Catered Coast Walks - Langs Beach

Get yourself and a group of friends together and come and enjoy a short break walking adventure. Each day, head off from the lodge on a different walk and explore the spectacular coastline of the Southern Bream Bay area. The picture postcard views and white sandy beaches will have you wanting to tell everyone about this beautiful part of Northland barely 90mins from Auckland. You don’t have to worry about a thing, all your meals are provided, your linen is provided and best of all, you don’t have to carry a heavy back pack, just a small day pack. If you find yourself too tired to walk the return journey home, then you just need to ring and you’ll be picked up.

Each daily (unguided) walk comes with an option to extend or shorten its’ length. They cover a range of terrain from stunning beaches to coastal rock hopping to private farmland, rural roads, established walkways and regenerating bush. The base time for most of the walks is around 4hrs. If it’s just a day at the beach you fancy, then that’s ok too. Maps and details will be given on your first night of arrival.

For more information visit Langs Beach Lodge Website

Adventure Walks Fiordland

ADVENTURE WALKS are an ‘off the beaten track’ guided walks company operating in New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park and we offer an amazing alternative to the well known and heavily trafficked Fiordland tracks.

We have access areas of Fiordland most people have never even set eyes on, let alone set foot in. This includes Mt Titiroa, which was recently voted New Zealand’s Number 1 Natural Wonder by “Wilderness” magazine.

Please check out our website www.adventurewalks.co.nz or get in touch via beth@jadvenkturew2alks.jco.nzs.

Brick Bay Sculpture Trail

Brick Bay Sculpture Trail has had a hugely successful summer season attracting over 9,000 visitors to walk the trail. Since opening in January 2007 we’ve had over 15,000 people visit.

Our strong relationships with Tourism Auckland and Tourism New Zealand mean we continue to interface with an international art audience, hosting a variety of art collecting visitors.

We are expanding our role to be a premier venue for weddings and special events, while entertaining an increasing number of corporate and art collecting groups. Do be in touch if you have a special event in mind and we will work with you to make it memorable at Brick Bay.

Tuatara Tours

Tuatara Tours specialises in fully-guided walking and cycling adventures in the stunning South Island. Their tours offer quality accommodation, great meals, experienced guides, portage of luggage, all transportation – and wonderful memories!

They are based in Christchurch – the gateway to tourism in the South Island of New Zealand... famous for its soaring mountains, extensive plains, forests, fiords, rivers and crystal clear lakes. Their goal is to encourage and assist people to experience for themselves this beautiful environment.

In particular, their philosophy is to combine the beautiful scenery of the South Island with challenging exercise... and have the ability to enjoy a glass of wine at night, with excellent cuisine, in good quality accommodation. They combine recreation with ambience, exercise with relaxation.

The vision at Tuatara Tours is to encourage as many people as possible to be involved in fun, adventure and the outdoors, particularly in the beautiful South Island of New Zealand.

The team is there to provide the best experience, with high quality tours, delivered efficiently, with humour, at a price that represents good value.

Tuatara Tours is a major sponsor of the tuataras at Orana Wildlife Park in Christchurch.

For more information visit www.tuataratours.co.nz or phone 0800 377 378.

The Purple Chickens Homestay

Bev is a long time Eastern Bay of Plenty resident, she has a passion for people, and is inspired and excited that her new venture is going to bring people into her home who may share or want to know more of the local area of Whakatane/Ohope.

Bev loves to be fit and is willing to take you for bush walks or head you over the hill to the gorgeous Ohope area which has more walks and places to explore. Just along from Bev’s front door are a couple of 6km bush walks – one is the “Bird Walk” and the other the “Board walk” – they speak for themselves once you begin your journey and it doesn’t matter what level of fitness you have – both are easily managed. If however you wish to experience more difficult terrain just ask Bev.

There is so much to say about what is on offer at The Purple Chickens Homestay. What’s nearby – athletic tracks, tennis courts and harrier runs and parks within 2 kms of Bev’s place, plus a great aquatic centre. So if you are coming over for a sporting event, remember your vehicle is safely parked off the street, your mountain bikes, motorcross bike, kayak or golf trundler can all be stored in Bev’s garage…. There is plenty of room.

And no visit to Whakatane is complete without a trip down to ‘The Heads’ – this is the piece of Whakatane Harbour where all boats travel through to get to the open waters. It can be wild and dangerous but always beautiful.

And with all the things to do with Bev – just ask her – she will help you to make your stay in the Eastern Bay a memorable one…. and one you will want to do again and again.

Visit The Purple Chickens Homestay to find out how you can book a room and enjoy a wonderful meal.

Bothfeet Walking Tours

When I told people I was doing the Great Ocean Walk in Australia's state of Victoria, everyone told me to be careful of overheating, sunburn.... I'd seen the pictures of that poor burnt koala cooling off in a basin of water during the bush fires. Nobody suggested bringing a raincoat. Or galoshes.

But I knew what to expect. Silvery, dry gum trees, slithery snake trails on dusty paths, and that terrible, burning sensation in your throat and whole body as you gulp down huge mouthfuls of water every few minutes. Australia's hot all right, and I was ready for it.

An email had arrived in March telling me I was coming on a walk with nine other trampy types whocall themselves the Glampers. I had tramped with some of them before on the Hurunui Walk in North Canterbury, and had hoped and hoped that they might ask me again. So I rushed to send in my deposit in case they changed their minds. Roll on October.

Wanderlust Holidays

Wanderlust Holidays managing director Karen Platzer founded her tour company on her return to New Zealand in 1988, after living in Europe and Africa for 23 years. In Kenya she worked for three years with a Swiss tour operator catering to the mass tourism market. Along with excellent training (and an enduring passion for Africa) she also discovered just what she didn’t want to offer her clients when she set up her own company – the ‘herd mentality’ of large group tours. Karen enjoys travelling off the main tourist routes, wandering through little villages or along an empty beach with a small group of friends – but after a great day exploring, a comfy bed in a small family-run hotel or pension and a delicious meal in a local restaurant is essential. Flexibility is also important – clients should have the freedom to spend a day at the beach or visiting a museum instead of the planned walk, or to share a romantic meal with a loved one rather than join the group for dinner. This was the foundation Karen built her business on and it’s proved very successful with a high percentage of repeat clients and word-of-mouth referrals. Our clients say it’s like travelling with a group of friends – and back at home group reunions to share memories and laughs are frequent!

A Walkers World

**Active holidays for active people**

**We are a specialist leisure walking and cycling holiday operator**

Europe is the most popular destination for NZ walkers. Along with the joy of walking new territory, they love to discover the quaint villages, history, dramatic landscapes, architecture, wine, food, language and way of life.

The Loire Valley is the quintessence of romantic France and the fine chateaux are the main reason why this region is so famous.

Kings, feudal lords and ladies of the court, seduced by the beautiful natural setting of this ‘garden of France’, built several hundred castles, manor houses and dreamy residences. Villandry, Langeais, Ussé, Chinon, Saumur, Azay-le-Rideau, Chenonceaux, Chaumont, Blois, Chambord are some of the more well-known that dot a cycling and walking route of this area.

The rural charm of this region is in no way inferior to the cultural wealth and you walk/cycle through vineyards, past wine cellars, small villages, along meadow paths on seldom-used country lanes or side roads through the mostly flat and slightly uneven Loire and Indre Valleys. There are a few short ascents but the route is mostly flat so suitable for children.

More exotic locations where trails are uniquely different to anywhere else are: Morocco, Peru, Patagonia and Africa.