Investing in Real Estate: A Second Home in New Zealand

Do you grow tired living in the same place year after year? Perhaps its the nomadic instincts within us that beckons us to move on to new places. To leave the old, familiar grounds and discover new adventures in distant lands.

Sometimes the old way of doing things break down. They become unmaintainable and beyond repair. These are the times we feel like running away to somewhere new.

Those of us who live in large cities, commuting everyday, working 9 to 5, feel the dullness of repetition the most. Working and living in the same place year after year, leading the same kind of life, with the same kind of people, can bring us down. For better or worse, everyone needs change.

Perhaps influenced by movies and books, and a few personal travel experiences – I like to imagine white sandy beaches and clear blue waters. I like to take quick mental flights to lush forests, azure sky, green fields and tranquil waterfalls.

Maybe establish a business venture, invest in real estate or get tax benefits. Create business opportunities as well as make journeys to New Zealand on tax-deductable dollars.

Here is a quote from “A Second Home In New Zealand” ebook:

“Clean, fresh, green, uncrowded and reminiscent of a time when things cost less, the pace of life was slower, and people seemed friendlier to one another. A New Zealand lifestyle is more possible than you may think.” — A Second Home In New Zealand.

I know I would like to get away from this city life and try to find a more peaceful place, where everything one wants to do is more enjoyable. I don’t know if that place exists thousands of miles away in New Zealand. It could even exist next doors or just within our hearts.

More information on “A Second Home In New Zealand” ebook is available here:
http://money-employment.marc8.com/ebook-info.php/name/a_second_home_in_new_zealand/toc_id/6-0-8-6

About the Author

Sanjib Ahmad – Freelance Writer and Product Consultant for Money-employment.Marc8.com – Books & eBooks Bestsellers for Money & Employment. You are free to use this article in its entirety as long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content, and include the resource box listed above.

Five Heroes of Mountaineering

Adventure holidays have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially where mountain trekking is concerned – routes such as the Inca Trail, Annapurna Circuit and Everest Base Camp have become some of the “do before you die” holiday experiences for the more adventurous traveller. But while plenty of people enjoy going on trekking holidays to great mountain ranges, climbing the most difficult peaks is a far greater challenge. There are countless great mountaineers who have risked life and limb to conquer the highest, toughest and most dangerous mountains in the world, but there are a few that stand out from the crowd as true mountaineering heroes…

George Mallory

One of the heroes of the climbing world, and perhaps the most famous mountaineer of all, Englishman George Mallory became famous for a series of unsuccessful (and ultimately tragic) attempts to summit Mount Everest (8848m) in the 1920’s. In what became a burning obsession, Mallory led three attempts on the summit. On the third attempt, on the 8th June 1924 he, and his climbing partner Andrew Irvine, disappeared somewhere on the slopes of Everest. Fierce debate has raged ever since as to whether or not Mallory and Irvine made it to the summit before they died. His famous quote (“Because it is there”, in response to a journalist asking why he wished to climb Everest) has inspired countless mountain lovers on their trekking holidays and climbing expeditions ever since.

Maurice Herzog

In 1950, French mountaineer Maurice Herzog made history by being the first person to successfully summit a peak over eight thousand metres above sea level – Annapurna I (8091m). He lost his gloves on the way up, and the terrible weather on the descent almost claimed the life of Herzog and his fellow climbers. Frostbite cost him most of his fingers and toes, but he managed to make it down alive. His book of the experience, Annapurna, became a massive best seller and trekking holidays in and around the Annapurna massif are hugely popular today – but only a few elite climbers have repeated Herzog’s feat and made it to the top of Annapurna I.

Sir Edmund Hillary

While a trekking holiday to Everest Base Camp is within the capabilities of most fit hikers, the summit of the world’s highest mountain eluded mountaineers for decades. New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary will forever be famous, alongside his climbing partner Sherpa Tenzing, for being one of the first men to finally make it to the top of the mountain in 1953.

Reinhold Messner

Reinhold Messner’s biography reads like a list of mountaineering records and world firsts. Born in Italy in 1944, he was one of the first two people to make a successful ascent of Mount Everest without bottled oxygen, the first person to make a solo ascent of Everest (also without oxygen), the first climber to successfully summit all fourteen eight-thousanders, and so on. In terms of raw achievement, Messner can be considered to be the world’s greatest mountaineer, living or dead.

Joe Simpson

Joe Simpson has become a modern day mountaineering hero due to a near death experience in 1985 in the Peruvian Andes. While attempting to climb the west face of Siula Grande (6344m), a route that had never been successfully attempted, he first broke his leg, then fell down a crevasse after his partner was forced to cut the rope connecting them. Astonishingly, despite suffering from hypothermia, dehydration and the severe pain of his broken leg, after three and a half days he managed to crawl back to their base camp to be rescued. His book of the experience, Touching the Void, has become one of the contemporary classics of mountaineering literature, and was recently made into an award winning documentary.

Global warming: Whats the real truth?

In the middle of December, to the disgust of my colleagues, I crammed a suitcase with Christmas presents and cute summer outfits, and I dashed off for my holiday in my hometown of Auckland. I endured 26 hours of cattle class crick, spurred on by the knowledge I’d soon be basking like a shark on one of our many, beautiful beaches. I closed my eyes and dreamed of eating melting ice creams while creating deep tan lines, of inhaling the sweet sweet smell of freshly cut grass, and of listening to the sounds of cicadas wafting in on waves of warm, clean air.

Now this may not seem out of the ordinary. I mean, people leave bone-chilling winters for the lazy, hazy days of summer – nothing new there. But here is the interesting (and depressing) twist. While standing in the city, watching the fireworks snap, crackle and pop in the New Year, I was grateful to be wearing my long winter coat. Yes, my winter coat. In the middle of summer. What’s wrong with this picture? Where’s the heat I so desperately longed for?

Well it just wasn’t there. You see, New Zealand has just weathered its coldest December since records of temperatures began. And much more shockingly, across the ditch, it actually snowed in Australia. Although much to the cheer of the firefighters battling raging flames in three of their states. And the children in Tasmania who threw snowballs around, where the previous week, smoke plumed from the forest on fire.

As everyone knows, December through February are the hot summer months in the South Pacific, which makes this drop in calidity a shivering thought. Is this the start of a trend? The contradiction of global warming? What should we call this? Global cooling?

This week’s headlines claimed the UK’s January nights have been warmer than those of last July. The experts are blaming this on climate change, and this is in turn blamed on global warming. Well it seems to me it’s not global at all. It seems that like Peter and Paul, the northern hemisphere is ruthlessly robbing the southern hemisphere of all its welcoming warmth.

Global warming is the hottest debate blazing around the world. Everyone has a tenacious opinion. Yes it exists, no it doesn’t. Who is right? Who is wrong? Is the earth really roasting like Sunday’s lunch? Or should everyone just chill out?

As the ”Sun” goes down, there sees the birth of L’Eclipse

(Hong Kong, September 2006) After 17 years in business, the Sun’s Café at the Langham Hotel Hong Kong will be transformed into an all-day interactive dining restaurant – L’Eclipse (which means Langham’s Eclipse), due to open early December of this year.

L’Eclipse will be known as the premier casual dining experience, employing an inspired modern approach to traditional Asian cuisine from an Array of action and wok-fired stations. The cuisine will be a highly creative blend of authentic Chinese, Asian and Western fare influenced from Hong Kong’s diverse world class cuisine.

According to the interior designer Andy Tait of LRF Designers Limited, whose previous works have received the Scottish National Heritage Awards and the British Travel Writers Awards, “L’Eclipse will be a stylish and innovative restaurant with an open kitchen concept.”

Guests will experience the first visual impact when they enter the remodeled glazed entrance, where they will be met by an irresistible dessert showcase awash with bold colors and textures. Next on the visual tour is a free standing back-lit podium piled up with the freshest seafood, oysters and prawns. The theatre-styled kitchen design will allow guests to customize their feast through open dialogues with chefs and enjoying the views of kitchen and its team in action.

To enhance the touch and feel of a modern yet elegant dining experience, Tait has married the natural warmth of sandstone & granite with the contemporary feel of steel & tempered glass. A stylized and dramatic eclipse will be projected onto sheer drapery, while color-changing mood lighting will subtly shift the restaurant from day to evening. The image of “Eclipse” is further strengthened by the iconic feature wall which subtly separates the dining and open-kitchen area.

“At L’Eclipse, we will be reputed for our outgoing and friendly chefs whose creations are made according to the selections and tastes of discerning patrons. We will be flexible, knowledgeable and inventive as we cater to the vast range of cultures and backgrounds of our guests,” says Executive Chef, Christopher Christie.

Items represented on the all-day dining as well as a la carte menu will reflect a fresh approach to Asian Cuisine with strong Chinese influences of high quality. L’Eclipse will open its doors early December this year where breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks and dinner will be served daily.

About Langham
Langham has a legendary hotel heritage dating back to 1865 when the The Langham Hotel in London originally opened as Europe’s first Grand Hotel. For 140 years, this flagship hotel has been at the forefront of sophisticated and gracious hospitality. Today, all Langham Hotels worldwide inherit the same philosophy that reflects elegance, continuous innovation and genuine hospitality creating a truly unique hotel experience

About Langham Hotels International: Langham Hotels International (LHI) features six properties with over 2,700 rooms in five gateway cities across the four continents, namely, London, Boston, Hong Kong (2), Melbourne and Auckland. In each city Langham Hotels is associated with the prestigious “The Leading Hotels of the World” group which represents some of the world’s finest luxury hotels.

LHI is wholly owned by Great Eagle Holdings Limited a publicly listed company (HKSE: 41) which was founded in 1963 and was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 1972.

The best countries in the world for travel

New Zealand will captivate you in so many ways.

It is a tonic for the soul, a feast for the eyes, a boost for the spirit and an adrenalin rush for the body

New Zealand has to be one of the top destinations in the world today to put on your list of things- to-do-that-will-change-my-life .

With its laid back attitude and Natural Beauty you wouldn’t find it hard to relax there if that is your wish. That is not to say that it doesn’t have its Thrill Seeking side, look up any ‘Adventure Holiday’ brochure at your local travel agent and New Zealand will be up there with the best. They are the two sides to the one coin. Whichever way you want to go New Zealand’s got it all.

If relaxing is your desired form of holiday mode than look no further than the shores of Aotea roa, the Native Maori word for New Zealand meaning the “Land of the Long White Cloud”. Just the name alone conjures up dreamy thoughts of floating on air. Indeed there are many places that will make you think you had drifted into a dream-scape.

The rugged mountainous regions of both the North and South Islands are dotted with scenery that picture postcards were made of and inspired by.

Your first impression of New Zealand will be the green countryside view when landing at any one of its major airports. From there on the trip will only get better as your journey continues. The landscape only gets better the more you delve into this wondrous country of scenic delights

Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on both sides, the pristine beaches and sandy shores together with the rugged mountain peaks and rolling hills provide a backdrop to any picture perfect holiday.

Relax in one of the therapeutic hot pools of Rotorua. These Thermal pools have been visited by many people for many years and provide a natural spring of hot mud that flows from the heart of Mother Nature herself. Calming, Relaxing, Therapeutic, what a way to start the day.

The cultural aspects of the New Zealand Maori is also on display at this resort and you will be introduced to the many and varied customs of these Polynesian people. A feast is also provided in the form of their traditional method of cooking in an earth oven, otherwise known as a Hangi.

Lake Taupo has a backdrop of snow covered mountains that feed the lake with crystal clear waters that have one of the worlds best trout fishing activities. There are copious walking tracks surrounding the lake to meander at your leisure, with parks that

Humor: Life

Her eyes lit up like golden liquid ambers in a crackling, pinecone-powered campfire. Her hair glistened with soft dew, like moisture after the drizzle of a light shower of rain. She had a dark complexion, with eyes matching his. Her nose and mouth was pristine, and when she smiled you had to admire her braveness, because half her teeth were missing and a plate was used instead. She had sweetness of breath, and this was reflective of her Type 1 Diabetes, which she had had for many years.

An only child of a Russian family, she sought to come to New Zealand as a Russian bride, and her heritage saw to it that she was of the hairy lip variety, with the characteristic hairy chin as well. She sought many hair removal gels, but with limited success.

It was while she was surfing the Internet for a marriage partner, that she came across a sucker, and he gladly assisted her to come to New Zealand. They decided they would go on a camp together, as a getaway type adventure. They went into a forest a few hours drive from where he lived. He had been in the area many times and knew it well. He got the fire going, after the tent had been set up. It was getting close to dusk because they had left late in the day.

The campfire spat occasional sparks and roared with fierceness equivalent to a forest fire. It was this roaring that reminded the Russian woman of living in an arid wasteland devoid of greenery, in the Siberian countryside, with the characteristic shrill wind blowing almost constantly, cutting through her clothing to the bones. This was something she absolutely hated, and longed to leave, and this was her chance.

She was now with a potential husband and she mustn’t blow the meeting. She got close to him and gently kissed him on the mouth. He found it a bit odd, as her bushy upper lip tickled his face. He was not used to this, and had a hard time adjusting to being tickled in this way.

The campfire lit the campsite and provided warmth and gently lit the surroundings with a soft surreal orange flicker, which, unbeknown to them, provided a brainwave entrainment effect. Within a short time they succumbed to the magical and mysterious effect and felt strongly in love with each other.

As they sat there her eyes lit up like golden liquid ambers in a crackling, pine powered campfire

Nutritional benefits of kiwi fruit

The Magical Flight of the Kiwifruit

The kiwifruit is native to China and was brought to New Zealand by a traveler in 1904. From there the Kiwi took flight. It is now known around the world.

Originally called minhoutao (also Yang tao) or monkey peach by the Chinese, it was later named the Chinese Gooseberry in 1960. New Zealand growers named this unusual fruit the Kiwi after the national bird of New Zealand, the Kiwi, a Maori or Native New Zealand name. The Kiwifruit first appeared in the United States in a restaurant in 1961.

The main producers of kiwifruit today are Italy, New Zealand, Chile, France, Japan, and the United States.

The Kiwifruit is a powerhouse of antioxidant nutrients and has more Vitamin C than oranges and more potassium than bananas. Of the 3 top low sodium, high potassium fruits, the Kiwifruit is number one.

The powerhouse of nutrients are Vitamin C, dietary fiber, Vitamin E, potassium, low fat, no cholesterol, folic acid, copper, pantothenic acid, calcium, magnesium, iron, Vitamin B6, phosphorous, and Vitamin A.

According to California Kiwifruit, the kiwifruit is the most nutrient rich of the top 26 fruits worldwide.

Kiwifruit are among the list of antioxidant rich foods that can best fight free radicals formed in the oxygenation process of digesting foods. They should be eaten with every meal to reduce oxidative stress during eating according to a study by the Agricultural Research Service by Ronald L. Prior at the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center in Little Rock, Ark. The antioxidant rich foods cited were Bing cherries, red grapes, dried plums, dried plum juice, kiwifruit, strawberries, and wild blueberries. (March 24, 2008) (www.sciencedaily.com/releases /soo8/03/080321123343.htm)

Another study conducted by the same team measured how different fruits effected antioxidant status and the kiwifruit and grape came out as best able to deliver high antioxidant capacity.

One study suggests that the phytonutrients in the Kiwifruit exhibit the ability to protect DNA in the nucleus of human cells from oxygen-related damage. Researchers are currently working on isolating the specific nutrients in the kiwi that protect DNA. (www.whfoods.com).

A study among 6-7 year old children in Italy found that when eating high sources of Vitamin C such as the Kiwifruit, they had fewer respiratory problems that included wheezing, shortness of breath, and night coughing. (www.whfoods.com)

Another study found that the kiwifruit was good for the reduction of blood clotting. The study found that platelet aggregation response (potential blood clotting) was reduced by 18% and triglycerides (blood fats) dropped by 15% on eating the kiwifruit. (www.whfoods.com).

In a Chinese study of people suffering from esophageal cancer in Lin Xian it was found that Vitamin C lowers high levels of nitrites found in the body of those suffering from esophageal cancer.

The excellent source of Vitamin C in kiwifruit can reduce the “severity” of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma. It can prevent colon cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetic heart disease, and strengthen the immune system.

The high amounts of potassium can relieve hypertension or the effects of hypertension medication. Kiwifruit enzymes help relieve bloating, heart burn, and acid indigestion.

On a lighter note in 1976 a box of kiwifruit was delivered to the Insurance House of Lloyds of London and mistaken for a box of grenades. Scotland Yard was called and the building evacuated. They blew up the box of kiwifruit. Those kiwifruit sure do get around!

Things to do in Wellington, New Zealand

Wellington is the capital of New Zealand and probably its most picturesque city. Set against the backdrop of the hills and facing a waterfront, this populous city offers a relax feel to it, with plenty to see and do.
If you’re starting out your vacation on a relaxed note, head for the Waterfront Walkway. Though this is a relaxing stroll you’re taking, you’ll feel the vibrant bustling feel with all the different mixtures of people and things happening all in one place. Hear the seagulls, watch the many fishermen go into frenzy at times or just admire the beautiful yachts as they come and go.
Start of either at Queens Warf and head toward the train station or Chaffers Marina and just immerse yourself in the atmosphere and surroundings. And if you pass or happen to start at Te Papa, you should check out Te Papa Tongarewa as well, the Museum of New Zealand. This unique museum holds testimony to New Zealand’s great heritage and culture, with some of its best kept treasures on display.
For those who like the waterfront as much as I do and can’t get enough of the ocean and ferries passing by, another location to head for would be Lyall Bay. Take a walk or soak up some rays at this beautiful white sanded beach. If you long for some fun while you’re there, this beach is one of the best for riding or dodging some huge waves or just swimming in and around the rock pools.
If you’re visiting Wellington with the kids or if you’re an animal lover, head for The Wellington Zoo. Comparing it to other zoos, this one seems a tad smaller, but none the less with some really strong features making it worth the visit. Get up close and personal with the Pandas and the Giraffes, watch the big cats laze around and see the kiwi, a species native to New Zealand.

New Zealand really is a special place with small fun things to try out at every corner. When getting around the city, don’t forget to hop on the famous flaming red cable car that goes between Lambton Quay and the inner suburbs of Kelburn. Panoramic city views can be seen from this funky cable car and it even heads for the beautiful Botanic Gardens as it passes through downtown. And for those of you who happen to be avid fans of The Lord of the Rings, surprise surprise; a movie tour just for you in Wellington!

For adventure travelers, is Australia or New Zealand the more extreme down under experience? – Part 7

For adventure travelers, is Australia or New Zealand the more extreme down under experience?

Many people do not know that Australia and New Zealand are two different countries. The area of New Zealand is 268,680 sq km, and Australia is7,686,850 sq km. So if you are an adventure traveler about to plan your holidays, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to decide where you want to go even if both countries have similar activities. You do not want to travel half a day from one activity to another.

New Zealand is famous for fun and extreme sports. The adrenaline pumping bungy was founded here by AJ Hackett Bungy. If you are pressed for time, you jump off the Auckland harbor bridge or Sky jump off the Sky Tower, the highest tower in the Southern hemisphere. All the way south, you can bungy jump at Rotorua or Queenstown if you missed the Auckland jumps. Both my two teen aged daughters bungy jumped, and they swear that it is the most exhilarating thing they had done while my heart was in my mouth when I witness them jumping.

Also in Auckland, and Rotorua, there is the Zorb. The Zorb is one big giant transparent rubber sphere. You can choose a dry ride or a wet one and you crawl into it. The Zorb spins down a slope and you spin with it. One moment the world is under you, another it is on top. It takes New Zealand to invent this fun sport which is now available in Australia and USA.

What about jumping out of the plane by yourself or with an instructor in tandem Skydive. This is available in the North Island at Taupo or near to Christchurch in the South Island. There are helicopter rides, small planes and you can fly off giant kites. You can land on a glacier and walk on it. There are not air balloons, parachutes.

On shallow water, you can go on water jet and they go so fast that they can make three hundred and sixty degrees spin. When I was in one, a friend shot into the front covered part of the jet. I understood why the jet was called a shot over jet. It gives such an adrenaline rush that the operators call them thrill therapy.

There are many rivers and waterfalls in New Zealand. Whitewater rafting, kayaking, and sledging are very popular.

At the Waitomo caves, you journey into the “centre of the earth,” and Glow worms hang from the roof like stars twinkling at you. I went with my twelve year old daughter, on a three hour cave tubing or black water rafting in the underground labyrinth of limestone caves and formations of stalactites and stalemates.

Ideal vacation spots – Part 1

Lakes Basin, California: Freedom from Crowds on a Budget

“A chance to get away from it all; to relax and shrug off the stresses of daily life.” This is the answer most people would give when asked to define the word “vacation”, yet many of those same people only increase their stress level by spending exorbitant amounts not only on air fare and accommodations, but also on preparation for their trip. And when they reach their destinations, the place is crowded with gawkers, rubberneckers and fat men in shorts and un-matching Hawaiian-style shirts, hunched over by the weight of archaic cameras strapped around their sweaty necks. Does this sound relaxing to you?

Virtually everyone that I know is surviving on a tight budget these days. So when it comes time to get away from it all, why break the bank only to fight strangers for elbowroom? Why not go to a place nearly devoid of visitors?

Of course, my destination is not for everyone, for it requires camping. Yes, it’s time to haul the old tent, sleeping bags, ice chest, cook stove and Coleman lantern out of storage and finally put them to use.

As an experienced camper, I can report that every popular campground fills up in the summertime. The solution: go someplace less popularor, better yet, less known, such as Lakes Basin. Yes, I know you have never heard of it; neither had I until my brother led me to this all but unknown jewel of the Sierra. I followed him in my aged and alarmingly sputtering Honda Civic as he wound up the mountains of northern California toward the town of Quincy, leaning over the steering wheel so I could better see the stunning scenery rolling byas well as have a clearer view of my dashboard as I fully expected the Check Engine light to blink on at any moment. Proceeding through Quincy and on to Blairsden, we left the sparsely traveled highway when we reached Graeagle and wound our way higher into the Sierra, entering Plumas National Forest. When we reached the basin, I saw no more than ten other campers.

Lakes Basin lives up to its name: I counted four small lakes in a very confined area, yet mountain ridges and forests separated each lake, granting isolation; and I did not see all the lakes within the basin. One of the tarns features a boat rental business to facilitate fishingand also to provide transportation to the isolated lodge on the far shore.

To learn how to reach Lakes Basin, consult MapQuest, type in Quincy, Ca. for the destination, then refine the search for Lakes Basin and they will provide a map that AAA is unlikely to have in stock.

This is certainly an out-of-the-way vacation destination, a daunting drive even for most Californians, but it’s worth the effort, at least for those who long for peace, quiet and freshly caught trout. So put off that trip to Mexico, the Caribbean or New Zealand for times that are more prosperous and go where few have gone before. And if you’re a city person, such as myself, don’t forget to bring along some Sominex or other sleep aid, for the silence at night is truly deafening.

Next Page »