Great Ideas for Growing Herbs

by Kelly Norton

A great outdoor activity is to grow your own herbs, which not only enhance a garden but can also be used for cooking.  There is nothing better than using your own freshly picked herbs.

Herbs are great for all size gardens. Even people with small gardens or for those that only have a balcony herbs do very well growing in pots.

Basil

Basil does well in early spring and prefers being in a sunny spot, so a windowsill is ideal.  Basil can be planted out into the garden in summer if necessary or Basil seeds can be sown directly into the garden later in the spring.

Basil leaves give food a spicy flavour and is used mainly in soups, sauces, omelettes as well as meat, chicken and fish dishes.  Basil is also used as a basis for pesto.

Chives

Chives can be planted in spring or autumn and should be planted in rows 30cm apart and 1.2cm deep.  Once the seedlings are established they can be thinned.  Chives taste like mild onions and are great in salads, egg and cheese dishes.

They are also used in cream cheese, mashed potatoes and various sauces. The flowers can be cut up into salads, and you can eat them while looking at the latest NRL Premiership odds, or while relaxing on the couch.

Coriander

Coriander is planted in early spring 30cm wide and 0.6cm deep.  Dry coriander seeds can be ground and used on veal, pork and ham prior to cooking.

Coriander roots are used to add flavour to soup and as an accompaniment to avocado and is also used in salads.

Dill

Dill is planted in early spring 0.6cm deep and 25cm apart in rows.  The seeds and leaves have a slight sharp, bitter flavour and can be used dried or fresh.

Dill goes especially well with fish, soup, salads, meat, chicken, egg dishes and potatoes.

Fennel

Fennel can be planted in the middle of spring.   The seeds must be sown in groups of three or four, 45cm apart and 0.6cm deep.

Fennel has a slightly sweet taste and goes well with fish dishes as well as pork and veal.  It is also used in salads.  Fennel seeds can also be used and have a sharper flavour.

Mint

Mint is planted in autumn or spring and must be planted 10 to 15cm of the root 5cm deep and 30cm apart.  Mint needs to be watered regularly. Mint has a tendency to take over and a way of preventing this is to sink boards or bricks 30cm deep around the plants.

Mint can be used in tea and used as a garnish for cold drinks. It can be used fresh or dried and a good accompaniment to lamb dishes.

Parsley

Parsley is sown in the middle of spring and can be picked in summer.  If sown in autumn it can be picked in winter, so parsley is a great all year herb.  The seeds need to be soaked overnight and sown thinly.

Parsley has many uses but especially in salads, soups, stews, casseroles and egg dishes.  Parsley can be served fresh with meat, fish and onion dishes as is a popular herb used for garnishes.

The Perfect First Pet For Your Kids

by Kelly Norton

Having a pet as a child is a good way to start learning about some of the responsibilities that you will be facing later on in life. Pets provide kids with a different outlook on not just looking after themselves, but also the lives of another, living creature, and many agree that allowing your child to look after a pet is a great way to make them more nurturing, more responsible, and more caring toward animals.

Pets come in all shapes and sizes, and while the first thought of most parents when it comes to getting an animal is to get a dog or cat. These are find for a certain age group, usually from around 10 onward, but for kids younger than that, smaller, more manageable pets might be better suited for both you, your children, and for your household.

Fortunately, there are plenty to choose from, and while you need some time alone to enjoy some Netflix, computer games, or Australian betting apps, these pets can provide your kids with plenty of entertainment, especially on those rainy days.

Ant Colony

It’s easy enough to buy a self-sustaining any colony from most stores, and they make the perfect first-time pets for young children. It’s a glimpse into a world that many children find fascinating, and since insects are some of the first creatures a child will come across in their life, exposing them to the six-legged ants will allow them to have a better understanding of the outside world and how incredibly diverse it is.

Ant colonies are also extremely easy to manage, and only require food. Otherwise, the ants keep very much to themselves, and provide endless hours of entertainment while also possibly sparking an early interest in biology or science.

Hamsters/Guinea Pigs

Perfect for children from around 7 and older, hamsters and guinea pigs are the perfect fuzzy companions for just about any child. They’re small, adorable, easy to look after, and they don’t make a huge mess. They also provide the first foray into responsibility, and allow your children to learn how to look after other living animals.

This can prepare them for future pets, such as dogs as well as give them a deeper understanding of what it means to have the life of another living being under their care.

Birds

This may seem like a surprising suggestion for a first pet, but birds make devoted companions. Not only are they smart enough to learn words, but they’re often friendly, especially if they’re raised from infancy.

They’re also self-sufficient, and only require the right food, fresh fruit and veggies every few days, fresh water, and the odd cage clean every now and again. Birds also come in a vast array of different shapes, sizes, and colours, and some have beautiful singing voices.

They’re entertaining for children of all ages, and thanks to their low management, they can live in just about every room in the house, and even outside if they have a warm, safe enclosure. They can also be taught to sit on your shoulder, where they can come with you or your child during your endeavours.

8 Activities to Make You Feel Like a Child Again

by Kelly Norton

Life gets busy, and between work, family commitments, and trying to balance health and ready-made meals, we tend to forget to have fun.

Not the grown-up kind, but the really fun fun that gets you dirty, exhilarates you and absorbs your attention so fully, that you forget to worry if anyone is watching.

So, grab your gumboots and find your inner child with these activities.

Get Yourself Dirty

Remember a time in your life when you weren’t scared of dirt? Weren’t worried about ruining your clothes? Get your self some dirt and some water and make some mud.

Then make mud pies, and mud castles, smear it over your hands (its great for the skin) and if you can get a friend to join you, make some mud missiles and have a mud fight until you are covered from top to toe.

Jump in Puddles

The next time it rains don’t dash inside, rather grab your gumboots, or better yet lose the shoes altogether and go jump in some puddles. You get extra points if your mud arch enemy joins you.

Catch Tadpoles or Bugs or Worms

Whichever it is, grab a jar, get out into the sunshine and catch some creatures. Then, and this is the most important part, marvel at their amazingness. Just don’t forget to release them afterward.

 Go to a Children’s Playground

It is preferable to go with children, but if you don’t have any and your friends don’t have any to loan you, go anyway.

Play on the see-saw, hang on the monkey bars (a splendid work out), and swing on the swings as high as you can without worrying about getting hurt.

A word to the wise, you aren’t as young as you were, so do not jump off you may break something. But if you do, you can enjoy some sports betting NZ while you heal up.

Create a Work of Art with Finger-paint

Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar, ½ a cup of corn-starch, and 2 cups of water. Heat over a medium heat until thick, divide into containers and add desired colouring. But, the real trick to this one, stick your fingers in and start painting while the mixture is still warm.

Blow Bubbles

Go purchase yourself a huge bag of bubble-gum. Not the very grown up chewing gum but the bright pink/blue/yellow kid’s bubble-gum. Stuff so much in your mouth that you can barely chew and blow bubbles. Big, sticky, bubble gum bubbles that get stuck on your nose when they pop. You get bonus points if you do this around your folks.

Play in Water

Any water. Put on the sprinkler and jump around in the spray, have a swim in the pool, but not the kind where you barely splash. Have the kind of swim that leaves more water out the pool than in it.

Pretend to Be a Chipmunk

Have a competition with any willing soul to see who can fit the most marshmallows in their mouth.

Lastly, don’t forget, try not to take life too seriously.

Finding The Best Modern Board Games To Play

by Kelly Norton

We’ve all had those days where the weather has forced us to stay inside. For most people this also usually means a day spent on a tablet, smartphone, or computer, but this wasn’t always the case. For decades, parents and children enjoyed the thrill of board games; not only do they provide tons of fun, but can assist in educational development as well as being a bonding experience.

Most people today would roll their eyes at the suggestion of a board game – especially when they can just as easily load up a YouTube video to watch. But sometimes it’s a good idea to take a break from all the technology. The big screens, flashing lights, and overwhelming amounts of media like online pokies NZ that can often do more harm than good, especially for the younger children out there.

A big misconception among many concerning board games is that they’re often boring, and don’t provide the same stimulation as what you’d find on a computer. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and there are, in fact, plenty of modern games to choose from that can provide endless hours of entertainment.

5. Game of Thrones

This massively popular TV series has seen a huge variety of offshoots that extend into various other types of media. One of these is board games, and the Game of Thrones game in particular is definitely worth checking out.

Far from being a cheap knock-off, this is a game that brings to life the books and the series, and while not suitable for many children as the series is geared toward adults, it’s a good way to spend an evening with some friends.

4. Trajan

This game gives players the chance to learn about the Ancient Romans, while also providing some interesting gameplay.

The aim of the game is to try and gain power the same way the Romans did: through military, politics, and trading. Using these methods, players need to try and rise above their opponents.

3. Amerigo

Using some interesting props that add lots of variety to the game, Amerigo succeeds as an experience in exploration, where the players need to sail around the ocean to discover to lands and more.

2. Ticket To Ride

One of the older games on the list, Ticket To Ride should be part of any board game collection, and is suitable for the entire family. The goal here is to try and use your train to get around the cities on the map while also attempting to block other players from doing the same thing.

The competitive nature of the game means that players will soon start doing what they can to undermine their opponents. This is an easy game to learn and provides tons of replay value.

1. Euphoria

This is definitely one for adults and older kids and teenagers, but it’s also one of the most thought provoking, and requires a fair amount of strategy.

Every player has a set amount of workers, which they use to try and claim cities and artefacts while also impeding the progress of the other workers.

Best Free to Download PC Games 2018

by Kelly Norton

Unfortunately PC games are expensive and many gamers find new games to be far beyond their price range. Not only are new games expensive, many of them do not warrant the price tag and aren’t able to keep players engaged for longer than a few playthroughs.

As such, when your budget only allows for a few new titles a year, many gamers start looking for games that are free to play as alternatives for continuously spending outrageous amounts of cash on the ‘big releases’.

In order to point our PC gamers in the right direction, we’ve compiled a list of the best free to download and play games to keep you busy for plenty of hours to come.

Ascent Infinite Realm

Those who are familiar with PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) will be surprised to hear that the next game from Bluehole is a free-to-play steampunk MMORPG which takes place in the sky – which is rather fitting seeing as Ascent Infinite Realm is abbreviated as AIR.

While it may look similar to Tera, we can assure you that the similarities end at both games being MMO’s developed by the same company.

Dota 2

All PC gamers have undoubtedly heard of or played Dota 2 over the years, but it’s worth a mention as it’s one of the most popular free-to-play games of all time.

This top-down arena battler is outrageously active and attracts multi-million dollar prize pools for serious e-sport tournament players – it’s almost as popular as the multitudes of real money slots! While Dota 2 has intricate gameplay mechanics, it’s certainly not just for the obsessives, and it’s just a matter of time before you’re hooked too!

Star Wars: The Old Republic

This game took over from the original Star Wars MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies in 2011, but it wasn’t initially a free release. Fortunately for us, it has since adopted the highly popular free-to-play model.

Subscriptions are however still available which give you more in-game potential, but all the story missions are available without paying a cent. It’s worth playing simply to experience the Star Wars universe from many different perspectives such as the Imperial Agent and Bounty Hunter.

Everquest

The future of Everquest was uncertain for a brief moment not too long ago following the sale of Sony’s entertainment division back in February 2015, but now the game is back with bigger expansion packs and continued support by Daybreak Game Company.

Everquest was released in 1999 as an MMORPG with a 3D game engine – the first of its kind to succeed commercially – and features consistently released expansion packs to new areas, races, and classes.

Warframe

If you like the sound of third-person co-op shooters, then Warframe is one of the best free games for you. You’ll join one of three factions – Tenno, Grineer, or Corpos – after which your soldier will be decked out in a Crysis-esque exosuit complete with guns or melee weapons.

Warframe is certainly shinier and better-looking than your average free-to-play shooter game and there is plenty of fun to be had with its player versus enemy raids.

Delicious Recipes to Involve Kids in Cooking

by Kelly Norton

Most families, when school holidays are approaching, break out into a sweat at the thought of trying to keep their kids’ busy for weeks at a time.

If you have unlimited financial resources, you probably don’t experience the same anxiety as a big family holiday could easily be arranged, but for average families the idea of entertaining kids can be a daunting prospect.

While we don’t have a solution for the entire vacation, we can give you a few recipes which can be made with your kids, therefore keeping you both busy for at least a few hours.

Cooking with your kids is both rewarding and enjoyable. Have fun!

French Bread Pizzas

Ingredients

  • 4 small baguettes, hotdog rolls or crusty sandwich rolls
  • Jar of readymade tomato pasta sauce
  • Grated mozzarella cheese
  • Toppings of your choosing such as caramelised onions, ham, pepperoni, cooked mushrooms, bacon, pineapple, bell peppers, olives etc.

Method

  • Cut the rolls in half and lay each half, crust side down, on a baking tray
  • Top each half with the readymade tomato pasta sauce
  • Top with grated mozzarella cheese
  • Allow kids to add the toppings of their choice to their own rolls
  • Bake at 190°C on the lowest oven rack for 8-10 minutes
  • Move to the top rack and grill for 2-3 minutes until the bread is crisp and the cheese is melted
  • Cut into slices so it will cool quicker so the little ones don’t burn their mouths

Pappardelle with Corn and Leeks

Ingredients

This recipe is so quick and easy that you could even enjoy online betting NZ at the same time!

  • 350g fresh pappardelle
  • 2 small leeks
  • 1 ½ cups corn
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Olive oil
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup cream cheese
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  • Slice the leeks and ask your child to separate the rings with their fingers
  • Ask your child to peel the garlic for you before you chop it
  • Start boiling water for the pasta and add salt to taste
  • Sautee the leeks, corn, and garlic in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat
  • Your child can help stir the vegetables with supervision
  • Cook for 7-8 minutes so that the leeks wilt and start caramelising
  • Add salt and pepper to taste
  • Add ¼ cup of water to the pan to de-glaze it and stir until all the moisture has evaporated
  • Cook the pasta according to the instructions and drain
  • Place the cooked pasta and vegetables in a large bowl
  • Add the cream cheese and ask your child to mix it all up
  • Add parmesan and ask your child to stir it in
  • Serve immediately

No-Bake Oreo Bars

Ingredients

  • 470 grams Oreo cookies
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 4 cups marshmallows

Method

  • Place Oreos in a food processor and allow your child to push the button for blitz until ground
  • Melt the butter and the marshmallows in a large microwave safe bowl until puffed – if child is old enough allow them to do this step with supervision
  • Working quickly, add the ground Oreos to the marshmallow and butter mixture
  • Ask your child to stir rapidly until everything is well incorporated
  • Transfer mixture to a 20x20cm baking tin, level, and allow to set for 10 minutes
  • Cut into squares and serve immediately.

Classic Hidden Gems Worth A Play Today

by Kelly Norton

Let’s take a look at some hidden gems from yesteryear that many people may not have ever played. While these games are from consoles from a previous generation, they are still excellent games in their own right that still stand up today.

Shadowrun Megadrive

Before Skyrim redefined what an open world game can be, we had Shadowrun on the Mega drive from the legendary Blue Sky Software. This game, based on the tabletop RPG game of the same name drops players smack dab in the middle of a dystopian future with nothing to your name expect a gun and your quest to find your missing brother.

Including elements like magic, gun play, hacking and body augmentation, this was a game well ahead of its time and that is yet to be replicated in the modern era. Not even online slots real money Canada can give you the sense of freedom present here.

Landstalker Mega Drive

With awards for Innovation of the Year, Game of the Year and RPG of the Year, Landstalker may not seem a candidate for hidden gem classification, but the fact remains despite critical acclaim, most players outside of Japan missed out on this excellent title.

With its eye popping sound and graphics and extremely engaging plot, Landstalker remains a milestone in the history of Sega’s Mega Drive console. It recently saw a modern release in the form of its inclusion in the Nintendo Virtual Console digital store.

It also received a number of changes to its story, text and in game assets when the game was localised for western audiences. The original contained a lot of content of a sexual nature and naturally Sega of America preferred to keep the game more child friendly.

Terranigma Super Nintendo

This is a game that only received limited release outside of Japan. Not only that but it was released near the end of the Super Nintendo’s life so many gamers missed out on this gem as they had already moved onto the Sony Playstation and the Sega Saturn which were both releases just before Terranigma found its way to these shores.

With incredible graphics and a truly epic story, Terranigma capped the RPG crown that the Super Nintendo has held since the release of Legend of Zelda. Today this cartridge’s value has shot up dramatically as collectors clamour for the game due to its limited release run.

Super Fire Pro Wrestling Premium

The Fire Pro series of wrestling games is legendary. It is a franchise based on the Japanese professional wrestling franchise. The catch here is that the company who developed these games, Human Interactive, never received a licence for their game so their characters were not based on the real line-up of the NJPW at the time. The characters used in these games are instead lookalikes based on real wrestlers.

The roster of characters also includes American wrestlers like Hulk Hogan and the Undertaker but of course under pseudonyms. What really made this series stand out is the realistic wrestling action that has inspired the play mechanics of wrestling games to this day.

Super Fire Pro Wrestling was never released in the west but fans have created fan translated ROMs which not only help translate the game’s menus into English, but many fans have actually changed the names and features of the in-game characters to more resemble their real life counterparts.

10 Best-Rated Kids’ Movies of All Time

by Kelly Norton

Being stuck indoors with your kids for hours on end is enough to drive even the most level-headed and patient parent a little batty, but don’t worry – we’ve come to your rescue!

These 10 top-rated kids’ movies of all time are sure to entertain both you and your little ones and could even provide you with some much-need downtime.

1. The Lion King (1994)

The Lion King doles out equal measures of heart-breaking and heart-warming moments as it tells the story of a young lion, Simba, who need to stand up to his nefarious uncle, Scar, in order to save his pride, with the help and guidance of his friends Timon and Pumbaa.

2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

The first in the Harry Potter series, we are introduced to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Snape, to name just a few.

Harry discovers his powers and leaves his awful family behind in order to attend a school for wizards called Hogwarts.

3. The Goonies (1985)

What happens when you take a group of childhood friends, add a treasure map, and a giant named Sloth? It’s a recipe for the perfect adventure movie, of course!

This 80’s classic has everything you would expect from a YA drama and is filled with heroic courage.

4. Mary Poppins (1964)

Finding the right nanny can be a real challenge, one that a banker and his kids know to be true in this classic.

Fortunately for them, the perfect nanny – Mary Poppins – shows up just in time to help them explore the magic of their everyday world.

5. Mrs. Doubtfire (1990)

Set your kids down with Mrs. Doubtfire to gain some much needed time to research NRL betting tips.

Sticking with the theme of the perfect nanny, we meet Daniel Hillard – played by Robin Williams – who is left without custody of his kids after a divorce.

Desperate to spend time with them, he quickly devises the perfect plan: pose as their nanny!

6. Frozen (2013)

When Elsa’s chilling powers almost take the life of her sister Anna accidently, she is confined to a castle only to emerge on the day of her queenly coronation.

Once the day arrives things naturally go very wrong and the sisters must work together to save the kingdom from eternal winter.

7. Finding Nemo (2003)

This heart-warming tale tells the story of a neurotic clownfish searching for his lost son across the lengths and breadths of the ocean and has many valuable lessons to impart on audiences.

You’ll also meet plenty of unforgettable characters along the way.

8. Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Meet Belle – labelled an outcast in her small village – who finds comfort from her widowed father.

When her father goes missing Belle sets off in search of him and discovers he has been imprisoned by a Beast.

However, Belle quickly discovers that all is not what it seems.

9. The Little Mermaid (1989)

Ariel, growing bored of life under the sea, makes a deal with the wicked sea-witch, Ursula, to trade her voice for a pair of legs and a chance to capture Prince Eric’s heart.

With only three days to achieve her goal or face a life as Ursula’s slave, Ariel must overcome many obstacles in order to have the life she’s always wanted.

10. Toy Story (1995)

This timeless film has an important message to impart: always lookout for your friends!

Told through the eyes of toys that come to life, Woody and Buzz Lightyear will discover the true meaning of friendship.

Favourite Kiwi Recipes

by Kelly Norton

Long winter days can get all of us down in the dumps. Especially of you have a family around your feet who ae bored stupid. A great way to not only keep them entertained but fed as well is to whip up one of these old favourites in the kitchen.

Get your significant other or kids involved, get dirty, and make something yummy. Once the day is done you can serve these up as a dinner.

Get your kids to set the table with something nice, create a centre piece and put out all the best cutlery. After all, what’s the point in keeping things if you never use them?

Cook Yourself Happy – Favourite Recipes For Winter Days

Brandy Snap Cakes

These are easy to make and don’t require many ingredients. Sit afterwards with your family and scoff these delicious sweet treats in front of the TV, after a great dinner, or even as a sneaky treat at night while you are checking on your Australian sports betting.

You will need:

  • 1½cups of Cream
  • 3 TBSP icing sugar, for the cream and extra to dust over the finished cake
  • 1½tsp Vanilla essence
  • 18 Brandy snaps
  • 75g Dark chocolate, melted
  • 8 Strawberries, hulled and halved
    A small handful of Mint, to garnish.

Instructions:

  1. Whip the cream, icing sugar and vanilla essence, until you get a thick consistency.
  2. Pipe the cream into the middle of the brandy snaps. Put a little cream on the centre of a serving plate to stop the brandy snaps from skating around.
  3. Top each layer with another layer of 6 brandy snaps interchanging the broader and thinner ends to keep them as flat as possible
  4. Keep layering until you run out of brandy snaps and you have formed a tower. Trickle with the cooled but still runny chocolate. Put the strawberries on top and dust with the extra icing sugar. You can now garnish with the mint.
  5. Keep in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

Golden Kumara And Bacon Fritters

A bit more complicated but nonetheless fun to make. These are healthy too!

You will need:

  • 2 large kumara, peeled and cubed
  • Oil for cooking
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 bacon rashers, chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ½ cup grated cheese
  • 1 cup silver beet, shredded
  • ¼ cup chopped coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Half head of lettuce, shredded
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 100g feta, crumbled
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • Frozen fries

Instructions:

  1. Place the kumara into a pot of salted water. Cook for at least 10 minutes or until softened. Drain the kumara and mash roughly.
  2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and bacon and cook both of these together 5 minutes until cooked and slightly browned. Once these are cooked and fragrant then add to the kumara. Stir well and add eggs, flour, cheese, silver beet, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. Make sure that everything is well combined, this is a great task for the kids!
  3. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Spoon large tablespoons of mixture into the frying pan, cooking 3-4 minutes each side until golden. Don’t worry if not totally cooked through they will carry on cooking while you keep them warm and whip up the next batch. Remove and keep warm while you cook the remainder.
  4. Combine lettuce, carrot and feta.
  5. Serve the fritters with salad, fries and a sauce on the side such as ketchup or sweet chilli.

Trail Riding in New Zealand – The Best Way To See The country

by Kelly Norton

The idea of sitting on a half-ton flight animal and riding up a steep rocky path may make some people recoil in terror, but the truth is that trail riding on horseback is one of the greatest ways to see any country, especially the beauty of New Zealand.

There are a vast number of different types and levels one can take, ranging from beach rides with gallops along the white sand, to exploring the untouched mountainous wilderness.

Kahurangi National Park

One of the lesser-known horse trekking sites, here you can expect to splash through natural mountain lakes and forests. You don’t need to be of a certain skill level, as the horses are sturdy and dependable.

If you feel comfortable, you can even ride bareback into the deeper parts of the lake, and experience the thrill of swimming with your horse.

Week-Long Horse Treks

For those who are fit and can stand a couple of days in the saddle, there are a number of horse treks that stretch over a couple of nights. From a whole week to just a weekend, you can ride through the rugged New Zealand landscape on your trusty steed, camping at night under the stars.

All equipment is provided for you and the guides are always experienced and friendly. Just be aware that you will very likely be stiff after a few days ride, especially if you are not used to horse riding. Its best to build up to an experience like this with a number of day rides first.

Follow a Miners Trail

New Zealand is known for its first pioneers who mined coals in the steep mountains. Following in their footsteps on specially bred horses, you can ride up and down steep mountain faces and sleep in sheep mustering huts at the end of the night.

Points of interest often include some old coal and gold mines themselves, as well as unspoiled New Zealand high country. Food is locally sourced most of the time and will give you a great sense of satisfaction as you wrap up in your sleeping bag in a century-old hut with a full belly.

Ride and Race

The horse racing industry is New Zealand is one of the best in the world. Quality horses are bred and trained, running locally and internationally. The great Phar Lap was homegrown in New Zealand and went on to become one of the best racehorses in the world.

A few trail riding outfits are near cities such as Queenstown, which have a thriving racing industry. A great idea is to do a trail ride on a shaggy, dependable pony, and then go to see the other end of the spectrum with glossy, scorchingly fast thoroughbreds.

Placing a bet on a race is exciting, and a well-loved past time in the country. Betting on other sports such as Australian Open tennis betting can be done online and in a number of friendly tote shops.

Go To Mordor

Lord of the Rings was one of the most successful movie series ever made.

The vast majority of it was shot in New Zealand, which is not surprising when one looks at the awe-inspiring scenery.

Take a trail that goes right through some of the best-known LOTR spots such as Mordor and the Battle of Rohan.