Teachers Want New Zealand To Be A Once-In-A-Lifetime Trip
Q. A friend and I really want to visit New Zealand. As we’re both teachers and not at all well off, this would be a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Between late June and the end of August is the only time of the year we can take sufficient vacation time about three weeks to travel so far.
We would like to see the nation at its best, but not necessarily at the height of summer. We are more interested in scenery than urban areas, so we would want to be there when the weather is pleasant. - S.P., Freehold, N.J.
A. “Where does this reader live?” was the first thing Kim Wong, communications manager of the New Zealand Tourism Board, asked when I phoned her for advice.
“New Jersey,” I answered.
“Oh, then there’s no problem,” Wong said. (Translation: People from New Jersey shouldn’t mind cold weather). June and July are the coldest winter months in the Down Under land, where seasons are reversed.
“The climate is much like that of northern California,” Wong said. “There might be some snow at the bottom of the South Island, and high in the mountains elsewhere, but most temperatures will run from the high 40s to low 50s. There’s about one day of rain every two weeks.”
Wong said prices are lowest in New Zealand’s winter, and 90 percent of the attractions are open. Only some of the treks and other South Island outdoor activities will be discontinued.
“Basically, anything you can do in summer on the North Island is available in winter,” she said, “and there are winter bonuses such as skiing and rugby season. Pubs are cozy in winter, a good place to meet the very friendly people.”
Send for the New Zealand Vacation Planner by phoning the tourism board at (800) 388-5494. The free planner, updated annually, does a thorough job of helping visitors plan their trips, and includes ads for the major tour operators. It also lists other helpful booklets (sightseeing, where to stay and so on) that are available. So you’ll be able to plan either an independent or organized tour using information in the planner.
U.S. visitors need no visas for a visit of under three months; they need passports that are valid for at least three months after departure time, and onward airline tickets.
Q. My husband and I hope to spend the month of August in St. Petersburg, Russia. Are there any organizations that offer apartments for vacation rentals in the city? Do you have any idea what to expect as far as basic accommodations are concerned?
What are the options on air or combination of air and brief sea passage into St. Petersburg? Is it possible to hire a car so we can make a side trip into Finland for several days? How do I get information on public transportation within Russia? I would also like to know about visas, currency exchange and restrictions/ regulations that apply. Any tips or suggested sources of information that would help us plan a stay as temporary residents as opposed to “tourists” would be very much appreciated. - P.V., Boca Raton, Fla.
A. To get the answers to your questions, contact Rahim Tours, 12 S. Dixie Hwy., Lake Worth Fla. 33460, (407) 585-5305. This agency is owned by Intourist, Russia’s official travel operator, and handles trips for both groups and independent travelers to Russia, the Baltic nations and other destinations, mostly in Eastern Europe. It also arranges the flights, train or boat arrangements if wanted, visas, side trips and so on.
A spokesperson at Rahim said that the agency in the past has handled the kinds of rentals you want, and that each is arranged individually. There is no standing inventory of apartments available, as can be found in cities like London and Paris. According to the Rahim spokesperson, Russian apartments tend to be small and vary widely in quality.
Whenever Rahim gets a request for individual arrangements, it works through Moscow’s Intourist office. Start planning at least 60 to 90 days before the trip begins.
If I were planning out-of-St. Petersburg side trips, I would take either a ship or train from St. Petersburg to Helsinki, and perhaps rent a car there to see some of Finland, then take one-day or overnight ferries from Helsinki to Estonia, Latvia and/or Lithuania. To try out perhaps the most lavish cruise/ferries in the world, take an overnight cruise from Helsinki to Stockholm on either Silja or Viking liners, spend the day in Stockholm and sail for Helsinki on the same ship that evening. I have never driven in Russia but am told that the roads are not too good and gasoline stations are scarce.