In the Hunua Range Regional Park, south of Auckland city, is the 30 metre high Hunua Falls. Not only does the area have a number of bush walks but it’s also a good place for a swim in the waterfall pool.
2. ARATAKI VISITORS CENTRE
Make a stop at the Arataki Visitors Centre to get a photo with this picture frame capturing the Waitakere Ranges, in the north west of Auckland.
3. WAITAKERE RANGES
Another shot of the Waitakere Ranges can be found at Cascade Park. Walk among giant kauri trees in this northern part of the ranges.
4. SHAKESPEAR REGIONAL PARK
Beaches, native bush and pastureland can be found at Shakespear Regional Park on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula in Auckland’s North Shore.
5. SULLIVANS BAY
Situated in Mahurangi Regional Park, north of Orewa, is the picture perfect campground and beach of Sullivans Bay.
6. TAPAPAKANGA REGIONAL PARK
This coastal park is north of the Hunua Ranges. Enjoy beaches and coastal walks.
7. WENDERHOLM REGIONAL PARK
Another beach getaway is in the Wenderholm Regional Park, just north of Waiwera in North Shore.
8. LONG BAY REGIONAL PARK
Plenty of people spend summer on this stretching beach between Albany and Silverdale, North Shore.
9. AWHITU REGIONAL PARK
What a shocker: more beaches! It’s also worth climbing the steps to the lighthouse for views over the rugged coast of the Awhitu Penninsula, south of Auckland city.
10. AMBURY REGIONAL PARK
This working farm on the Manukau Harbour, South Auckland, is the perfect place for bird and sheep spotting.
For travel between New Zealand's islands, hop on a plane or ferry. Daily flights are available between domestic airports. Several passenger and vehicle ferriesoffer services between the North, South and other islands.
As for me, I rent a 7 seaters MPV. There are so many companies providing their services if you google them! A few of them are the famous one e.g Jucy .
But, personally, I preferred Argus Car Hire as the price is the most competitive. ( But, they will charge you very soon once you make the reservation despite the fact that you can cancel your booking.
well.... the answers for most of the rebate/discounts/coupons available here at this ARRIVAL MAGAZINE (click here for link)
This magazines are available freely at the international airport of the New Zealand. If you have too many brochures to get from the booths. Just grab this one!!! This is the one that you need for most discount that you can get from!
For example for this latest issue: (click here)
you can get all the coupons that you want from page 130 onward!!!! just click the link about and flip through the e book!
Next, if you drive at New Zealand, you can always have petrol rebate via petrol rebate programme. There are groceries e.g Countdown, NewWorld & Pak and Save which provided cash rebate for the petrol stations if you purchase in their groceries. ( which give you about 4-6 cents/ litre rebate).
Not to forget to apply for AA smart fuel for BP petrol in NZ airport for free! Click here
As for other rebates, you can gather the brochures and look for the vouchers/ coupons if you are lucky. Enjoy your holiday!
All these photos are taken during my trip to Rotorua... a geothermal rich, geysers rich, Maori rich tourist spot :)
if you select the correct date of promotions, you may get up to RM 60 per room / day discount!!! which is quite a sum!
( so.. MUST USE cashback.com.my link to lead you to AGODA or BOOKING.com website.)
- I chose agoda/ booking.com because I still can cancel my booking up to 2-3 days before day of accommodation in case I made any new changes.
- sometimes, they offered insider discount for certain hotel as well. I get quite a number of those previously. I remembered i stayed in Munich at a 4 stars hotel for only RM 200 plus !!!!
Pic: taken from Whakarewarewa the living maori village, Rotorua
Step 2:
- browse through the accommodations that suit your taste.
- you can set your selection criteria on the side bar (e.g price, kitchen, wifi, near to transportation station etc)
- For Me, I will choose FREE WIFI, KITCHENETTE as my priority.
( there is nothing much to do in the evening as the night curtain set in at 5-6 pm, so, I will get all my materials to COOK at NIGHT!!! )
Pic: taken at Cape Reinga, Bay of Island
Step 3:
- booked the hotel via the shopback link (make sure click the link from shopback website, if not, you may not get the cashback! ). Only pay as you stayed in the hotel.
- Normally, for reservation via booking.com. you pay on site either cash/ credit cards.
As for Agoda, normally, they will charge your credit card 1-2 days prior to your stay.
- Still you can cancel your reservation up to 1-2 days prior to the stay depend on term & conditions mentioned earlier.
pic: taken at Lake Taupo
Step 4:
- ENJOY your holiday!!!
hope this guide help you with your accommodations selection.
First of all, we must have a plan/ or must have an idea to travel to New Zealand!
Next, please scroll through website e.g. Skyscanner. But, I bet the cheaper flight that you will find is Airasia X. ( without check in language and Meals of course)
Tips:
You can consider transit flight at Australia ( Jetstar, Virgin etc) or
you can consider direct flight from KL to New Zealand.
First to bear in mind if travel on Airasia X, it transits at Gold Coast for around 75 minutes. **
please bear in mind: **Airasia X charged twice for the checked in languages ( e.g. 25 Kg language from KL to Goldcoast ( RM 90 plus) then Goldcoast to Auckland ( another RM 90 plus).
The airfare for Airasia may end up around RM 1700 plus for Airasia including meals and check in Language.
( How to save more money if you bought via AirAsia? )
EASILY ADDITIONAL 1 % DISCOUNT : https://www.shopback.my/airasia ( Please buy through shop back website as given, you will get additional 1 % cash back)
POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL 10 % DISCOUNT: you can consider other credit cards e.g Hong Leong Wise card ( 10 % discount if you choose travel/ flight tickets as your cash back categories )
Pic: Rotorua
Maori: Kia Ora
Welcome! and we will come back shortly about further tips of travelling to New Zealand
How to create HAPPINESS... STEP by STEP guide!
Here is the story by Tony Robbin:
As I write these words, I'm looking out over the deep blue Pacific from my room at the Hyatt Regency
Waikoloa resort on the Big Island of Hawaii. I've just observed something that won't happen in North
America again until the year 2017: a total eclipse of the sun. Becky and I got up this morning at 5:30
a.m. so that we, along with thousands of other visitors, could witness this rare astronomical event.
As crowds of people gathered at the viewing site, I began to entertain myself by watching the diversity
of people who had come to share this occasion: everyone from top businessmen to vacationing
families, from scientists lugging dozens of telescopes to hikers who'd pitched their tents in the lava pits
overnight, and little children who knew this was an exciting event only because their parents had told
them so. Here were hordes of people who had flown in from all over the world, at a cost of thousands
of dollars, just for the chance to see something that would take about four minutes! What were we
doing here? We wanted to stand in a shadow! We're an interesting species, aren't we?
By 6:28 a.m., the drama had begun to unfold. There was anxiety in the air, not just the anticipation of
seeing the eclipse, but the fear of disappointment. For on this unique morning, the clouds had begun
to gather, and the sky was becoming overcast. It was interesting to see how people were dealing with
the possibility that their expectations would not be met. What they had come to see was not merely a
brief flitting139 of the moon over the sun, but a four-minute total eclipse—when the shadow of
the moon would completely block the sun's rays and envelop us in darkness. They even had a name
for it: totality!
By 7:10 a.m., the clouds had increased and were getting larger by the minute. Suddenly, the sun
broke through a hole in the clouds, and for a moment we could all see a partial eclipse. The crowd
greeted it with excited applause, but soon the clouds rolled back in, thicker and thicker, completely
obscuring our view. Nearing the moment of totality—utter darkness—it became obvious that we
wouldn't be able to watch the moon overtake the sun.
Suddenly, thousands of people began to run over to a big-screen television set that one of the many
TV crews had erected. There we sat, watching the eclipse on national television, just like everyone else
in the world! In those moments I had a chance to observe an unlimited range of human emotion. Each
person responded according to their rules: their beliefs about what had to happen in order for them to
feel good about this experience.
One man behind me started cursing, saying, "I spent $4,000 and traveled all this way, just so I could
watch this for four minutes on television?" A woman only a few feet away kept saying, "I can't believe
we missed it!" while her bright little daughter enthusiastically reminded her, "But, Mom, it's happening
right now!" Another woman sitting just to my right said, "Isn't this incredible? I feel so lucky to be
here!"
Then a dramatic thing happened. As we observed on TV the last sliver of sunlight disappear behind the
moon, in that instant we were engulfed in darkness. It was completely unlike nightfall, when the sky
darkens gradually. This was immediate and total darkness! Initially there was a roar through the crowd,
but then a hush140 fell upon us. The birds flew into the trees and became silent. It was a truly amazing
moment. Then something hysterical happened. As people sat in the dark, staring at the eclipse on the
television screen, some of those who had brought their cameras and were determined to get their
outcome began taking pictures of the screen. In a moment, we were flooded with light again—not
because of the sun—but because of all the flash bulbs!
Almost as soon as it had begun, though, totality was over. The most dramatic moment of the whole
event for me was the instant that a thin sliver of the sun slipped out from behind the moon, instantly
bringing full daylight with it. It occurred to me then that it doesn't take very much light to wipe out the
darkness.
Within moments of the return of sunlight, a large number of people got up and began to leave. I was
puzzled. After all, the eclipse was still happening. Most of them were muttering141 complaints about
how they'd "come all this way and missed out on the experience of a lifetime." A few enraptured142
souls, however, lingered143 to watch every minute, feeling great excitement and joy. The most ironic
thing of all was that within fifteen to twenty minutes, the trade winds had cleared all the clouds from
the sky.
It was now blue and clear, and the eclipse was revealed144 for everyone to see. But few people had
remained; most had already returned to their rooms disgruntled. They continued to give themselves
the sensations of pain because their expectations had not been met.
As I usually do, I started interviewing people. I wanted to find out what their experience of the eclipse
had been. Many people talked about how it was the most incredible, spiritual experience of their lives.
One pregnant woman rubbed her swollen tummy and shared with me that the eclipse somehow had
created a feeling of stronger connection with her unborn child, and that this was just the right place on
earth for her to be. What a contrast of beliefs and rules I noticed today!
What struck me as most humorous, though, was that people would get so excited and emotional about
something like this, which was merely a four-minute shadow. If you really think about it, it's no more
of a miracle than the sun coming up each morning! Can you imagine if every morning people from all
over the world got up early so they could watch the sun come up? What it national and international
news ardently covered every phase of the event with in-depth reports, passionately tracking the sun's
rise into the sky, and everybody spent their mornings talking about what a miracle it is? Can you imagine the kind of days we'd have? What if CNN opened every broadcast with, "Good morning. Once
again, the miracle has happened—the sun has risen!"? Why don't we respond this way? Could we? You
bet we could. But the problem is that we've become habituated. We're so accustomed to the miracles
happening around us every day that we don't even see them as miracles anymore.
For most of us, our rules for what's valuable dictate that we covet things that are scarce, instead of
appreciating the miracles that abound. What determined the differences in these people's responses,
from one man who got so upset he destroyed his camera on the spot, to those who not only
experienced joy today, but would experience it every time they told others about the eclipse in the
coming weeks, months, and years?
Our experience of this reality had nothing to do with reality, but was interpreted through the
controlling force of our beliefs: specifically, the rules we had about what had to happen in order for us
to feel good. I call these specific beliefs that determine when we get pain and when we get pleasure
rules. Failure to understand their power can destroy any possibility for lifelong happiness, and a full
understanding and utilization of them can transform your life as much as anything we've covered in
this entire book.
Let met ask you a question before we go any further. What has to happen in order for you to feel good? Do you have to have someone hug you, kiss you, make love to you, tell you how much they respect
and appreciate you? Must you make a million dollars? Do you have to hit below-par golf? Do you have
to be acknowledged by your boss? Do you have to achieve all of your goals? Do you have to drive the
right car, go to the right parties, be known by the right people? Do you have to be spiritually evolved
or wait until you achieve total enlightenment? Do you have to run five miles a day? What really has to
happen in order for you to feel good?
The truth is that nothing has to happen in order for you to feel good. You don't need an eclipse to feel
good. You could feel good right now for absolutely no reason whatsoever! Think about it. If you makea million dollars, the million dollars doesn't give you any pleasure. It's your rule that says, "When I hit
this mark, then I'll give myself permission to feel good." In that moment, when you decide to feel good,
you send a message to your brain to change your responses in the muscles of your face, chest, and
body, to change your breathing, and to change the biochemistry within your nervous system that
causes you to feel the sensations you call pleasure.
Who do you think had the worst time the day of the eclipse? Those with the most intense rules about
what had to happen before they could feel good! There's no doubt that the scientists, and the tourists
who saw themselves as scientists, probably had the most pain. Many of them had huge agendas they
were trying to complete in those four minutes before they could feel good about it.
Don't misunderstand; there's nothing wrong with being committed to accomplishing and doing
everything you can. But years ago, I made a distinction that changed the quality of my life forever: as
long as we structure our lives in a way where our happiness is dependent upon something we cannot
control, then we will experience pain. Since I wasn't willing to live with the fear that pain could shake
me anymore, and I considered myself to be intelligent, I redesigned my rules so that when I feel pain
and when I feel pleasure is whenever I feel it's appropriate based on my capacity to direct my own mind, body, and emotions. Specifically, Becky and I enjoyed the eclipse immensely.
But the real reason we enjoyed ourselves was not that we had low expectations; we were looking
forward to it. The key to our happiness could be found in one key rule we shared: we decided that our
rule for the day was that we were going to enjoy this event no matter what happened. It wasn't that
we didn't have expectations; it was that we decided that no matter what happened, we'd find a way to
enjoy it.
Now, if you adopted and consistently applied this rule to your own life, can you see how that would
change virtually everything you experience? When I tell people about this rule, some of them respond,
"Yeah, but you're just lowering your standards." Nothing could be further from the truth! To adopt this
rule is to raise your standards. It means you'll hold yourself to a higher standard of enjoying yourself
despite the conditions of the moment. It means you've committed to being intelligent enough, flexible
enough, and creative enough to direct your focus and evaluations in a way that allows you to
experience the true richness of life—maybe that's the ultimate rule.
This is the second one that excited me! I am in this week's Picfair Picks, the "PAUSE". wow! Never thought my photos will get another recognition like this! I am so so so EXCITED!
More to come ! definitely More to come!!!
Please come and support me!! yeah!
In life,
never spend more than 10 percent of your time on the problem, and spend at least 90 percent of your
time on the solution. Most important, don’t sweat the small stuff. . . and remember, it’s all small stuff Remember, our goal is not to ignore the problems of life, but to put ourselves in better mental and emotional states where we can not only come up with solutions, but act upon them. Then, anything... I mean anything will become possible! As long as you focus, decide and TAKE ACTION! A LOT A LOT Of action!!!! Just like this photo! IT is possible!!! Thanks again for the support!
Leh: Just love the tone of the ray shining on the Himalayan range.
The Talking Stick That Do the MAGIC!!!
The talking stick has been used for centuries by many American Indian tribes as a means of just and impartial hearing. The talking stick was commonly used in council circles to designate who had the right to speak. When matters of great concern came before the council, the leading elder would hold the talking stick and begin the discussion. When he finished what he had to say he would hold out the talking stick, and whoever wished to speak after him would take it. In this manner the stick was passed from one individual to another until all who wished to speak had done so. The stick was then passed back to the leading elder for safe keeping.
I found it very POWERFUL tool when I encounter similar problem in my conversation with my loves one. They seemed not to understand what I trying very very hard to CONVEY... It ended up with MORE and MORE frustration until I discovered this wonderful talking tool!
USE THE TALKING STICK!!! ( just use anything as a symbol , e.g. Pen... )
Whoever holds the talking stick has within his hands the sacred power of words. Only he can speak while he holds the stick; the other council members must remain silent. The eagle feather tied to the talking stick gives him the courage and wisdom to speak truthfully and wisely. The rabbit fur on the end of the stick reminds him that his words must come from his heart and that they must be soft and warm. The blue stone will remind him that the Great Spirit hears the message of his heart as well as the words he speaks. The shell, iridescent and ever changing, reminds him that all creation changes -- the days, the seasons, the years -- and people and situations change, too. The four colors of beads -- yellow for the sunrise (east), red for the sunset (west), white for the snow (north) and green for the earth (south) -- are symbolic of the powers of the universe he has in his hands at the moment to speak what is in his heart. Attached to the stick are strands of hair from the great buffalo. He who speaks may do so with the power and strength of this great animal.
The speaker should not forget that he carries within himself a sacred spark of the Great Spirit, and therefore he is also sacred. If he feels he cannot honor the talking stick with his words, he should refrain from speaking so he will not dishonor himself. When he is again in control of his words, the stick will be returned to him.
Stephen Covey on " The Indian Talking Stick"
** at time, you may face frustration, anger when you talk to other people especially your love one... more so if they don't understand your message... NOW, I FOUND a solution for that ... even when the communication in anger... you can change it to most FRUITFUL communication! I did it myself, it works on me. I hope this help you too!!!
Stephen Covey explains the power of listening for understanding in his story about the Indian Talking Stick. As anyone knows who has ever taken one of my college classes or attended one of my business seminars, I believe that listening is one of the most under utilized and underrated skills of leaders and managers.
In our culture of just get it done, business leaders and managers often do not listen to each other to truly understand the other point of view. When leaders and managers really learn to listen to understand the perspectives of their employees, customers, and other important stakeholders, they not only improve interpersonal relationships but they also get better results (often simply because they have better information on which to act).
Native Americans understood the power of empathetic listening as Stephen discusses in the following video:
There’s nothing like a road trip to lift the spirits – beautiful views, restful days, discovering new places. But maybe you’re the sort of strange cookie who finds that a tad boring. You prefer your panoramic views with a few spoons of hair-raising adrenalin. What makes a road an adventure? Narrow gravel tracks perched precipitously on mountainsides certainly up the ante. As do roads so far away from civilization that taking survival supplies is mandatory. Then there are routes that you must time right, or you’ll wish you’d taken a boat instead.
Travelling via Toyota Innova from Leh to Nubra Valley
Scenic view with flora and fauna Along the Journey
Long winding road...
As narrow as you can imagine...
full with rocks , cliffs...
turns...
Dangers!
Possible of rock and landslides...
even Mudslides...
Roads might covered with AIS during winter.
Long Winding Road with sharp Curves...
Of course :
full of scenic mountain view!
Riding a motorcycle on this road can be challenging...
and LIFE THREATENING!
This was the ROAD that I travel...
one of the most Dangerous Road in the WORLD!
The Leh-Manali Highway is a high mountain road situated in India. It spans over a length of 479 km (298 mi) among the Himalaya mountain range. It passes through some of the worlds highest mountain passes in the world, with a mean altitude in between 2 to 3 miles above sea level. Uncertain weather, high altitude, no roads, extreme cold and no civilization for miles make this a very treacherous track. Carry extra fuel and feel close to heaven.
This dirt gravel road connects Leh in Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir state and Manali in Himachal Pradesh state. It crosses some of worlds highest passes including averaging well over 17,000 feet. The journey from Manali to Leh takes about one full day by jeep or two days by bus. It’s accessible for cars and trucks during several months in summer only and ts highest elevation is 5,328 m (17,480 ft) atTaglang Lamountain pass. Because of the important position of Ladakh between China and Pakistan this Highway plays an important strategic role for India, which results in the maintenance of the road by the Indian army itself. In addition to the spectacular landscape the life on and next to the road is diversified because of a wide variety of people frequenting it. Construction workers from other parts of India are working for better road conditions during the summer.
This road is usually is open for only about four and a half months in a year in summer between May or June, when the snow is cleared by the Border Roads Organisation of Indian army, and mid-October when snowfall again blocks it. Avalanches and heavy snowfalls can sometimes block some sections of the road and can be extremely dangerous due to frequent patches of ice. Conditions can change quickly and be harsh. Road closures can be frequent, so check conditions before traveling to this area. Tourists from all over the world, as well as a growing number of Indian tourists use this road for the scenic impressions of the mountains. Truck drivers transport their cargo to Leh and back to other parts of India.
The trip on this road includes a lot of dangers. The road itself, with trucks and buses that sometimes travel only at 15 to 20 km/h due to the road condition. This is not the most comfortable drive in the world. This is not helped by the fact that some of the roads have drops to the side of a good few hundred metres. You can observe crashed and unlucky vehicles cover with rust down the slope somewhere... And some of the passes are really spectacular, especially if you have to wait on the side of the road for a truck to pass... The road is one of the most complicated and challenging roads in the world, with snow, never ending traffic jams, landslides and terrain making the journey exceedingly difficult for anything other than a capable four wheel drive vehicle.
Due its climb in elevation over thousands of feet, and pass through remote areas, it is important when driving in these conditions to be prepared. Owing to the rarefied atmosphere (low air pressure) at high altitude, less oxygen is breathed in and many travellers experience altitude sickness or acute mountain sickness, causing acute mountain sickness: headache, nausea, dizziness and vomiting. Ladakh is a cold semi-arid desert. It is cold along the highway even in summer (June onwards); the days are warm in bright sunshine but the nights are very cold. Check weather forecasts before leaving home, and remember that it becomes cooler and often more prone to storms at higher elevations. Watch out for sudden loose-gravel breaks. And that pavement can ripple like a roller coaster track in places where “frost heaves” are caused by seasonal freezing and thawing of the ground. It’s incredible what kind of vehicles are using the road - from tankers and goods lorrys, army trucks to whatever else comes along with a motor in it, or without the motor, as some cyclist do. The surface on this gravel road is often loose, especially along the sides of the road. It makes necessary to drive carefully and slow down whenever approaching an oncoming car.The road, built and maintained by the Indian Army, plays an important role in the movement of armed forces in Ladakh. It's cleared by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
Proper preparation is essential to having a safe, enjoyable trop on this road. Due to the remoteness of the area, take special care to ensure that your vehicle is ready for the trip: inspect all tires and make sure they are properly inflated, check all vehicle fluids, replace worn hoses and belts, empty your RV's holding tank and fill the water tank, purchase groceries and supplies. For the vehicle, bring at least two full-sized spare tires mounted on rims, tire jack and tools for flat tires, emergency flares, extra gasoline, motor oil, and wiper fluid and a radio. It is also advisable to carry chocolates, glucose or other high energy food on the journey and spend only a little time at the high mountain passes.
