‘It’s like dating… but with your house, not your heart,’ is how one fan of home-swapping holidays summed them up to me. Since houses (sadly not hearts) come with insurance, I decided to test this travel trend just as the soaring energy prices and food inflation were pinching hard. The cut-price family break has been elusive … Read more
As the largest member of the European Union, Germany’s stance carries weight in Brussels. And Berlin has found itself at odds with many European countries — led by Spain, Ireland and Belgium — which have called for a cease-fire. French President Emmanuel Macron added his voice to the growing chorus of criticism of Israel’s actions, … Read more
A LOTTERY winner gave a chilling prediction of his own downfall just weeks after scooping a £13million jackpot prize. Trevor Cooper, from Te Kauwhata in the North Island, New Zealand, said money “doesn’t buy love” after remaining single and alone following his life-changing win. 1 Trevor Cooper said speedway racing was more exciting than winning … Read more
Indeed, the dining on offer is one of the bay’s chief attributes, and many of its restaurants come with a tale attached by way of an amuse-bouche. Pork belly and watercress ramen from Izakai in the Bay of Plenty. Photo: Izakai Take Izakai, which anchors the gourmet strip abutting Bayview Mall in Tauranga, the Bay … Read more
Taylor Swift is redefining what it is to be a success in the music industry – and simultaneously changing the travel industry. Last year, the U.S leg of her Eras tour bolstered the economy Stateside by at least $10billion (£8.6billion), according to the U.S Travel Association. The ‘Taylor Swift Effect’ was name-checked in the Federal Reserve Bank of … Read more
New Zealand, known for offering “freedom camping”, has changed its camping laws and anyone caught in breach will face a hefty fine. Travelling by caravans and motorhomes has been a budget-friendly way of exploring New Zealand’s North and South islands. But that has come at a price for the host country as thousands of tourists … Read more
New Zealand will deploy a six-member defense team to the Middle East as part of an international coalition to uphold maritime security in the Red Sea, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Tuesday. The United States and Britain have been carrying out air strikes against the Iranian-allied Houthi group in Yemen, who have been … Read more
New Zealand’s Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman has been forced to resign from parliament after several reports emerged, accusing her of shoplifting things on at least three occasions. The allegations came to light after CCTV footage of the MP stealing things from high-end stores in Auckland and Wellington became public. The MP later issued a … Read more
Would you kill for a trip to Scotland? It seems many would. Worldwide Google searches for ‘flights to Scotland’ have rocketed back to pre-pandemic levels for the first time during the first week of January, following the return of the hit BBC reality show The Traitors, filmed near Inverness. Travel information site Places To Travel analysed Google search … Read more
Air New Zealand is now the safest airline in the world, according to analysis by a leading aviation group. Australian-based company AirlineRatings.com publishes its list of the world’s safest airlines annually. The site assesses the flight records of 385 carriers, as well as account audits from aviation governing bodies, crash and serious incident records, safety initiatives, pilot … Read more
