Mudbrick was one of those places that as soon as I’d heard they’d added accommodation, I knew I had to stay there. This is, of course, liberal interpretation of what “had to” means, but if you know Mudbrick, then you know that the only conceivable thing better than a day-trip visiting this “Tuscany of the…
Category: Eco-Travel
The Hotel Buried Deep Inside Taranaki’s “Goblin Forest” – Dawson Falls Mountain Lodge
Most people can never believe it’s a year since any significant event in their lives took place. When have you ever heard someone say, “yes indeed, it feels like a year since that happened!” That’s right, probably never. So yes, I can’t believe it’s a year since me, my wife Aimee and our (then) baby…
Why The Hotel Britomart Is Auckland’s Most New York Hotel
I never thought an Auckland balcony could remind me of the time I stayed on the 22nd floor of a hotel overlooking Madison Square Garden in New York, but then again, I never counted on The Hotel Britomart. New Zealand’s first ‘5 Green Star’ certified hotel is simultaneously the most Manhattan-recalling property in Auckland, as…
A Rainforest Retreat & A Historic Firestation – 2 Unforgettable West Coast Hotels
When it comes to Covid and tourism, there are two stats I’m certain I’ll never forget: The West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island – a densely forested, sparsely populated, mountainous slice of world-beating scenery – has seen a whopping 16-percent of all businesses close since the beginning of the global Covid-19 pandemic. 16-percent. That’s…
Stewart Island’s Unique, Boutique, Must-Visit Eco-Lodge
Stewart Island surprised me in so many ways. New Zealand’s third largest land mass may be two-thirds of the way to Antartica, but as I recently wrote in the New Zealand Herald, “forget notions this is some barren, unforgiving land”. Anything but. You realise this before you’ve even landed, provided you’ve been looking out the…
The Ultimate Bay Of Plenty Beachside Escape – The 5-Star, Barn-Style Luxury Of Paradise Beach
There are some places you really like but you don’t really have any real inclination to go back to. And then there are places like Paradise Beach in Papamoa. But twice in eight months? Even that felt too long between stays because after our first Paradise Beach experience back in March 2020, my wife and…
Is This The Most Beautiful Place In New Zealand? My Top 40 Fiordland Photos + My Latest NZ Herald Article
A couple of weeks ago the New Zealand Herald published an article of mine about Milford Sound in Fiordland – a place so naturally beautiful that none other than Mr Jungle Book himself, literary giant Rudyard Kipling, once described it as the 8th wonder of the world. And I wasn’t about to argue with Rudyard….
The Best Of Sri Lanka In Just 8 Days – From Beaches & National Parks, To Luxury Hotels & Historic Sites
10,000-kilometres from home (10,851 to be exact) and there I was, playing cricket by the sea with a bunch of locals and in that moment, life couldn’t have been much better. In a Sri Lankan holiday that included everything from seeing elephants in the wild to cycling through tea plantations to exploring ancient cave temples,…
In Search Of Giants – Wild Adventures In The Jungles Of The Solomon Islands
Legends and myths thrive in the Solomon Islands, but perhaps none so captivating as the stories of giants who live deep within the jungles of Guadalcanal. So the rumours tell, a race of giants as tall as 10-15ft inhabit the mountainous forests of the island’s interior, only occasionally leaving their homes by the cover of…
The 5 Unmissable Must-Do’s Of South Taranaki – My Latest NZ Herald Feature
Last Sunday the New Zealand Herald published an article of mine about the awesomeness of Taranaki, specifically the sights of South Taranaki. While I may not have used the word “awesomeness” in the feature, I hopefully gave a sense of why this province – and in particular its less-visited southern district – is so rewarding….
The Luxury Eco-Staycation You Never Knew You Could Have – Auckland’s Warblers Retreat
When you think of the word “staycation”, chances are you’re picturing a night or two in a nice CBD hotel in the city in which you live. But when thoughts turn to treating yourself to some kind of retreat – the sort of place where you can be immersed in nature, hear the birds, go…
The Bay Of Plenty’s Best Hidden Gems – My NZ Herald Feature
A huge part of the entire ethos of the Roxborogh Report is writing about hidden gems – be they in travel or music. Sometimes, those gems are hiding in plain sight. As in, the Bay Of Plenty already happens to one of the best known holiday regions in New Zealand – especially for Kiwis travelling…