21 Dec 2021
Sunscreen: check. Toothbrush: check. Jandals: check. Beach towels: check…
Are you going through your travel packing checklist? We might just have something else to add to it – a ‘holiday toolbox’ to help you relax, explore, and make the most of some well-deserved downtime.
We packed it full of useful, interesting and plain quirky links for forever-travellers, break-takers and staycaters alike. So, strap your seatbelt on, and let the inspiration begin.
Safety first
A journey worthy of its name cannot start without a quick safety briefing.
Heading to the beach? Make sure you visit the land air water aotearoa (lawa) website to check the water quality at your favourite swimming spot. Or use findabeach.co.nz to view the weather forecast, patrol hours (if available), and hazards to watch out for. You can also check how suitable the beach is for families, swimming, surfing, and fishing.
Planning to light a fire? Before you do so, always ensure it’s safe: fire emergency nz has a handy three-step tool for this. Select what you’ll be doing (e.g., a bonfire, a hangi, a charcoal bbq etc.), when and where you’ll be doing it, and get your results. You can also find tips on how to reduce your risk.
Going on a hike? You can download and read the land safety code here, with five simple rules to help you stay safe, including: (1) choose the right trip for you, (2) understand the weather, (3) pack warm clothes and extra food, (4) share your plans, and (5) take care of yourself and each other.
Whatever your plans are, keep sun safety top of mind: the uvnz app tells you the current uv index, and how long you can be exposed to sunlight at any time of day without skin damage (spoiler alert: the times might be surprisingly short in summer!). Uvnz is available on google play and the app store.
Learn more about nature
Getting close to nature is new zealand’s treasure. So, if you’re planning to spend some time in the great outdoors this summer, why not get to know your surroundings?
new zealand birds online has a search engine to identify a bird you’ve seen, learn pretty much everything about it, and importantly, check its conservation status.
If it’s native plants that peak your interest, you can try nz trees, a free app developed by auckland university of technology, available on google play and the app store.
For more of a ‘community’ vibe, you can also join fellow nature watchers on inaturalist.nz: record what you see, share it with the community, and discuss your findings. They might help you identify a threatened animal species or plant.
Going camping?
There are so many apps for happy campers in new zealand that it’s hard to choose. Wikicamps is probably a good place to start (for $2.99): it’s quite comprehensive, and you can even download the maps for offline – a must-have feature if there’s no signal in the area. Camping nz and campermate are great free alternatives, with a lot of information on individual campsites. And if you’d like to stay with locals, campable is a bit like airbnb – but for camping and motorhome sites.
…or maybe glamping? Glamorous camping (aka ‘glamping’) has been on trend for a while now. From pods through to safari tents, treehouses, yurts and houseboats, you can easily find unique outdoor accommodations all around new zealand on glampinghub, canopy camping, and airbnb’s unique stays.
Not sure where to go?
Short on inspiration? There’s a reason why tourists have always been travelling to new zealand from all corners of the world. Sometimes, you just need to see places through someone else’s eyes, to appreciate them more or notice things for the first time.
While there are a lot of travellers’ blogs about new zealand, few are as enthusiastic as churnewzealand.com in capturing the spirit of the land. What’s more, at the time of this writing, the blog contains a list of 254 (yes, two-hundred-fifty-four) things to do in new zealand. Some are very touristy, of course, but you may well find some unusual gems here and there.
The easiest way to travel the world right now
Have you ever heard of geoguessr? It’s the closest thing we have to teleportation these days. This game drops you somewhere in the world on google street view, and you have to guess where you are. The closer you pinpoint your location on the map, the more points you get – and you can play with your friends too.
Time to recover from the food galore?
The holidays are a great time to catch up with friends over food and drinks, but it can be easy to get carried away and over-indulge.
That’s why many people pledge to start a diet in the new year. Then, almost inevitably, life gets in the way again, and sticking with a diet becomes challenging. If you’d like to get started sooner rather than later, eatthismuch.com may be for you. This simple website allows you to create a meal plan in seconds, and even generates automatic grocery lists.
Rainy day? Sit back and relax
With so much to see and do, it can be easy to forget that the holiday season is also a time for guilt-free relaxation and entertainment. A rainy day can be the perfect opportunity to curl up on the sofa and enjoy one of the christmas movies available to stream on netflix new zealand – here’s a full list for you. Or you can get suggestions from agoodmovietowatch.com – just click the ‘random’ button and see where it gets you.
Depending on how bored you are, you might enjoy “gravity points”, a ‘digital pen’ created by akimitsu hamamuro that simulates the effect of gravity, by allowing you to plot small gravity centres on your screen. It may sound pointless (no pun intended), but it’s quite mesmerising.
Looking for more ways to relax? Asoftmurmur.com is a customisable white-noise machine: just what you may need to wash away distraction and take a break.
And finally, if you’re running out of books to read or you simply would like to get your fill of ‘fun facts’ before your next get-together, online magazine mental floss has got you covered.
Have a nice break!
This list is no way near exhaustive of the endless adventures that summer may bring – but it’s a start. As for us, we wish a great holiday break and will be here for any questions you may have in 2022 and beyond. Happy holidays!
Disclaimer: please note that the content provided in this article is intended as an overview and as general information only. While care is taken to ensure accuracy and reliability, the information provided is subject to continuous change and may not reflect current development or address your situation. Before making any decisions based on the information provided in this article, please use your discretion and seek independent guidance.