Blog - Local News
Tornado hits Auckland
A large tornado has been spotted near the Auckland Harbour Bridge. A police communications spokesman said emergency services had only been made aware of the tornado and they had so far not received any emergency calls or sightings of damage.
Read the full postBiggest Loser Auckland espisode wins Hollywood award
An episode of the Biggest Loser reality show featuring Auckland won a prestigious Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award over the weekend. The Auckland episode – one of two filmed in New Zealand in 2011 – won the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programmes category over shows like Master Chef, Fear Factor and The Amazing Race. ATEED supported Tourism New Zealand to host the contestants and crew from this high profile TV show in Auckland in 2011. Promoted in the US as ‘can’t miss’ episode, an audience of 7.2 million viewers tuned in to see the final nine contestants hit the ground running with a sprint up the Sky Tower and take a SkyJump. They also sailed an America’s Cup yacht and did workouts in the
Auckland Domain and on North Head. There was also a triathlon at Bethells Beach on Auckland’s west coast, with the winning pair enjoying a helicopter flight and vineyard lunch on Waiheke Island.
North Shore commuters get more parks
A North Shore park and ride facility is doubling its capacity due to overcrowding. The Albany Park and Ride, which opened in 2005, allows people to drive to the public transport station, park their car and bus over the Harbour Bridge in a dedicated bus lane - avoiding expensive inner city parking rates and rush-hour traffic.
Read the full postAuckland’s Waitakere Estate joins Heritage Boutique Collection
Heritage Hotel Management has announced that Auckland’s Waitakere Estate has joined its Heritage Boutique Collection
(HBC). It joins a group of properties that include Waterfront Suites Bay of Islands, Sea Spray Suites Bay of Islands, Tuscany
Villas Rotorua and Akaroa Cottages on Banks Peninsula.
Spencer on Byron appointment
The Spencer on Byron Hotel in Takapuna, Auckland has announced the appointment of Paula Buchanan as Business Development Manager - MICE. Paula has over 15 years’ experience in the tourism industry with roles at Mount Cook Seaplanes, operations manager at Great Sights, branch manager for Johnsons Coachlines and was most recently part of
the organising team for the Rugby World Cup.
Big Auckland cycle event
Although it’s not one the 18 Great Rides on the New Zealand Cycle Trail, Auckland’s urban version could be a must-do for cyclists. A new cycle event, the TelstraClear Challenge, offers a unique course which involves riding over the Auckland Harbour Bridge and onto the Northern Busway, finishing at a festival at Smales Farm in Takapuna. It takes place on Sunday 11DEC and around 9,000 cyclists are expected.
Read the full postA+ Supreme Award to Mairangi Bay agent
ATTTO’s A+ Awards, announced in Wellington last Friday night, saw the Supreme Award won by the 2011 TAANZ Travel Trainee of the Year, Samantha Chambers, a travel planner at United Travel Mairangi Bay. She received a $2,000 professional development scholarship from ATTTO. ATTTO Chief Executive (Acting) Kathy Wolfe said “The A+ Awards are a chance to recognise the individual achievements of industry trainees. They are also a celebration of the valuable economic role vocational education and training has to play in the success of industries and businesses.”
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