week: Sunday, Monday,

Wednesday, Friday, Saturday

10am – 6pm. It’s closed

Tuesdays but open late on

Thursdays from 10am – 9pm.

Entry is free, although there

are charges for some events and

cinema screenings.

The combined art museum

has one entrance, through

the original Govett-Brewster

doors on New Plymouth’s

Queen Street.


✈

TARANAKI HoTEL HoT LINE

– a fun way to view the property

– giving the opportunity to see

what Stratford’s hospital,

courthouse, jail and school

used to look like and also visit

the village barber, print shop

and bookbinder.

The Tawhiti Museum in

Hawera is a unique experience

filled with life-size exhibits and

scale models presenting

Taranaki’s heritage in a series

of realistic and engaging

displays. Created by artist

Nigel Ogle, his attention to

detail is simply stunning with

all models designed and built

on site. Directly opposite the

front door of the museum

nestled under trees is the

themed Mr Badger’s Café,

providing a welcoming

environment to relax and enjoy a

coffee and freshly baked home

cooking. The use of delightful

dioramas based on the

characters from the Wind in the

Willows helps set the scene and

mood of the café.

The Tawhiti Bush Railway is a

half-hour train ride showing the

logging railways that used to

operate in Taranaki. With life-size

figures and buildings along the

line and an interpretation centre

set in a reconstructed sawmill

at the end of the track, this ride

is a favourite attraction at the

museum. Their newest attraction

Traders & Whalers is an

innovative historical presentation

of the Taranaki coast in the

1820 to 1840 period.

Illuminated only by the twinkling

of lanterns and candles, this boat

ride drifts through an eerie world.

Distant birds call and water drips

from mossy banks as burly

sailors barter with local Maori for

pork, potatoes and flax in return

for European goods – especially

that most sought-after item,

the flintlock musket.

The 200-room Crowne Plaza Christchurch will be one of the tallest buildings in the city.

Crowne Plaza to tower over Christchurch

Scheduled to open half

way through next year,

InterContinental Hotels

Group (IHG) is

developing the 200-room

Crowne Plaza Christchurch, as

one of the tallest buildings in

the city, presenting guests with

views of Mt Hutt and the New

Zealand ski fields.

Signalling a commitment

to the city’s economic revival,

the building will have 17 floors

and the ability to add an

additional floor on level 18.

Located in the central business

district and across from the

planned new Christchurch

Convention Centre, also due to

open next year, the upscale

hotel will be a conversion of a

current commercial building

owned by a consortium of

Christchurch investors.

Crown Plaza will have up to

five suites and 195 guest

rooms and food and beverage

options including an all-day

dining restaurant, a specialty

restaurant and lobby lounge

and bar.

Catering to both business

and leisure travellers, there will

be a business centre and

function space, as well as a

fitness centre.

IrIrIKI HaS NEw agENTRegency Tourism Marketing has added Iririki Island

Resort & Spa Vanuatu to it lineup of tourism properties it

represents. The partnership cements the company’s

dedication to bringing Pacific Island offerings to wholesale

and trade partners, as well as consumers, in New Zealand.

Iririki Island Resort & Spa will reopen after extensive

renovations on 1 May.

PEPPErS arrIvES IN MELbourNE

Peppers Docklands has opened its doors in Melbourne,

as the only five-star hotel within the Dockland’s precinct

and with direct access to the Etihad Stadium. The 87-room

contemporary hotel has a stylish Momami restaurant

and bar, pool, gym, 24-hour reception and concierge. ✈


SMALL BUSINESS

SoLE TraDErA sole trader operates the business

on his or her own. He or she:

Controls, manages and owns

the business.

Is personally entitled to all

profits / losses.

Is personally liable for all business

taxes and debts.

Tax is paid at the individuals tax rate.

Usually a sole trader can begin the

business without following any formal or

legal processes to establish it. He or she

may employ other people to help run the

business. Large numbers of businesses

operate as sole traders. No registration is

required to start a business as a sole trader.

All you need is a personal IRD number.

ParTNErSHIPIn a partnership, two or more people

run a business together. Each partner:

Shares responsibility for running

the business.

Shares in any profit or loss equally,

unless the partnership agreement

states otherwise.

Is liable for any debt within

the partnership.

Many partnerships are established with

a formal partnership agreement.

Tax is paid at the partners’ individual

tax rates.

The partnership itself does not pay

income tax. Instead it distributes the

partnership income or loss to the partners.

No registration is required to start a

business as a partnership; it may be

separately registered with the IRD.

LIMITED LIabILITY CoMPaNY

A company exists as a formal and legal

TA Accounting has over 100 travel business clients.

Email: [email protected]

web: www.travelaccounting.co.nz

Ph: 09 524 6178

If you need help with business structures for your business, contact TA Accounting to assist.

What is the best business STruCTurE for your buSINESS?

Small businesses in New Zealand, writes PauL DavIES, generally employ one of the following business structures

– sole trader, partnership, limited liability company, look through company, or trust.

entity in its own right. It is separate from

its shareholders (or owners) and directors

(legal managers).

The company Owns the assets and liabilities of

the business.

Its owners’ liability is limited to the

shareholding of the business.

Its directors run the business.

Ownership can change through a

transfer of shares without changing

the ownership of the assets owned by

the company.

Tax can be paid at 28 per cent by the

company, or shareholders can earn

salaries and pay tax at their own tax

rates. Tax paid dividends can be used

to distribute profits.

LooK THrougH CoMPaNY

This is a special form of company that

allows losses and profits to pass to the

shareholders untaxed. There are limitations

on the ownership and the amount of losses

that can be claimed each year.

The rules set in 2011 are currently

being reviewed by the IRD.

Must have five or fewer look through

counted owners.

Shareholders must be natural persons,

trustees or look through company.

Profits and losses pass to owners

according to their shareholding.

Shareholder / employees must be

on PAYE.

Disposals of property may be taxable.

Tax is paid by the “look though owners”

at their tax rates.

TruSTSA trust is a legal structure where ownership

is with the trustees who hold assets for the

benefit of beneficiaries of the trust. For tax

purposes income earned can be distributed to

beneficiaries with certain restrictions. Losses

remain in the trust until used.

Ownership is in a separate legal structure

to both beneficiaries and trustees.

Trustees run the trust and maybe

personally liable.

A company can be a trustee.

Trusts are excellent structures for asset

protection provided that they are properly

administered.

Income can pass through a trust to

beneficiaries over 16 at their tax rates.

Trustees income is taxed at 33 per cent.


SoCIAL SCENE

The InterContinental (IHG) Sydney

rooftop Club Lounge hosted players,

sponsors and tourism dignitaries for

the official welcome of the Sydney

Rugby Sevens tournament held recently at

Allianz Stadium.

IHG have been the official hotel group for

the ARU for ten years with the Inter

Continental Sydney playing host to sevens

teams from 16 countries. Eventual winners

New Zealand secured a thrilling victory over

Australia in the final in front of a sellout crowd.

InterContinental hosts rugby sevens

Australian Sevens coach Andy Friend, World Rugby general manager competitions Philippe Bourdarias, ARU chief executive Bill Pulver, Destination NSW chief executive Sandra Chipchase, HSBC Australia chief executive Tony Cripps, Australian Sevens captain Ed Jenkins and IHG key account director sport Phil Beeson.

Rocky Mountaineer launch

Rocky Mountaineer recently

entertained travel industry

guests at Marvel Bar & Grill

on Auckland’s North Wharf.

On a visit from Canada, Rocky

Mountaineer vice president global

sales Karen Hardie and director sales

Asia Pacific Robert Halfpenny

announced the new global television

campaign All Aboard Amazing, now

playing on television screens in New

Zealand, Australia, US and Canada.

The television commercial is

animated and helps inspire the

scenery and branding.

Rocky Mountaineer vice president global sales Karen Hardie and director

sales Asia Pacific Robert Halfpenny.

Go Holidays product develop-ment manager North America

Sheralyn Black, with Rocky Mountaineer’s evening host, Asia Pacific sales manager

Mark Richardson and Go Holidays product co-ordinator

North America Millie Toal.

CTS Tours business development manager Barbara Boyce, China deputy consul general in Auckland, Song Chenmao and CTS Tours marketing manager Howard Chen.

Guizhouvisit

A tourism delegation from the

Chinese province of

Guizhou, promoted the

stunning natural features of

the destination to travel industry

leaders at Auckland’s Rendezvous

Hotel – coinciding with the city

celebrating Chinese New Year. The

province, which has ten times New

Zealand’s population, is in the south

west of China and includes six cities

and 22 national forest parks. With

increased infrastructure and high-

speed railway connection, Guizhou has

been enjoying a 30 per cent increase

in tourists over the past year. The

main attractions include picturesque

waterfalls, caves, mountains, lakes

and festivals.

Guizhou Provincial Interna-tional Culture Association chairman Zhang Guangzhi.


SoCIAL SCENE

Simply Nigella

All things culinary were top of mind at the recent

Simply Nigella event at the Langham in Auckland.

World Journeys hosted top agents at the glittering

fundraiser for The Rising Foundation, along with

a sumptuous gala dinner, Kerre McIvor as MC and live

entertainment from Dave Dobbyn and Lizzie Marvelly.

World Journeys, in partnership with Cathay Pacific and Trails

of Indochina, donated a luxury Culinary Vietnam and Cambodia

trip for two to the charity auction, which sold on the night

for $17,500.

Jill Gothard (Bon Voyage), Kate Gohar (World Journeys) and Kerry Graham (Travel Managers).

Vanessa Traille (Cathay Pacific) and Sally Sutton (St Heliers United).

Nicola Thomas (Accent on Travel) Mark Pirihi (Cathay Pacific) and Michelle Burgess (Cathay Pacific).

P & O relishes sporting connections

Friendly touch game between NRL league legends and P&O crew.

When P&O’s Pacific

Pearl cruised across

the Tasman into

Auckland recently, it

was bringing a shipload of

passionate rugby league fans into

the city. Brisbane Broncos team

member and New Zealand Kiwis

captain Adam Blair was on the

four-night cruise with his family.

The star player trained onboard by

racing passengers who travelled up

the ship’s deck levels in the lift and

he ran the stairs as well as making

the most of the gym facilities.

The rugby league connection

follows other sporting cruises P&O

has been making over the past year

and this includes a cruise to the

Melbourne Cup and also to the

Tennis Open in Melbourne.

Carnival Australia / New Zealand

executive chairman Ann Sherry,

speaking on the ship’s top deck,

said Pacific Pearl’s five-month

deployment to New Zealand will

feature 20 cruises and will

generate up to $20 million in

economic value to this country.

Over the coming year 18

Carnival ships will visit New

Zealand and this, said Ms Sherry,

represents 80 per cent of ships

coming in.

“This year P&O will more

than double the number of

passengers we carry on cruises

from New Zealand,” she added,

“with a 122 per cent rise over our

2015 numbers, reflecting New

Zealanders’ growing passion

for cruising.”

Onboard Pacific Pearl in Auckland: ARL coach Laurie Daley, ATTEED chief executive Brett O’Riley, NRL player Adam Blair, Carnival Australia / NZ executive chairman Ann Sherry, former NRL players Matt Cooper and Dan Hunt and ship captain Othello Ghoshroy.

NEW BROCHURE OUT NOW

CALL 0800 278 687

Documents

Travel march 2016