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Waiheke: For Food & Wine Lovers
If you're a lover of a good drop, an island get away on Waiheke is something you won't regret. Grab your partner, friends or family and book yourself in for a weekend full of good company, great wine and delicious food.
Bryce and I have an unwritten rule that gifts for birthdays and anniversaries are to be shared experiences. Given we are both foodies and also avid travelers who'd jump at any opportunity to get away, Waiheke sounded like the perfect destination for Bryce's birthday this year.
To anyone looking to spend a few nights on this little island, here are some of the places we adored as well as some tips & tricks that made our trip that much more enjoyable.
PLACES TO STAY
Although there are some backpackers and hotels on the island, we found that Airbnb was the best way to find great accommodation in Waiheke. We ended up staying in this stunning little home in the heart of Waiheke. It made our stay that much better as we spent our second night relaxing at home enjoying the tranquility of this place.
HOW TO GET AROUND
The island is deceivingly big so it is worthwhile to find accommodation that comes with a car or otherwise rent a car or scooter. The island does have a few taxi companies but we've previously found that during larger events they can be booked out for hours at a time. Also, a whole weekend's worth of taxi rides will add up very fast which was a big part of why we wanted a rental car.
Right by the ferry, there is a car and scooter rental company, super handy given how close they are to the ferry. The island does also have a bus service, but exactly where they go and how often can vary so make sure to check this.
PLACES TO GO
Almost all of these places are packed every weekend, so remember to book before your stay to make sure you don't miss out!
Perched on top of a hill, the views from Mudbrick are to be enjoyed as much as the food and wine on offer. This space is both an eclectic yet grand setting fit for a wedding, a long lunch or sunset dinner. As one of the most established wineries and restaurants on Waiheke, it is a hotspot for visitors and regulars of the island.
The menu is wholesome yet out-the-box. To start, we tried their bone marrow custard with kumara chips, something neither of us had ever had before, but thoroughly enjoyed! Our main dish was the Angus pure eye fillet with truffled potato mash on the side; a wholesome yet decadent meal. Lovers of a good Chardonnay, we had a bottle of their reserve chardonnay with our meal, a creamy textured wine with an oaky finish.
Overlooking the water, you can spot Auckland in the far distance while you enjoy a glass of your favorite drop. A clean and modern fit out offers a variety of spaces to enjoy, from a sit-down dining area to a tasting cellar and a casual on-the-lawn spot. Their garden-to-table menu is fresh and absolutely delicious. We enjoyed a mouth-watering platter with their best wine from our spot on the lawn overlooking the stunning water views.
A hidden gem, it is tucked away far into the hills of the rural side of Waiheke. The Italian flair is present in not only the food but also in the Tuscany like surroundings. The limited phone service adds to the secluded and tranquil experience, no disturbances guaranteed!
The love and care put into the food is evident in every bite. On offer is a wholesome Italian feast paired with some of the best wine on Waiheke.
PLACES WE MISSED OUT ON
There is plenty more to see on the island, it just comes down to how much you want to squeeze into your getaway. As we wanted some downtime to relax, we did miss out on some of the places we had on our list. Don't worry, we will definitely be coming back to try these out next time!
A drive down old country lanes, their tasting room is one not to be missed. Hidden in a little bay on the other side of the island, it is a serene little spot to enjoy a vino over a delicious platter.
This grand estate caught our eye on our way home from Poderi Crisci. Right next to Stonyridge, this amazing winery is a short drive from the busy hub of Oneora.
Wonderful Donkey Bay Inn
The Truth About Travel Photography
11 Tips On Finding The Best Travel Deals
EVERYONE LOVES A GOOD BARGAIN BUT IS THERE ANYTHING MORE SATISFYING THAN GRABBING HOLD OF AN INTERNATIONAL AIRFARE FOR LESS THAN A WEEK’S RENT?
Knowing the best time to book your summer escape in Europe – or how to ensure you’re the first to know when sale fares are released, can lead to hundreds of dollars of savings. It’s money that can be put to valuable use staying in upgraded rooms, doing an exciting exploration tour or taking cooking classes from Triple Crown chefs in Tuscany or some extra spending money at the alluring duty free stores.
Spring generally means earlybird specials to Europe, although these days carriers such as Emirates and Singapore Airlines tend to release Europe fares in August. Last we even saw budget carrier Scoot throw down the gauntlet early to other airlines with a rock-bottom fare for $499 Auckland to Athens one way, with an increasing fuel costs we expect competition to be very fierce in 2018.
"Booking well in advance of travel' (more than 200 days before departure) will let you save big time" says Bryce Jamison, director of Travel Shack. If you're connecting from a regional or domestic airport you will find huge savings by “selecting a domestic flight that departs in the middle of the week and at an off-peak travel time,” he says.
Travel Shack in a recent quest, set out to answer when the best time to book your flights, we have snooped our way through airlines, travel agents, booking systems and booking sites big data to hunt down the secret strategies and tips to help you bag a bargain.
BE PREPARED, THEN GET IN EARLY
As a general rule of thumb, the further out you can book, the better deal you can score, airfares can be booked 11 months (340 days) in advance. We know if you take advantage of airfare offers in conjunction with tour and land offers through a travel agent, you can often lock in exclusive wholesale fares at fares that cannot be found online or elsewhere, particularly in business class.
If you’re only after the airfare or flight to Europe or North America the best sale airfares for the following year tend to pop up around the end of September for Europe and mid-August for North America. If you definitely know you want to travel to Europe or North America next year, jump on those fares when you see them. Availability is always limited as Airlines tend to only put a handful of these “cheap airfares” into the market.
Travel Shack have found that booking on average 16 weeks out will score you the cheapest fares and will save you on average 19 percent. According to the data, even bigger savings can be found through advance planning to destinations less common, such as China or Japan or Mexico, where travellers can save up to 23 per cent on the average airfare by booking 25-28 weeks before departure.
KNOW THE BEST DAYS TO FLY
It may seem obvious that flying at times other than weekends and school holidays will help you save big time. Most airlines never have school holiday flights on sale as they know they will get a higher revenue for the flights. Through our research we found the best day to fly for the cheapest deals varies for domestic and international flight prices.
For travel domestically in New Zealand and to Australia, we’re finding Friday is the day when travellers on average are snapping up the lowest flight fares, compared to other days of the week.
There is a very different trend for international flights … with Wednesdays recording the lowest average flight price paid.
“At Emirates, our economy-class fares tend to be lower for travel between Monday and Wednesday,” the airline’s divisional vice-president Australasia, Barry Brown, says. “Business-class fares tend to be lower on a Wednesday.”
BE FLEXIBLE WITH YOUR STOPOVERS
The old adage “life is a journey, not a destination” is not often embraced in todays time-poor world. But beyond having flexibility when it comes to the date and day you fly on, being open to a stopover and exploring another beautiful city can save you valuable spending money, as well as add another destination notch to your belt. Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand offer incredible savings on the “Singapore Stopover Program” - which we highly recommend. Here at Travel Shack we have employed technology platform that allows us to search over a full calendar month for the cheapest fare to your destination.
MAKE MULTIPLE STOPS
Another way to save is to look for flights with an additional stopover. We know that this is not for everyone but if you don’t mind adding another stop, you can find some incredible international flight rates, a particular favourite of ours is Auckland - Brisbane - Taipei - New York, this routing is often $1000 cheaper than flying on a one stop flight via Houston or Los Angeles.
CHOOSE A CHEAPER DESTINATION
Instead of booking that peak-season Fiji or Rarotongan holiday, it pays to consider the alternatives. Expedia’s 2016 Value Tracker shows a significant 15 per cent decrease in flight prices to Vietnam, an 18 per cent drop in flights to Peru during peak Pacific travelling dates.
In Australia flights also dropped by 11 per cent, and flights to South Africa fell by a whopping 28% per cent, which, when combined with the strength of the New Zealand dollar against the South African rand, signals a hefty saving on your overall holiday budget - particularly on those often very pricey safaris.
If you’re hellbent on a European holiday, flying into a less popular city can help you to nab a bargain. Emirates’ Barry Brown says destinations such as Dublin and Oslo currently appear to be some of the best-value destinations to fly to in the year ahead. Air New Zealand’s Matt Jenkins has highlighted “flying into Manchester via Houston is often a very good value option”.
FLY INTO AN ALTERNATIVE AIRPORT
If you’re flying into a major city, choosing to fly into a lesser known airport can make a huge difference to your fare and in some cases, the alternative may be closer to your accommodation. “As London Heathrow tends to be a busier airport, in some cases it can be cheaper to instead fly to Gatwick, which is only a 45 minute drive away,”
ACTUALLY SIGN UP FOR SALE ALERTS
Email price alerts is the No.1 way to stay up to date with bargain flight deals. Make sure you have signed up to our email mailing lists. However, you can broaden your cost-saving tool kit by following airlines and Travel Shack on social media, and downloading their apps to set up fare alerts.
LOOK OUT FOR NEW FLIGHT ROUTES
When airlines add new flights to a destination, we often see bargain flight deals to that destination so we recommend keeping an eye out for new flight routes. An example is Emirates recent launch between Bali and Auckland which has also caused a bit of a price way with Air New Zealand, which is ultimately at the benefit of the traveller.
BEFRIEND A TRAVEL AGENT
Once a travel agent has an understanding of your total travel needs, they can find better fares than those immediately available online. The have access to private and wholesale fares that no online booking engine will ever be able to search due to the closed network GDS.
The reason these fares exist is because most airlines have negotiated agreements with travel agents that allow private fares, as well as routings, stopovers and add-ons that aren’t available online, because the fare needs to be manually ‘built’ by one of us “travel experts”.
At Travel Shack we keep a record of all people after particular specials and we contact them when the right one appears for them - this is for both airfares and packages.
LOOK FOR PACKAGES
At the same time as early-bird flights are released, so too are brochures for companies such as Intrepid, Contiki and Viva Expeditions, offering great fares. We recommend that you take advantage of tour operators and cruise operators offering good deals with extra inclusions such as free airfares for early bookings or room upgrades - they are well worth the savings!
GET TO KNOW YOUR ALLIANCE PARTNER AIRLINE
If you’re a frequent flyer such as an Air New Zealand Airpoints member, be open to using the partner airlines of the primary airline you fly on. Air New Zealand’s partner airlines are in the Star Alliance, while Qantas partners are in the One World Alliance.
Using partner or alliance airlines in the same booking often give you better fares or take you more directly to some destinations, while you still accrue the maximum value points and status on your membership airline.”
If you have any questions or want to chat about getting that bargain flight deal make sure you get in touch with either Bryce or Lisa here at Travel Shack
7 Travel Trends in 2018
We often get asked in the travel industry where are the hottest places that we are sending people, or what are people enquiring about when booking. The reality is people are travelling everywhere and anywhere these days. In the last 12 months, there has been no little or no “destination” trends.
However we sat down to dive a bit deeper into the question when crafting this blog post there are 7 stand out Trends – which are sweeping the travel industry.
We have listed these based on importance to our customers – as well as the importance to our ethos and the underlying reason why we are so curious about the world and want to tell everyone about it.
True Sustainability has become a requisite – not a nice to have
“Over-tourism” is a growing concern. During the peak European summer travel months, destinations such as Venice, Barcelona and Dubrovnik find themselves simply overwhelmed, residents increasingly angered by the takeover of tourists.
For travel to remain true to people and place, we must ensure that we work to grow tourism in a sustainable, environmentally concious manner – assisting local communities to celebrate who they are, respecting their uniqueness, as a prelude to building their economy and protecting their environment.
We were thrilled to see Air New Zealand introducing an sustainability report as well as joining the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Where they offset their carbon emissions – this is a world first for any major airline.
The term “sustainable” has been increasingly paired up with “travel” and “tourism” to denote a desired way of operating.
We are hearing more and more from our travellers that they are becoming increasingly engaged with spending their money on “sustainable” ventures. It is not about being eco-friendly, it is about being environmentally-conscious – being part of the bigger picture, preserving something for the long term.
How does Travel Shack give meaning to the term “sustainability”? These are our three criteria for sustainable travel:
- Economic – how, the business model supports the local economy
- Cultural – being sensitive to the history, traditions, identity and ideologies of a people and place
- Environmental – preserving, protecting and promoting the gifts of natural environment all around us.
We will see people travelling at traditional “off-peak” or shoulder periods as is, not only to avoid excessive crowds but also to avoid compromising some of those destinations that cannot cope with the burgeoning influx.
It will help pace the tourism intake and sustain businesses that might otherwise be stretched with having the highest percentage of their business boom during the key summer months (more longevity and sustains business and tourism).
It’s all about personalisation
Lest we never forget: when travelling, personalisation is no longer a pleasant surprise more and more of our customers are demanding this. So for Travel Shack it is an absolute expectation that your travel experience is personalised with you.
Today’s connectivity means that consumers are rightfully expecting, and demanding, more. From our perspective, for every single one of our friends (also known as clients) around the world, no one matters more than each of them.
Because travellers want to feel like their interests and preferences are not only taken seriously but are legitimately applied. They want their holiday to be as individual as they are. And rightly so.
Plus our best friends and customers, have invested trust, time, energy and not to mention sums of money to choose to book their holiday with us over others. We totally accept that it is expected, we reciprocate by honouring not just their choice, but honouring them with one in a lifetime experiences every single time they head away.
Off-the-beaten-track
Discovering the mysterious, undiscovered and is becoming more and more vital to travellers. Particularly millennial's who are the most well-travelled generation in history.
We continue to see more and more people visiting cities that were, until recently, overlooked, unheard of or inaccessible. There is no doubt that the lower cost of airfares in recent times has had a profound, positive impact on these lesser known places.
Since the privatisation of many national carriers and increased competitively over the past 2 decades, airlines have added over 15,000 new routes — serving more than 39,000 city pairs.
There are now 1,295 international airports serving 49,977 routes worldwide.
What does this mean for travellers in 2018?
More choices, more exploration, more learning, more opportunity to create more in life for the people accessing these remarkable new jewels of travel.
Technology, enriching the travel experience
From AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) and IoT (Internet of Things), they are all becoming integrated into daily life. In 2018, we envision them further assimilating into the traveller experience, making them an integral part of the journey to the ultimate destination.
It shouldn’t be surprising that holidaymakers in 2018 will want to ensure that technology works for them to leverage their travels – before they go, whilst travelling, and after, especially when sharing their experience.
As an industry, we need to ensure we are tapping into this trend, embracing technology that genuinely enriches our experiences.
There is no doubt that the written form is quickly evaporating and today consumers are ever-increasingly looking at video for inspiration; and particularly short-form video, (from 5 – 30 seconds). We know that when a video starts, 62% of people look at the time bar and if its long, they click off.
In 2018 we will see short-form videos on Youtube or Vimeo help drive over 50% of millennials decisions on where they want to travel and what they want to experience. It is these videos and images that truely engage and inspire travellers.
In 2017 the world reached the tipping point when we viewed more websites or apps on our smartphones and tablets than our desktops. This milestone highlights how our interaction with technology is rapidly shifting.
With this distinct trend we know the use of technology whilst travelling with us in 2018 is imperative. Travel Shack have partnered with Tripcase an innovative new way for our guests to get information via mobile before, during and after their travels. The key features of the trip case are, it stores all your flight tickets, booking information plus you can engage directly with us via messaging or calling us from the app. Make sure you chat to one of us about TripCase before your next break away.
Off-Season travel
Travel has become a way of life. Exploring, adventuring, relaxing, escaping, reconnecting – all of these have become a part of what we do, and shape who we are.
The numbers of travellers are growing annually, dramatically.
Clearly, however, in key cities, the industry can’t build accommodation fast enough to accommodate high season peaks, and travelling on your own can result in long queues that simply exhaust the desire to fulfil a travel dream. Re-adjusting our mindsets to embrace year-round travel as a genuine prospect allows travellers to fully enjoy every moment and not have that sinking feeling of worrying about battling crowds at each turn. Lack of crowds means lack of frustration of time and space lost as you embark on the same “bright idea” to travel to the same place at the same time as everyone else.
The following three variables are being increasingly considered and I believe we will see more travellers shifting to embrace year-round travel:
If you’ve ever been to the same destination during the typical peak season and the off-season, you could relate to us instantly.
- The way locals treat visitors when there aren’t many of them is also worth noticing. Welcomes are warmer – you will feel more like a traveller than a tourist.
- You will also see more. Without traffic and queues, you will get more opportunity to discover a whole new range of activities to enjoy taking part in
- Finally, there are the prices. From flights to activities to accommodation, depending on the time of year and season, rates can vary significantly. Discounts are for times of low demand. The plus points make it all a rather obvious alternative
HDD – Holiday deficit disorder
Holiday deficit disorder: An expression that one of our great friends and clients bestowed on us. It wasn’t that long ago that taking all of one’s holiday time was almost frowned upon. Today the importance of unplugging is greatly understood. Never has there been such an awareness of the strong relationship between wellness and taking time off. “Holiday Shaming” is rapidly becoming an ideal of the past.
Encouraging personal timeout is the evolved way of looking at employee well-being, on and off the job. At the same time, travellers recognise that regularly recharging, refreshing and rejuvenating is part of a healthy work-life balance. What better way than to travel to new places, get away from the day to day and completely escape. The need to learn more to increase one’s productivity, creativity, sense of purpose and sense of participation is not only acquired in the workplace. There is no better school for personal growth and decompression than the travel world that surrounds us all.
Bragging Rights
If there is one thing that is going to distinctly differentiate this travel generation compared to those of years, and generations, past, it is the articulation of feedback – posting, rating, bragging. Today’s travellers are more ambitious and adventurous, both in their travelling and in their travel-sharing. It’s no longer about checking boxes. Travellers want adventurous, participatory experiences. Sight-seeing is important but not enough. Sight-doing is the way to touch their travel souls and make memories to last a lifetime.
The quest for realness – living local – has put heightened pressure on the most overused word in travel, “authentic”. What must never be forgotten is what travellers are ultimately looking for: getting below the surface of destinations, understanding their uniqueness and very essence.
For the rest of 2018 going into 2019, we think there will be an increase of people fully engaged in the sharing economy, communicating to the world the wonderfully enriching experiences that they have discovered but that their friends haven’t. Yet.
So, these are our Top Seven Travel Trends or Insights for the rest of 2018 and into the future – we are calling them our truths for the year ahead. Hopefully, you can use these trends to guide you in your quest to an amazing experience of adventure, exploration and travel in the future.
If you have any questions or keen for a chat feel free to get in touch.
