From the category archives:

Best New Zealand Tours

Travel baggage goes missing on massive scale…25 million in fact!!!

by admin

in Best New Zealand Tours,Best Tour For Europe,Best Travel Advice,Best Travel Packages,Ecotourism,Little Known Travel Secrets,New Zealand Travel,Purpose travel,South America Travel,Travel Planning Tips,Travel Tips

It is incredible to think that airlines lost or miss handled 25 million pieces of luggage between them last year.

The good news is that was 23.8% less than the previous year…or if your math’s is not so good that is a huge 7.8 million less lost or mishandled bags.

What a relief!!!

Now if it is not bad enough losing or mishandling your luggage consider this…

…the cost to the industry was a whopping $2.5 billion dollars.

Yip and guess who pays…You and me…the traveller.

So what can you do to prevent your luggage from being delayed or lost?

Well not much really as it is out of your hands…you could though make sure that your luggage has nothing of value in it. Hopefully any lose or delay will not be too devastating.

Secondly I urge anything of value purchased on your travel’s to be sent home by either a courier service or registered post. That way it is much more likely to arrive and in the condition you expect.

Warning… don’t think it won’t happen to you, because it is not a matter of if… but rather of when!!!

A spare set of underwear is a good inclusion in hand luggage. Everything else can usually be purchased at your destination.

That’s it for today.

Please feel free to share your comments or travel tips so all our friend scan benefit.

Cheers

John C Spark

Expert Travel Planners

PS. Have you checked out my pick pocket video yet? This is a MUST see to give you piece of mind when travelling and in my eyes is pretty much 100% guaranteed to work.

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Travel website is not what it seems…be warned!

by admin

in Best Adventure Tours,Best Cruise Advice,Best New Zealand Tours,Best Tour For Europe,Best Travel Advice,Best Travel Packages,Travel Planning Tips,Travel Tips

This is just a quick warning which I want you to know about.

Hopefully you have not been caught out as some travellers have already.

I am passing on word for word what I have read as well as the contact numbers below.

Consumer Protection is acting quickly to close down a bogus travel website which is offering ridiculously low airfares and operating without a licence. The website -www.AusFlightz.net- is hosted overseas and is using a travel agent licence number and ABN of a legitimate travel business. It is also falsely claiming to be an agent for major airlines. The physical address on the site does not exist and the phone number has been disconnected.

Consumer Protection Commissioner Anne Driscoll said the Department launched an investigation after receiving complaints from licensed travel agents who were approached by consumers asking them if they could match the low fares.

“To sell travel in Western Australia you must be licensed and this business definitely does not hold a licence, despite its claims,” Ms Driscoll said. “The airfares being advertised are well below market prices, with the site claiming that the fares being offered are cheap because they are exempt from paying fees and taxes. We strongly recommend that consumers avoid making any bookings or revealing any bank or credit card details on this site until our investigations are complete.”

Consumer Protection is approaching the web hosting company overseas to suspend this account and is continuing to investigate. If in any doubt, travel consumers are urged to contact Consumer Protection to check that the agent or website they are dealing with is on our register of licensed agents. Consumers who may have had dealings with this particular website are also asked to come forward by calling us on 1300 30 40 54  or by emailing consumer@commerce.wa.gov.au

Again please be careful when something seems to good to be true…well you know how it goes…right?

Next week I share the top 10 safest travel destination…so please check in regularly.

Take care.

John C Spark

Expert Travel Planner

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“How to plan your next New Zealand holiday…with a purpose!”

by admin

in Best New Zealand Tours,Best Travel Advice,Little Known Travel Secrets,New Zealand Travel,Travel Tips

View from Nelson Harbour

A fresh fall of snow on Mt Authur-"Lord Of The Rings" Country

It is Friday arvo and very hot outside…like 39 plus.

Not your usual Albany day.

Thankfully my aircon is working.

I have resisted posting this post for 3 days now…

Not anymore!

You see I have been wrestling with how to talk to you no matter whether you are a first time or  a repeat traveller to New Zealand.

My goal is that you immediately see value for yourself.

After all that is why you are here isn’t?

Originally I was just going to cover in detail each of the questions I use when helping people with travel planning.

That was until I read what I thought I was going share to a couple of my colleagues.

They made some suggestions…I listened.

There’s got to be a better way!!!

So what is the best way in the world…

The best real way to…

CREATE THE ULITIMATE NEW ZEALAND TRAVEL PLAN-

” PURPOSE TRAVEL”

  • No matter if this is your first trip or your 10th…
  • No matter if you hire a car,motor home or take a coach holiday…
  • No matter if you are limited or have unlimited time
  • No matter if your budget is tight or bulging.

Wow! Can you you really cover all this with what I am about to show you?

Even if you are not interested in New Zealand?

YES YOU BET I CAN!

I’ve helped more people than I care to count (people just like you) to come back as raving fans after what they experienced while in New Zealand…the results speak for themselves.

And today, I am going to start a journey for you that is dear to my heart and could quiet literally be life changing  for you…

THIS IS NOT YOUR EVERYDAY TRAVEL!

No way…

That’s not for us!

Now before I go any further, let’s define “Purpose Travel”

For simplicity sake – we’ll define purpose travel thinking as a way of getting much more than a holiday experience. This is a mindset for travelling that will make a difference in your life and to the people you come in contact with…no matter when or where!

You might want to read that again…it says much more than it looks.

Of course we could expand that definition…and we probably will in future posts-but for now this will do.

So, lets begin…

I promise you I will be do my utmost to make this interesting and exciting on how you can…

ELEVATE YOUR THINKING, AND ELEVATE WHAT TRAVEL CAN REALLY DO IN YOUR LIFE!!!

In other words, you can now start to consider what other wonderful and powerful ways travel will serve you and your family.

Imagine…

You can still have a great holiday, but now it is possible with the right mindset and some thoughtful planning to add with minimal effort a life changing experience.

You may need to consider this just a bit…after all few people ever actively plan travel in this way. I actually think it is thought about much more than we let on. We just don’t plan for it.

So that’s what we are going to do…

More specifically I am going to show you why it’s so much more rewarding to…

FOCUS ON PURPOSE TRAVEL

Yep, you read that correctly…

And the good news it is easy to do with a little thought.

You just have know where to start and that is what I will show you.

But first…

And I am aware this is getting a little long…

So what I would like to do is to finish off today and leave you with a question we always ask our audience  at each of our in office presentation evenings:

What difference can travel make to…

  • Your life?
  • Your Family?
  • How you are with your friends on your return?
  • Your appreciation of others culture?
  • Your ability to communicate more effectively
  • Your own personal growth?

While you quietly ponder these question…think back to past travel and recall how perhaps one or all the above may have been impacted positively or negatively.

You will be surprised at how in fact the negative experiences…were possibly the most powerful.

I will be covering this in much more detail as we move forward in the coming weeks.

On my next post I will share a personal story to better illustrate what I mean…

Along with all important first question you absolutely MUST ask.

The temperature is dropping and Nilla is hurrying me along.

Remember to comment as I am sure a dialogue will be more powerful than a monalogue in serving us all.

I have a confession…it is now Sunday evening 10.55 pm… not Friday night.

Yup I have not pushed the publish button as I read and reread this just to make sure I am saying what I want in a way that can be very useful to you…I certianly hope I am.

Tomorrow I start on part 2…so stand by to learn some  things about travel planning you will not only be able to put use with a New Zealand Holiday…but any holiday for that matter.

Guaranteed!!!

So until next time…

enjoy all things good.

John C Spark

Expert Travel Planner




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Expert Travel Planner says you can’t afford to overlook New Zealand…you be the judge!

by admin

in Best New Zealand Tours,Best Travel Advice,Best Travel Packages,Ecotourism,Little Known Travel Secrets,Travel Planning Tips,Travel Tips,Travel Webinars

Most Australians I know have either been or are going to New Zealand one day:Can you relate to that statement?

Now let’s put this into context…most people stay less than 3 weeks. Spending time in the main centres Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch with perhaps two days in Queenstown.

As you read on I will share my personal experiences as to why New Zealand is the jewel in my travel crown and why it could well become the same for you.

Lake Daniles near Springs Junction South Island New Zealand

Stunningly Beautiful...thank god you cant see the sandflies!

Let’s start with a little story if I may…

Back in September 09 my son Jason, his partner Lisa and 2 friends went snowboarding in the South Island. I joined them in Wanaka after they drove down from Mt Hutt. Every day there was a fresh dump of snow while at night we enjoyed the great tastes of local food and wine.

One evening our conversation turned to New Zealand as a destination. And this is where it got interesting…you see before Jason and his friends arrived in New Zealand each agreed they were “pretty much over New Zealand” and wouldn’t be back for quite some time.

That is until now…

“What changed you ask?”

The answer…New Zealand.

Ok… I know New Zealand didn’t just change… what I mean is it is constantly changing …man, the Kiwis are forever coming up with new attractions, exciting activities and eating experiences.

I personally have traveled to New Zealand more times than I can remember in the last 30 years and just love sharing my many tips and inside secrets. And that is what I am going to do for you.

But first here is a perspective that will give you some sense of what lies ahead…

My sister and her partner have been exploring New Zealand now for the past 5 years using their bus as a home while branching out on foot, bike or Suzuki 4×4. I will be posting some   incredibly beautiful pictures they have snapped over the next couple of weeks. These pictures are from vantage points the main stream traveller often never gets to.

I mention my sister Wendy because when I was last home I asked her how much longer would her and Peter need to complete their New Zealand odyssey? Wendy said we figure it will take us 10 years to fully explore New Zealand.

"A touch of paradise"

Probably just like it looked to Captain Cook back in 1769

They are missing so much…just take a look at Queenstown on Google maps…this is the self proclaimed adrenaline capital of the world. What it also has is quaint hidden secrets like the cow shed…which the majority of people miss and to think it is smack in the centre of Queenstown.

I digressed sorry about that. Back to Jason and his friends…in the space of 6 days they had gone from “Over New Zealand” to wanting to buy an investment property in Wanaka (thanks Google maps). All because of what they experienced and the many new attractions they were able to try.

Treble Cone, Wanaka New Zealand

We are not over NZ...just kidding!

My point is that New Zealand is perhaps one of the most underutilized and misunderstood  destinations because people simple don’t know how to create a customized travel plan so they can optimize their time, budget and experiences.

So I am going to do something about right here…

  • Over the next couple of weeks I will walk you in detail through how we would go about planning memorable travel just as though you sitting in front of me in to our office.
  • I will include video travel tips.
  • I will share the 6 key questions that I guarantee once you consider these questions you will feel very comfortable in either going to New Zealand for the first time or revisiting with a renewed sense of adventure.

Finally I will bring it all together with a webinar that condenses everything into one easily to follow system covering the car hire, motor home and coach travel. It will be obvious just what is best for you.

Of course you can ask any questions you have about your travel so please use the comments area to ask away.

Until we next meet…“when I share the very first question all travelers must ask themselves” and doubt you can guess what it is.

Here is a thought…why not write you think my very first question could be in the comments box and I will give away a $50 travel vouchure for each correct answer. So be sure to leave your email.

That’s it for today.

Enjoy all things good.

John C Spark

Expert Travel Planner

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