Continuing our Tread Lightly sustainable tourism series, Elisabeth Easther finds some of Aotearoa’s top-notch low-impact accommodations. Video / NZHerald
Each week in Travel, we check out some of the latest happenings from Aotearoa and beyond to inspire your next adventure.
Let’s hear it for New York
QC NY is easily New York’s most attractive spa experience, boasting the best skyline views in the city. Just imagine yourself for amoment, bubbling away in a spa pool while sitting before NYC’s most iconic vistas. Open since 2022, there are 20 wellness experiences on the menu and it’s just five minutes by ferry from Downtown Manhattan. If this one isn’t on your NY radar yet, put it there right now. qcny.com/en
Soak up Manhattan skyline views from QC NY. Photo / QC NY
Experience more of the Whitsunday Islands with Explore Group’s new expedition-style small cruises, launching April 14. Perfect for all those who yearn to own a superyacht but the KiwiSaver isn’t there yet, the Whitsunday Explorer offers a small ship voyage with just 60 passengers across 30 en suite cabins. Over two luxurious nights, visit islands, reefs and bays that larger vessels can’t access, enjoying a wealth of snorkelling, kayaking and land-based activities. Stay tuned for six-night cruises coming later in the year. exploregroup.com.au/explore-expedition-cruises
Experience more of the Whitsunday Islands with Explore Group’s new expedition-style small cruises. Photo / Supplied
Waiheke on a budget
Good news, penny pinchers - from today, visitors travelling to Waiheke Island can score a 50% reduced ticket price on return fares. Simply travel during off-peak times (sailing to Waiheke after 1pm and returning from 7pm) and pay a wallet-friendly $24.75pp. This applies to full-price adult return fares purchased online more than 24 hours in advance. It’s the cheapest fare on offer in more than 15 years, allowing visitors to put every saved cent towards more Waiheke wine. fullers.co.nz
Waiheke Island is known for gorgeous beaches and delicious vineyards, a popular choice for day-trippers on Fullers ferry.
Winter is on the way, folks, and though many of us will be heading to New Zealand’s best snowfields, you might like to consider taking your skis across the Ditch. Regarded as Australia’s best ski area, Thredbo Resort in NSW has just launched its season passes for the coming months. With pistes officially open from June 10-October 2, get in now to secure your day passes, lessons and equipment rental. thredbo.com.au
Thredbo Resort is regarded as Australia's best ski area. Photo / Supplied
Cute as a button
Our love for tiny abodes shows no signs of dwindling, especially now Singapore’s remote Lazarus Island has welcomed an entire tiny house village: the first accommodation to grace the island. Created by Tiny Away and available from next month, stay overnight in an eco-friendly, low-carbon emission cabin just a 15-minute boat ride from the neighbouring island of Sentosa. Tinyaway.com
A sneak peek of what Lazarus Island's new Tiny House Village by Tiny Away will look like. Image / Supplied
Last but not leste
Looking for somewhere none of your travel-mad friends have been yet? Bring on Intrepid Travel’s new nine-day Timor-Leste Expedition. This little-visited Southeast Asian nation had a troubled past but it’s one you’ll sympathetically unearth in between mountain hikes, a wealth of local immersion and snorkelling in the world’s most biodiverse coral reefs. intrepidtravel.com/nz/timor-leste/timor-leste-expedition-147652
Take the path less travelled with Intrepid Travel’s new Timor-Leste Expedition.
Photo / Intrepid Travel
