This is what I recommend to ensure an amazing time in Auckland:

What to do

While Auckland may not be the adventure capital, there are so many fantastic things to be done here. Wildlife, shopping, relaxation, food and wine – this city has it all!

Visit Waiheke Island:

Nicknamed the “Isle of Wine”, take a 40min ferry here for a day trip of exploring stunning wineries and beaches. This was the highlight of my time in New Zealand!

Whale and Dolphin ECO cruise:

With their slogan being “Discover today. Protect for tomorrow” this adventure tour helps to not only showcase whales and dolphins, but focuses heavily on conservation.

You’ll be on board with qualified marine researchers who conduct biological studies during your tour (I got to be the volunteer!) and will share all that they know with you. 

During this excursion I learnt about whales, dolphins and threats against the ocean as well as seeing some amazing animals! University of Auckland and the Department of Conservation’s are both linked tightly to the safari so you can feel good while being on the water.

**I recommend doing this at the beginning of your trip.  The boat offers a guarantee that if the animal sightings on your trip aren’t up to their high standards, a lifetime voucher is given until they’re satisfied you’ve had a great experience!

Viaduct Harbour:

This harbour in the heart of the city is home to some of Aucklands best restaurants and bars: this is the place to be! Watch super yachts go by while having an aperitif, or take a walk along the water and admire boats with some buskers along the way.

For a more in-depth look into Maritime history, New Zealand’s Voyager Maritime Museum can be found within the Viaduct Harbour.

Spot a Kiwi!

Last year, 20 Spotted Kiwis were released into Shakespear Park, Whangaparaoa (45mins North of the CBD). Here in the sanctuary, these endangered animals will offer some genetic mixing to hopefully increase the populations chances of survival.

There’s also a short walk to a stunning lookout point here!

Extreme:

For those who want a taste of the adventure New Zealand is famous for, try the Sky Tower Bungy or Jet Boat, both conveniently located in the CBD.

Getting around

Everything feels close in Auckland but to make getting around even more fun, take a ride on a “Lime E-Scooter”! These things are everywhere, and are a huge hit with locals and tourists… unlike in Aus!

Bike taxis are another good (and green) alternative.

Food and drink

Being surrounded by so much water, the seafood available in New Zealand is incredibly fresh and delicious!

Fresh oysters, white bait, tuatua (NZ’s breed of clams, similar to Pipi’s), green lipped mussels, snapper, salmon…… the list goes on!

Auckland Fish Market:

After more than 90 years of showcasing the city’s freshest seafood, the fish market has been given a multi million dollar facelift and reopened in December last year.

The revamped market houses over 10 different eateries including a bar, cafe and world class fish and chips! With a beautiful courtyard, this is the a great place to sit and enjoy fresh seafood straight from the source.

New Zealand classics:

My first meal here was the classic “mince on toast”. With low expectations, I was quickly impressed and couldn’t wait to enjoy it again!

Other great local tastes include:

• Manuka Honey
• Hāngi
• Organic Lamb

Wine:

Internationally known for its award winning wines, some people travel to NZ for this alone. A large and diverse region, Auckland is home to some of New Zealand’s largest wine companies, as well as a many high-quality, boutique wineries. No matter which direction you travel in, there will be a world class wine produced there:

Waiheke Island: Syrah, Chardonnay, and Cabernet blends.

West Auckland: Chardonnay and Merlot. 

North of Auckland: Cabernet blends, Pinot Gris and Syrah.

Other things to consider

If hiring a car during your time in Auckland, note that petrol prices are a lot higher than in Aus. As an alternative, let us find you a driver for your time there!

To organise a trip to Auckland, 

call Rosie at Mosaic Travel on (03) 5275 4583

The post Exploring Auckland, New Zealand appeared first on Mosaic Travel.

When you start planning your once-in-a-lifetime Amazon adventure, you’ll come to a crossroad: should you choose a lodge-based adventure deep in the heart of the rainforest or would it be better to cruise along the Amazon River and its numerous branches instead?

Every decision you make about your tour of the Amazon will be consequential to this first choice. Both travel methods offer sensational benefits unique to each other and, as expected, there are also a few downsides.

To decide which option is best for you, ask yourself these questions before planning an Amazon adventure:

• How much comfort do you need in the Amazon, one of the most challenging ecosystems on Earth?
• What is your budget for your Amazon adventure?
• How active are you normally, and how active would you like to be on your trip?
• What time of year will you travel? In the Amazon, water levels are crucial to choosing your travel style.
• How flexible can you be in regards to your travel dates?
• How immersive would you like your Amazon experience to be?

Experience the Amazon by River Cruise

The Pros

Amazon cruises have become increasingly popular, given they offer the kind of luxury and comforts most travellers used to fantasise about.

The Amazon is amazing, that’s true, but it’s also extremely harsh. It can be unbearably hot and humid and an unrelentingly challenge, where a million creepy crawlies constantly remind you that this is a place governed by nature, not man! Amazon river cruises offer a respite to all that, in between phenomenal excursions and adventures.

At the end of a long day exploring the wilderness by canoe or on foot, searching for sloths, toucans, monkeys and anacondas, it’s just heavenly to come back to an air-conditioned cabin, have a refreshing shower and enjoy a gourmet dinner in absolute comfort.

On a luxury cruise boat, you can enjoy a magnificent Amazonian sunrise from the comfort of your bed, as the scenery glides past your floor-to-ceiling window as if on a film reel. 

The Cons

So, what’s the downside? Well, all this comfort and luxury comes at a cost: Luxury Amazon cruises are certainly more expensive than many lodge-based adventures.

Cruises also depart on certain dates, follow a certain itinerary and can’t be changed. Your independence, in this sense, is compromised and you have to plan your travel around the cruise dates and accept their itineraries.

Experience the Amazon by Lodge-based adventure

The Pros

Many travellers dream of an Amazon adventure their entire life: of being surrounded by wild animals and overwhelming wilderness, of feeling like a true adventurer exploring the jungle with a machete in one hand and a bandana in the other, swinging from vines while roaring like Tarzan!

If this sounds like you, then a lodge-based Amazon adventure has your name all over it! 

The lodges are gorgeous places to stay, some of them set in stunning remote Amazonian locations.

Lodge-based journeys are immersive to the max, making you feel at one with nature and giving you an unfiltered Amazonian experience, bugs and all! Choose to stay in a lodge and you’ll be surrounded by it on all sides, seeing monkeys as you enjoy your breakfast and falling asleep to the sounds of the jungle.

Your adventure will be when you want and for however long you want. You’ll have total travel control following whichever itinerary you wish.

Lodge-based Amazon adventures can be the stuff of lifelong dreams.

The Cons

No matter how luxurious the lodge, a few basic rules remain: electricity is limited, insects are not, air-con is hard to come by and meals are a lot more basic than the kind you’re served on cruises. 

Eco-lodges in the Amazon build their beautiful thatched-roof huts with sustainable natural materials, which unfortunately allow insects to crawl through, although mosquito-netting and fans will ensure you won’t be feasted upon at night.

Top-end lodges still won’t give much reprieve from the Amazonian conditions and come in at a steep price!

Amazon Adventures – Other Things to Consider

Water levels can vary dramatically throughout the year and determine which way you will experience the Amazon despite your personal needs and wishes.

During high water levels, on-land excursions are curbed and here is where cruising reigns supreme. You can reach deeper into the Amazon rainforest than ever before, exploring various river off shoots and regions where no lodges have been built.

If you manage to reach a remote lodge to stay in, you simply won’t be able to get around much on foot, leaving you to explore by canoe.

50/50 There are also options for a 50-50 compromise, where you spend a few nights in a beautiful lodge to soak up that wondrous wild experience and then cap off your adventure in style on a cruise for a few nights. What a wonderful way to experience both!

It (almost) doesn’t matter! I’ve never met anyone who’s travelled to the Amazon and regretted the experience, no matter how much they spent or how much they suffered the heat and humidity.

The Amazon is the South American bucket-list destination that has the ability to change the way you think about the World, the way you consider nature, our planet’s wilderness and all the wonderful creatures that inhabit it.

It is an astounding place to visit, no matter how, where and when.

So choose for you: for your level of fitness and budget, for your priorities and your necessities and for your dreams and desires.

Then enjoy the magnificent Amazon!

To enquire about a trip to the Amazon, call Rosie at Mosaic Travel on (03) 5275 4583

The post Lodge VS Cruise – What’s the Best Way to Explore the Amazon? appeared first on Mosaic Travel.