Month: June 2013
ZB Travel – Rotorua June 29
$50 MTA Gift Card. Congratulations to Tina Riley of Napier, who has won this week’s card. Why do you recommend Rotorua as a mid-winter destination? Well, I reckon Kiwis exude a lot of sniffy urban snobbery towards Rotorua. Have you noticed that when you mention to friends you’ve just been there, they tend to… Read More ›
The Press-News column June 25
The Mayoral Race. Christchurch, buckle in, stock up the popcorn, we’re in for a thriller. The city’s mayoral chains have not seen a tug-of-war of this year’s proportions, since 1974. Unlike the last few mayoral races, which ended up being sonamulant cakewalks for the incumbent, I believe we’re facing the most ferociously contested bout since… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Copenhagen June 22
( Mike’s travel notes from Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame Show.) Copenhagen has earned a reputation of being the capital of cool. Why so? You’ll often hear Copenhagen referred to as Scandi cool or Nordic cool, primarily because its such an eminently engaging, attractive, compact and human-scale city. Its considered by the world’s urban planners as… Read More ›
The Press-News column June 19
Alcohol Reforms. Last week I argued that most one-way door policies imposed on the hospitality trade, have subsequently been abandoned on the grounds of ineffectiveness. Some correspondents have challenged me to furnish those claims with supporting evidence. Fair enough, too! ALAC assessed Christchurch’s previous one-way policy, concluding in their own publicly available evaluation that it… Read More ›
APN – Monaco. June 18
( First published in APN Newspapers, Mike’s travel page. June) Surrounded by vaulting mountains and an opal-blue sea, bejewelled Monaco is a metropolitan marvel in the Mediterranean. But despite its reputation as a residential bolt-hole for the mega-rich, it is a misnomer to suggest that Monaco requires a mega-sized holiday budget. Two of the marquee… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Melbourne June 15
What’s Hot in Melbourne this Winter. ( From Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame Show.) The great and the good will be out in force for a world premiere in Melbourne tonight? They certainly will. It’s a mega night in Melbourne for the mega-stars. No doubt that will include the first lady of Moonie Ponds gracing tonights Red… Read More ›
The Press-News column June 11
Locking Down the City. Does the re-created Christchurch really want to aspire to have a neutered nightlife? If the Timothy-try-too-hards win the day, Christchurch after dark will be barely less dreary than Dipton, with a nightlife verve to rival Canberra’s. A coma. The proposal to ban entry to inner-city bars at 1am is knee-capping nonsense…. Read More ›
ZB Travel – Assisi June 8
( Mike’s travel notes, as discussed on the Jack Tame Show.) There were two key magnets that led you to Assisi, the Pope and disaster, right? Yes, the new Pope has taken his name from one of the world’s most famous saints, Francis of Assisi, and being a Christchurch lad, I was intrigued to see… Read More ›
APN Travel – Sydney May 31
Winter warm-ups are a great excuse for travelling in the cooler months and Australia’s leading lady is a trusty mistress, seasoned in the art of perking-up your winter blues. In fact Sydney has become quite defiant about the descent into winter, best exemplified by its annual illuminated art festival, Vivid, which has become a signature… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Shanghai.
The Pudong skyline is constantly changing. What are the latest skyscrapers? Shanghai seems locked in an arm-wrestle with Dubai. Futuristic Pudong is evolving at dramatic speed. The Oriental Pearl Tower, is the building that looks like a giant grasshopper after ingesting a pair of ping pong balls. Very Battlestar Galactica, and that’s has been Pudong’s… Read More ›
Mike Yardley News and Travel 