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NZ’s Top Destinations to Experience in 2015 Revealed

New Zealand’s Top Destinations to Experience in 2015 Revealed

The North Island’s pristine lake district of Taupo has topped a consumer poll conducted by leading travel experience provider Experience Oz +NZ as the country’s number one destination to experience this year.

‘New Zealand’s Top 10 Destinations to Experience’, a trans-Tasman poll now in its second year, has revealed Taupo is the country’s top destination for 2015, closely followed by Fiordland’s perennially popular Doubtful Sound coming in second, while the stunning Bay of Islands were recognised in third place.

The top 10 list was rounded out by Queenstown, Marlborough, Rotorua, The Coromandel, Ruapehu, Nelson and the Bay of Plenty from a shortlist of 20 iconic destinations.

Destination Great Lake Taupo Sales and Marketing Manager Zelia Horrell was thrilled by the Experience Oz + NZ accolade and said a great deal of work by key advocacy groups and tourism operators had been undertaken, resulting in wins for the region.

“A few things have helped put our region on the map over the last year, one of those being the official opening of the Great Lake Trail, part of the NZ Cycle Trail, which opened to rave reviews in April last year,” Ms Horrell said.

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“The Kennett Brothers have called it the ‘best Grade 3 trail in NZ’ and it was recently ranked second in the NZ Cycle Trail section of the ‘New Zealand’s Favourite Places to Cycle’ competition run by Bike Wise.

“The Great Lake Trail has also added to the plethora of hiking options in the region as it is open to both bikers and hikers and is currently being use 50/50 by riders and walkers alike.

“Of course the Great Lake Taupo region has been sought out as a hiking destination for years, as it is home to the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, which has been heralded by many as the best day walk in NZ. We are also home to the Huka Falls, the most highly visited natural attraction in the country, and the fishing here has always been an enormous drawcard. ”

While Taupo is known for its aquatic adventures and adrenaline rushes, the region offers more than just the popular action activities of jet boating, skydiving and bungy jumping.

“We have many unique cultural attractions with the Sculpture Trust creating a sculpture tour around the town centre and we house the largest collection of street art in the country which culminates in our annual Graffiato Festival,” she said.

In conducting the survey, Experience Oz +NZ received over 2000 votes from a mixed audience of Australian, New Zealand and international respondents.

Poll participants were asked to consider among other factors, the typical “New Zealand”-style nature of the destination, its unique natural highlights, the area’s cultural, historic and architectural features, the variety of activities on offer, whether it was over-commercialised and if it was simply considered “beautiful”.

Whilst the shortlist featured the best cities, natural icons and adventure capitals plus well-known favourites such as Auckland, Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington, the work of local tourism operators and key influence groups in providing quality imagery played a large role in establishing their appeal to online audiences.

Experience Oz+ NZ Business Development Manager Michelle Woodroff said ‘New Zealand's Top 10 Destinations to Experience’ consumer poll was a great opportunity to identify hotspots to visit in New Zealand.

“With Australians representing New Zealand’s largest inbound tourism market, these results indicate both their favourite experiences and also what locals believe to be their nation’s hidden gems,” Ms Woodroff said.

“Taupo is a very popular resort town in its own right and its distinctive character comes from not just from the natural geothermal wonders but also the magnificent Huka Falls, Lake Taupo and all the activities in and around them.

“The absence of several major cities shows us tourists are keen to immerse themselves more in the land and culture of regional New Zealand, and these 10 destinations certainly showcase the best of them,” she said.

Please visit http://www.experienceoz.com.au/nz-top-10-2015 to view the full list of ‘New Zealand’s Top Ten Destinations to Experience 2015’ and read why each spot made the grade.

New Zealand’s Top Ten Destinations to Experience 2015:
1. Taupo
2. Doubtful Sound
3. Bay of Islands
4. Queenstown
5. Marlborough
6. Rotorua
7. The Coromandel
8. Ruapehu
9. Nelson
10. Bay of Plenty
New Zealand’s Top Ten Destinations to Experience 2014:

1. Taranaki
2. The Coromandel
3. Queenstown
4. Nelson
5. Bay of Islands
6. Milford Sound
7. Rotorua
8. Bay of Plenty
9. Ruapehu
10. West Coast

Experience Oz +NZ offers a comprehensive catalogue of tours, attractions and activities with no booking or credit card fees and unbiased reviews all on a secure online booking site.

Over 3000 products including theme park tickets, attraction tickets, day tours, hot air ballooning, jet boating, whale watching and great dinner and show packages are all on offer at Experience Oz +NZ with customers able to skip the queues at most attractions and save valuable holiday time.

-ENDS-

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