New Zealand | Anglotopia

Crazy Guy to Jet-Ski from London to New Zealand

August 9, 2010 By jonathan Leave a Comment

I came across this in my feeds last week. This airline pilot, hot on the heels of riding his jet-ski all the way around New Zealand, is riding it from London to New Zealand (for a good cause).

Yes, you read that right.

From Gadling:

51 year old Jeremy Burfoot is a bit of an adventurer – and while some consider an afternoon bike ride to be an adventure, Mr. Burfoot takes things way beyond the next level. Yesterday, the Kiwi pilot left London on his jetski, blasting down the Thames on his way to Rotterdam. The rest of his trip will take four months, and his final destination is Auckland, New Zealand – 19,880 miles away.

Riding his jetski 12 hours a day, Mr. Burfoot will travel down the Rhine and Danube rivers, then cross the Black Sea, the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, through Yemen, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia before making the final trip to Auckland some time in November.

You can read a blog chronicling this journey on the Jeremy’s Website here.

Filed Under: New Zealand, Travel

Pauly Fuemana from the One Hit Wonders OMC Has Died

January 31, 2010 By jonathan Leave a Comment

The New Zealand singer who shot to fame and fortune with the hit How Bizarre has died at the age of 40.

It’s not really clear what he died of yet, but he died at a Hospital in New Zealand with his family at his side.

As typical with unknowns who shoot to fame like he did – things did not really work out for for OMC or the Otara Millionaires Club after their brief brush with fame. May he rest in piece.

If you’d like to be transported back to 1995 – here’s the video for this classic 90′s song.

Filed Under: Anglophilia, British Music, New Zealand Tagged With: omc

Air New Zealand Unveils Revolutionary New Cabins – Lie Down in Coach!

January 26, 2010 By jonathan Leave a Comment

"I Can't Believe We're in Coach"

Air New Zealand – the ever innovative airline from New Zealand has just announced changes to their cabin layouts that are going to be a game changer in the transpacific travel industry.

They’ve introduced lie down seats in coach.

Yes, you read that right.

They’ve developed the SkyCouch – where 3 seats can turn into a space big enough to stretch out. The cost of being able to lie flat will be about $200 more than the lowest economy seat, along with the cost of the third seat at half price.

The new SkyCouches will be added to their newer planes as a new feature. By far one of the most daunting aspects of travelling to a place like New Zealand is the 12+ hours you spend on a plane. By spending just a little more on your economy seats, you’ll be able stretch out, lay down and enjoy some of the comforts generally reserved for the ridiculously priced business class seats.

It’s awesome, innovative and I hope one day I can check it out for myself.

The first route is planned for December, on selected NZ5 and NZ6 services between Auckland and Los Angeles (and NZ1 and NZ2 return), followed by services on to London in April 2011.

Boeing 777-200 aircraft are also in line for a re-fit from mid 2011, with flights to Asia, North America and the UK operating with the new seats by 2012.

Great job AirNZ. Great job.

Filed Under: New Zealand, Older Travel News Tagged With: air new zealand

Good Summary of the Success of Prince William’s Odyssey Down Under

January 22, 2010 By jonathan Leave a Comment

Photo by: KG-55/starmaxinc.com 2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1/21/10 Prince William visits the

Prince William’s journey to woo the people of the lands down under is now over and it’s time for the pundits to weigh in on whether or not it was a success and just when New Zealand and Australia will finally ditch the monarchy.

Fromt the Guardian:

In the end the lure of celebrity proved just too much. The arrival of the diffident 27-year-old Old Etonian, who might conceivably one day become their monarch, provoked sneers in Australia before he touched down on Tuesday. But by last night he had been transformed from Willy the Wombat into – acccording to the tabloid Herald Sun – a Dinkum Aussie Larrikin. You could go a long way through the Outback to find someone less like a larrikin (which usually translates as a bit of a hoodlum), but that’s what the presence of royalty can do for you.

Many thousands turned out to see the prince here in Australia and in New Zealand earlier in the week. Outside the new supreme court building in Wellington, which William had been sent to open on behalf of his grandmother, people greeted him with cheers and worried about the effect of the sun on his bald spot. Maoris beamed with pleasure that the grandson of the Great White Heron had come amongst them.

In Sydney, Aborigines who spend their lives crammed into a dismal slum area called the Block came out in their thousands to welcome a young man as different from them as it is possible to imagine. William’s gay fanbase turned out in “I Love Willy” T-shirts.

Read the rest here. It’s worth a read and the included video is hilarious!

Filed Under: Austrailia, New Zealand, Royal Family Tagged With: Prince William

Prince William Pictures Official State Visit to New Zealand and Then Onto Australia

January 19, 2010 By jonathan Leave a Comment

Prince William is done with his whirlwind visit to New Zealand and now it’s off to Australia for his ‘unofficial visit.’ Here’s pictures from his last day in New Zealand and his first day in Australia.