Author: noel

Rocking Out in Rotorua

Hey…what’s that smell?! It’s the sweet smelling sulphur of Rotorua.  If you’re travelling around the North Island of New Zealand, you’ve got to stop in what the locals refer to as ROTOVEGAS. Locals are silly! It’s not a casino town! This is a spa town, so get ready to get down and dirty in the mud.

Mud is your Bud

Rotorua’s geothermal water and mineral-enriched muds are absolute must-do’s. These rejuvenating therapies spring from Rotorua’s thermal activity and you won’t see anything like them elsewhere in the world. You can go for a simple soak or book out a private pool for you and the whole family. There are plenty of spas that also traditional Maori massage that uses indigenous herbs. Whatever your budget, there’s some mud here for you. People have been enjoying the muds here since 1874!

Let’s Get Physical

Before you start pampering yourself you should probably do something to deserve it. Make sure you bring your hiking boots because RotoVegas has 18 sparkling lakes and incredibly exotic forests to explore. Just five minutes from downtown Rotorua, the foxiest forest in the world awaits you. It’ll be easy to reach this beauty with your Transfer Car rental…The 5600 hectare Whakarewarewa Forest has more than 70 trails for walkers, hikers, and mountain bikers from amateurs to experts.

Wet ‘n’ Wild

If walking isn’t your thing, get yourself to the rafts at Kaitiaki Adventures. The Kaituna River in all her glory is on display here and she will wow you with the world’s highest commercially rafted waterfall: the 7 METRE Tutea Falls. You don’t need to worry about bringing any gear as they supply everything for you. Just pack some bravery. And a touch of madness.

If you manage to survive…

Nom Nom Nom

…then you’ll want to get yourself to Te Puia and the NZ Maori Arts and Crafts Institute where you can stuff your face with an authentic Maori steam-cooked lunch as part of the guided tour to Te Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley. After upgrading all your mad weaving, greenstone and wood carving skills, you’ll get to select your lunch from a range of traditional options, like kumara and lamb, which are then taken to the valley and cooked above the steam vents in the ground. That’s just crazy! You mean crazy delicious! You’ll eat your snack packs overlooking the infamous Pohutu Geyser while wondering to yourself why you’ve never been here before.

You’ve saved money on transportation, thanks to us, so maybe you feel like splurging. Te Puia also offers a dining option, the magnificent Te Pō Indigenous Evening Experience. It includes a traditional Maori concert, an authentic hangi within a lavish buffet, and a moonlight visit to the geothermal valley for hot chocolate. And you can roast marshmallows in a volcano. No, no you can’t. But you can take another relaxing soak in the springs! There’s just no other place in New Zed that can make you feel this good. You’re welcome.

Eco Travel: Not Just For Hippies Anymore

Guess what? You don’t need to be a Patchouli-wearing, tree-hugging, dread-infested hippie to embrace eco-tourism anymore. Eco-tourism basically involves visiting relatively undisturbed natural areas. It’s a small scale alternative to commercial tourism but you don’t necessarily have to hook up with businesses like Organic Explorer or Eco Travels to get involved. You’re smart enough to know that how you travel will impact the environment. So Bigfoot, how do you make your footprint smaller? Here are some no-brainers!

1. Plastic Bags: Don’t use’em. Bring along a reusable bag for your laundry or grocery needs. When shopping, don’t accept a bag, just put it in your purse or backpack. You don’t want to add to the litter bombs scattered across the globe.

2. Bottled Water: We’ve all been there. You’re in a place like Thailand and you forget about the water so you brush your teeth in the shower. Then it’s a barf party. Treating your own water on the road is easier than you may think. Just bring along a reusable water bottle and a purifier filter or iodine tablets. You’ll be safe from water-borne illnesses while doing your part for Mama Earth. Go you!

3. Watch Your Step: When hiking avoid taking shortcuts on sections of trail as your footsteps will be followed by many others, you sneaky trail blazer, you! It may not seem like much  compared to, you know, landslides, but when several thousand trekkers each year come a walkin’, damage will be done. And it’ll totally be your fault.

4. Biodegradable Soap: Bring an environmentally friendly soap that’s gentle on the local water system as in rural areas, the water will most likely drain right back into main local water sources. Bringing hand sanitizer works well too.

6. Buy local: Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend but the best gifts are made by hand (so gimme your diamonds…but not your Blood Diamonds.) Contribute to the local economy by splurging on artisanal products. Nothing says I love you better than a hand-carved penis in Balinese wood. Or maybe a hand-carved necklace would be more appropriate. Your call!

7. WOOF: One of the best ways to see the world in an eco-friendly manner is to go WOOFING. That’s when you travel with your dogs. No, silly, it’s when you work on small, local organic farms for room and board. It’s a great way to meet the locals and really experience how people live. There are plenty of organisations that can help put you in contact with participating farms. Or you can just contact the farms directly.

When it comes to eco-tourism, die-hards tend to shun cars. But Transfer Car leaves a smaller carbon footprint than other companies. Through using our customers to move cars for us, we’re able to reduce the amount of emissions produced. Get in touch with us to see what else we’re doing to be responsible business operators in this Brave New World. You’ll be pleasantly surprised…

Opera in Da House: Why the Sydney Opera House is Better than You

So, I hear you think you’re pretty great, huh? Being the best you can be. Do you think you’re anywhere near as awesome as Sydney Opera House? I’m here to show you how you’re not in 10 points. Buckle up.

10. At Sydney Opera House, 1,600 performances happen every year. And it’s not just operas, but ballets, plays, pop music, symphonies, comedy, contemporary dance, and musical theatre.

(You go to Karaoke twice a year.)

9. Sydney Opera House supports the Vivid Sydney festival. This festival transforms Sydney with fantastic arrays of light, music and ideas. Here’s a menu: 56 installations by 140 artists from 15 countries, 80 Vivid Music shows by local and international artists, 200 events that showcase creative industries and 550 speakers sharing ideas.

(You have an iPod shuffle. Jealous?)

8. The Opera and Koalas tour gives you VIP access to Sydney Opera House and a guided tour of Taronga Zoo where you will all the weird and wonderful creatures of Australia. There are kangaroos, koalas, snakes,  crocodiles and possums to name a few critters.

(You’ve got 5 cats.)

7. The Royal Botanic Gardens has 18 feature gardens showcasing herbs to Begonias to Rain Forest plants. The Rare and Threatened Plants Garden is a must for green thumbs. The Palace Rose Garden has more than 1800 roses. It’s a feast for the senses.

(You have dandelions in your garden. You also get hayfever.)

6. The architect Jorn Utzon was rejected by three judges in the 1956 competition to design Sydney Opera House. Remarkably, his entry was then singled out as “outstanding” by the renowned American architect Eero Saarinen, who was the fourth and final judge. Utzon beat 232 other entrants and won 5000 pounds. Go underdogs!

(You designed your garden shed and won nothing.)

5. The Cloudy Bay Fish Co features sustainably caught seafood from the Marlborough Sound in New Zealand and an outstanding menu which showcases seafood in a contemporary, delicious way.

(You like greasy fish ‘n’ chips from the local Chinese takeout.)

4. The star of Opera Kitchen is a sushi and sashimi restaurant by Kenji Nishinakagawa, Australia’s foremost sushi artist offers a variety of sushi and sashimi ranging from traditional to modern taste.

(See #5.)

3. Sydney Opera House’s construction cost $AUS 102 million.

(Let’s not even talk about how much money you have.)

2. Work started on Sydney Opera House in 1959, with a whopping 10,000 builders employed.

(It only took 2 people to make you.)

1. The building is 185 metres long and 120 metres wide.

(You’re only 5’9”. Size matters.)

But don’t take any of this personally, because the Sydney Opera House is better than everyone. An absolute masterpiece of late modern architecture, Sydney Opera House has earned a reputation as a world-class performing arts centre and is a symbol of the Australian nation.

Transfercar wants to be the one who gets you there. This is how we do: ride with us.

Fantasy Trip #1: Backpacking through Australia

The idea of backpacking through Australia is enough to get me saying: Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi! Oi! Oi!

But man, this country is big. Where do you even start when planning a trip through OZ? We’ve compiled some easy steps and if you listen to us, everything’s gonna be fair dinkum.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

First, if you’re not already there, buy a ticket. And then hand the rest over to us! There is no better way to see Australia on your own terms than by car but it can be expensive. With Transfercar, the fees are so low that you’ll be able to spend most of your damn heavy Aussie coins on things that matter, like beer and barbeque. Do you really want to spend your days on a cramped bus? Do you want to miss the breathtaking scenery by flying? No, you don’t. So man up! Or lady up and take your trip into your own hands by driving one of our cars!

Pack It Up

Australia is hot so tank tops, board shorts and flip flops can take you a long way. Pack for comfort and not style. You’re not a runway, sweetie and I don’t see a modelling contract so stock up on some light, easy drying comfy clothes. When you hit the big cities like Sydney and Melbs, you can trawl the multitude of shops and fix yourself up real pretty. Be sure to pack some essentials like a flashlight, first aid kit (there’s a lot of critters that bite over here!), a quick-dry towel, and a tough water bottle.

Money Talks

Make sure you’ve got enough money to take you through to the finish line. If you’re planning on backpacking for more than 3 months, look into getting a work visa or even do some woofing on farms. And I don’t mean barking.

Sleep is for Suckahs

But you want to be well rested in order to fight off all those crocodiles that’ll be hunting you down. I mean, so you can have an enjoyable trip… YHA or HI hostels are always the way to go. Camping is a possibility if you’re not fussed about all the wild animals, especially the poisonous ones.  Hostels are great places to meet other like-minded travellers and, of course, to pick up hotties.

FOOOOOD

One of the best parts of travelling is the food. But, restaurants can be expensive so you might want to hit the grocery store instead. Cooking your own food is the best way to save money while backpacking and good hostels have well stocked kitchens with the frying pans and plates needed to make a good meal.

Wolf Creek

So, um, DON’T watch this movie before backpacking through Australia. Like seriously, don’t. But if do watch it and you get stuck in Wolf Creek, give us call and we’ll get you outta there pronto.

 

Road Tripping in The Movies

Whether there’s summer or winter knocking at your door, the open road is calling you. Can you hear it?! If you’re a little deaf, here’s a list of classic road trip movies to inspire you to get into that car and give in to your wanderlust.

Road Tripping with Your Girlfriend:

Bonnie and Clyde, 1967

Bonnie, you a bad girl. Sure, the sexiest outlaws in history don’t get a happy ending, but they have good fun along the way and they look great doing it. We don’t recommend any crime sprees on your romantic getaway, so if you’re looking to channel the B and C, make a playlist of Serge Gainsbourg and Beyonce and wear some berets.

Wild at Heart, 1990

Grab your Lulu, Sailor, and hit the road to California, North Carolina and Texas. Sorry for yet another violent movie here, but it’s not like you have to go a robbin’ to make your road trip have sex appeal. Steal her heart by packing some sweet snacks in the cooler.

Road Tripping with the Dudes:

Beavis and Butthead Do America, 1996

FYI: this movie was the biggest December box-office opening in history before being beaten by Scream 2. Beyond the hit-men, peyote and cavity searches, these guys actually have quite an interesting itinerary, stopping in at some of the most picturesque places in the wonderful US of A like The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park and Hoover Dam. Who knew these guys had taste?!

Sideways, 2004

This movie makes me thirsty. Thirsty for wine I can’t afford. Here we have Miles and Jack heading to the Santa Ynez Valley in Cali for some fine wine before Jack’s wedding. Cheating, drunk dialling and general bad behaviours ensue, creating one of the best bromance movies ever.

Road Tripping with the Family: Little Miss Sunshine, 2006

If an 800 mile road trip with your crazy family isn’t enough to kill you then I don’t know what is. Family tensions get real during this film along with classic mechanical probs, the best being that the family has to run to 20km to start the van, which is just pure gold. Financial ruin, heroin overdoses and beauty pageants make for a trifecta of hilarity. Lessons learned: don’t do anything anyone does in this film. Ever.

National Lampoon’s Vacation, 1983

The 46th Greatest Comedy Film of all time features a family road trip from Chicago to LA. Can you imagine Chevy Chase as your dad?! Wouldn’t that be awesome? The formidable, late and great John Candy is one of the highlights in this beauty.

And last, but surely not least, here’s one for the ladies:

Thelma and Louise, 1991

The ultimate feel-good road trip movie, despite an ending with the heroines plunging to their deaths, Thelma & Louise is an adventure gal-pal film by Ridley Scott. An incredible Californian road trip is featured, amongst some crime, but in the end, it’s the female friendship bond that is the real star of the movie.

How to Pack for a Road Trip – Pack it Up, Pack it in

You’ve got your mates, maps and a sweet rental, but if you don’t pack right for your road trip, it could end up costing you. Here are some packing tips from some of our experts.

Make a List

You’re not an elephant, which means you’re going to forget things, important things that will ruin your life, well, maybe just your trip. So, get all Martha Stewart on your bad self and make a list of everything you’re going to need like sunglasses and sunscreen to extra undies. By planning in advance, you won’t miss any travel necessities. At the top of your awesome list should be proper documentation, navigation materials, and mobile phones and chargers.

Ring the Alarm

Make sure your car is kitted out with a spare tire, a jack and some jumper cables. Have a set of spare keys on hand too, in case you accidentally lock them in the car, stupid. Bringing along the basics like ibuprofen, antacids, bug repellent, a small first aid kit, and hand sanitizer will make your life easier if the situation gets real.. Oh, if you’ve got anyone in the car that’s prone to motion sickness, let them off at the first gas station. Or bring some Dramamine if that seems too harsh.

Muzak

This is probably the most important thing. Ever. I’m going to assume that you and your pals have somewhat similar tastes in music, but it’s a good idea to set up some musical boundaries. Like, no Britney. No Cher. ABSOLUTELY NO NICKELBACK. Get everyone to bring their own iPods and make sure there are enough earphones to go around, that way if not everyone’s into your 1980’s hip hop remixes, they can escape.

All the Foods

Do you want to gain 5kg on your road trip and be mistaken for a beached whale at the beach? No? Then be sure to pack all the fruits and veg. Prepping in advance can save you money and pounds. Bring along Ziploc bags of cut up carrots and broccoli, and keep some healthy dips in your cooler. Because you have to bring a cooler, yo. Not for beersies, but for water. Pack some sammies for your first day on the road, and go nuts on sides: chips, pretzels, and granola bars all travel well. Bring some mints or gum for after.

Playtime

Yeah your smartphone is super awesome, but there’s no ‘us’ in Candy Crush. Well, actually there is, but bring a Frisbee or a ball anyway, or a deck of cards for some Crazy 8’s action. If you’re traveling with spawn, bring some kid friendly activity gear like a portable DVD player, laptops and iPads unless you want to hear the eternal chorus of “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”  Books are cool too, and they make you look smart.