I'm going to Dubai and New Zealand next month..

KoreBolteR

KoreBolteR

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I was just wondering, has anyone been?, is anyone going? is anyone there rightnow, or live in those places?

I just want to know what's best to do when i get to them. ill be in Auckland when i go to NZ. Be off for 26 days in total :D

I know about Dubai, and the fact that you can't drink on the streets and stuff...

Cheers:D
 
Yes visit KA, I am in Hamilton so you can't see me, you don't want to anyway. I hope when you come down here yo have an awesome experience.
 
I spent 3 weeks in NZ. Beautiful country.

Aside from Auckland, if you could only visit two other cities I would suggest Wellington, and Queenstown. If I recall, Wellington had some nice museams to visit, and Queenstown had incredible scenery and a ton of things to do (gets a lot of LoTR tourism, and some of it is actually fairly interesting).

Other than that, I visited Rotorua (known for it's geothermic mud pools, and Maori crafts), and Christchurch (forget what I did there, to be honest :p). Finally, the Bay of Islands was great to see (at the top of the North Island).

Hope this helps a bit :)
 
Wanted Bob said:
I spent 3 weeks in NZ. Beautiful country.

Aside from Auckland, if you could only visit two other cities I would suggest Wellington, and Queenstown. If I recall, Wellington had some nice museams to visit, and Queenstown had incredible scenery and a ton of things to do (gets a lot of LoTR tourism, and some of it is actually fairly interesting).

Other than that, I visited Rotorua (known for it's geothermic mud pools, and Maori crafts), and Christchurch (forget what I did there, to be honest :p). Finally, the Bay of Islands was great to see (at the top of the North Island).

Hope this helps a bit :)
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Yeah awesome! I have heared about Queenstown on the South Island, I hope we can make it there! Looks amazing. The Bay of Islands is some on our to-do list. Thanks Bob!:cheers:

Vegeta897 said:
Visit KA, of course.
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Shyam said:
Yes visit KA, I am in Hamilton so you can't see me, you don't want to anyway. I hope when you come down here yo have an awesome experience.
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Yeah I have always wanted to go to NZ, it looks incredible! :D
 
Wanted Bob said:
I spent 3 weeks in NZ. Beautiful country.

Aside from Auckland, if you could only visit two other cities I would suggest Wellington, and Queenstown. If I recall, Wellington had some nice museams to visit, and Queenstown had incredible scenery and a ton of things to do (gets a lot of LoTR tourism, and some of it is actually fairly interesting).

Other than that, I visited Rotorua (known for it's geothermic mud pools, and Maori crafts), and Christchurch (forget what I did there, to be honest :p). Finally, the Bay of Islands was great to see (at the top of the North Island).

Hope this helps a bit :)
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This is a nice summary. If you are only in NZ and only have enough time for Auckland that's a shame. There are other places Wanted Bob mentioned you could visit. I would recommend adventure tourism too. Try Bungie jumping :) If you are up for it that is.
 
Queenstown is a must! but isnt it like a days drive from Auckland? lol
 
Queenstown is at the bottom of the South Island, if I am not mistaken.

By the way, do you know how your are going to be travelling around? When I went we rented an RV, it was a great way to see the country because it gave you a bit more freedom than with car/hotels.

If you can stand the idea of living out of an RV for 26 days (I managed it), I would highly recommend at least looking into it.
 
Well, yes there is the smell of sulfur to get used to, but what else would you expect from geothermic mud pools? :p
 
Maybe ill try Rotorua lol! never heard of it before!!

yeah we are staying at my buddys aunts house and she knows alot of people that could get us an RV, interesting..
 
KoreBolteR said:
Maybe ill try Rotorua lol! never heard of it before!!

yeah we are staying at my buddys aunts house and she knows alot of people that could get us an RV, interesting..
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I see you are from Wales. That's good. You won't get tired of our sheep. Lots and lots of Sheep.
 
I lived in Dubai for 5 years, first moved there in 1999.

That was back when Dubai was basically just starting out. I saw the construction of the Burj Al Arab, Wild Wadi Park, how they could turn the wastelands surrounding the motorways and schools etc into lush greenland in days. It was amazing. Truly the best city I've ever lived in.

I went back for 3 days on my way to SA for xmas, spending the nights with some long-time friends of ours we knew from back in the day.

This was 2008. I barely recognised the place. The new Burj was half complete. My old school didnt look the same (Dubai College). The roads had 6 lanes. The new rail network was up. I didnt even recognise the area we were in until our friend pointed out the window of the car and said 'thats where you used to live'. It just didnt look the same. There were skyscrapers everywhere in that area.

Its extremely busy now. It used to be sedated and laid back, now its all just a race to get everywhere, the people seem less friendly in shops etc.

The city will be great...when its finished. Theres construction everywhere you look now.

Something like a 5th of the WORLD's SUPPLY of cranes are in Dubai. Thats just insane.

However, regardless of all that, Dubai has literally everything you ever need, you just pay a little bit more than usual as prices are increasing notably.

When youre in a city on the edge of a dessert, and you say 'I know, I fancy going Skiing today', and you can, you know youre in a playboy's paradise.

Its still a city that should blow your mind. I wouldnt like to live there again as much as did back in the day though. Its undoubtedly the central hub of the world. For example, I guarantee they have the world's first spaceport for internationals in Dubai.

They have so much money its insane. When I went back in 2008, they were adding a lane onto the new motorway being built, making it 7 lanes. They were announcing plans to build the world's largest airport outside the city. Why?????

Because they can. Its as simple as that.

Like I said, the city will be great when its finished.
 
Why doesn't all that wealth go to someone more useful?
 
?ynast? said:
I lived in Dubai for 5 years, first moved there in 1999.

That was back when Dubai was basically just starting out. I saw the construction of the Burj Al Arab, Wild Wadi Park, how they could turn the wastelands surrounding the motorways and schools etc into lush greenland in days. It was amazing. Truly the best city I've ever lived in.

I went back for 3 days on my way to SA for xmas, spending the nights with some long-time friends of ours we knew from back in the day.

This was 2008. I barely recognised the place. The new Burj was half complete. My old school didnt look the same (Dubai College). The roads had 6 lanes. The new rail network was up. I didnt even recognise the area we were in until our friend pointed out the window of the car and said 'thats where you used to live'. It just didnt look the same. There were skyscrapers everywhere in that area.

Its extremely busy now. It used to be sedated and laid back, now its all just a race to get everywhere, the people seem less friendly in shops etc.

The city will be great...when its finished. Theres construction everywhere you look now.

Something like a 5th of the WORLD's SUPPLY of cranes are in Dubai. Thats just insane.

However, regardless of all that, Dubai has literally everything you ever need, you just pay a little bit more than usual as prices are increasing notably.

When youre in a city on the edge of a dessert, and you say 'I know, I fancy going Skiing today', and you can, you know youre in a playboy's paradise.

Its still a city that should blow your mind. I wouldnt like to live there again as much as did back in the day though. Its undoubtedly the central hub of the world. For example, I guarantee they have the world's first spaceport for internationals in Dubai.

They have so much money its insane. When I went back in 2008, they were adding a lane onto the new motorway being built, making it 7 lanes. They were announcing plans to build the world's largest airport outside the city. Why?????

Because they can. Its as simple as that.

Like I said, the city will be great when its finished.
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Guess youve gone to some awesome places Dyn..

Ive always wondered what it would be like living in another country, but never had the courage to do it, someday I will, jus for the experience and to say at least ive done it!

I have seen pictures of comparison of the old Dubai and new Dubai and its shocking how far theyve gone in the past 10 years or so! Bet it was good living there when it was a laid back placeand developing at a fast pace!

I wonder if theyllr allow me and my mates in the tallest building in the world, doubt it, ive heard we cant go in the Burj Al Arab, the 7 star hotel on the man made island. may visit the palm tree land off the coast.

Oh and I wonder how the 'World Islands' are doing and if theyre almost complete..?

anyway cheers for the info Dyn!!
 
Had a buddy go to Dubai a few months ago. He says it's pretty westernized.
 
Thats the problem with Dubai now. Its completely tainted by the west, and theyre losing the cultural side.

Theyve got their old buildings that have been there hundreds of years along the creek that splits the city into two, and theyve just built skyscrapers all around them. It just destroys the point of visiting them now.
 
?ynast? said:
Thats the problem with Dubai now. Its completely tainted by the west, and theyre losing the cultural side.

Theyve got their old buildings that have been there hundreds of years along the creek that splits the city into two, and theyve just built skyscrapers all around them. It just destroys the point of visiting them now.
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I think that's a problem in a lot of the eastern countries. They just build skyscrapers next to buildings that have a lot of cultural history behind them. I think there should be a balance. Some countries are too eager to westernize while others don't let go. You should ditch some of the customs that doesn't belong in modern times while keeping the others.
 
The other problem is, because the way Dubai is now, people arent going for the cultural side, which has obviously been realised, so theyve stopped caring and just want to rake in the money by putting everything a consumer could want in their city.

You can buy anything in Dubai. Theres a main drag you can drive down and on the right side as youre heading into the city, its just 100% car showrooms. For a good 10 minutes of driving, its just car showrooms. Ferrari. Porsche. Ford. Saab. Mercedes. Audi.

If a company is a big name, its in Dubai. Somewhere.

They have the world's largest shopping mall, which generates the world's largest amount of profit, but nooooooo, they have to build a slightly smaller one a stones throw away. Dubai Mall and Emirates Mall.
 
?ynast? said:
The other problem is, because the way Dubai is now, people arent going for the cultural side, which has obviously been realised, so theyve stopped caring and just want to rake in the money by putting everything a consumer could want in their city.

You can buy anything in Dubai. Theres a main drag you can drive down and on the right side as youre heading into the city, its just 100% car showrooms. For a good 10 minutes of driving, its just car showrooms. Ferrari. Porsche. Ford. Saab. Mercedes. Audi.

If a company is a big name, its in Dubai. Somewhere.

They have the world's largest shopping mall, which generates the world's largest amount of profit, but nooooooo, they have to build a slightly smaller one a stones throw away. Dubai Mall and Emirates Mall.
Click to expand...

How did their economy sour though ? I've read (mainly in BBC) that Dubai's economy nosedived.
 
KoreBolteR said:
Maybe ill try Rotorua lol! never heard of it before!!
Click to expand...
If you're going to Rotorua, be sure to check out Taupo. Short drive away (less than an hour from memory), and it's pretty nice. Huge lake there where you can take a boat out or go parasailing or something, as long as you don't mind the huge dormant volcano underneath. D:

Oh also, take the gondolas up in Rotorua and ride the luge. It's awesome. :D

Vegeta897 said:
Why doesn't all that wealth go to someone more useful?
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Because people control the money and people are greedy and dumb.

How has this concept still not penetrated some people?
 
I live in NZ, but in Christchurch, not Auckland fortunately :p
 
You'll love NZ. Went backpacking there for six weeks two years ago, the best damn place I've ever been to. If I were you I'd stay on the South Island more, it's by far the best of the two. Also try to avoid the big cities, they're dull as hell, especially Auckland and Christchurch. If you have to stay on the North Island I would recommend Taupo, Rotorua, and especially the Northland Region (the area north of Auckland), which offers some great sceneries and diving if you're into that.

Also be sure you try out skydiving and bungee jumping while you're there.

NZ offers virtually every type of landscape you can think of, it's mindblowing.
 
Shyam said:
How did their economy sour though ? I've read (mainly in BBC) that Dubai's economy nosedived.
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Because they threw so much money at real estate development and construction.

They built one palm island for example, which did pretty well in sales of housing, and the second one is, I think, almost complete?

But then the recession hit, and people stopped buying/investing in the housing, but construction had to continue.

They were leaking money and not getting any of it back because, well, why buy a house in Dubai when you can barely afford to pay monthly wherever you currently live.

That and the current debt they owed meant they were leaking more and more money just to pay off money they didnt have anymore.

Dubai's prices increased, and even less people invested. Serious downward spiral after the recession hit.
 
Stay safe man... don't let those Kiwis abduct you.
 
Hey Guys! Dubai was Awesome! visited that tallest tower in the world (Burj Khalifa) .was insanely tall!! and went on the man made palm atlantis to have a few beers and cocktails on the beach, and also had a few drinks in a hotel call the Jameira I think it's called.. but it was next to the Burj Al Arab and we had a great view and saw the million dollar yaughts sitting behind it, man wish I had one of them babys.

Got to Auckland on the 17th and is staying at a mates' aunts house. She has a daughter Emma whos 20 and hot, and we hooked up wahey! :D shes moving to the UK in 6 weeks so we'll see what happens there visited Taiheke Island today, was roasting fairplay, got burnt as a m**f**r ha.. It's curently 1:25am, Im having a beer and a ciggie, guna set up for the Kiwi Experience tomorrow, travelling from Auckland to Rotorua, Taupo, Wellington across the ferry to Picton, Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown and Milford Sound! just finished packing a mini suitcase bag so all set to go!

PS - Watched that film 'Once were Warriors' or something about Mauri life in NZ, pretty good!
 
That was the Jumeira Beach Hotel. The Burj Al Arab is meant to look like a sail, and the Jumeira Beach Hotel is meant to look like a wave. The hotel was there before the Burj though.

Didnt realise they had a port/dock behind it now. That takes the piss, but at the same time I cant say Im surprised.

Should've gone to Wild Wadi next door. Awesome water park.
 
Welcome back, nice to hear you had a good time.

I thought they had weird ass hardcore laws in dubai, such as people getting thrown in jail for drinking beer and couples holding hands at the beach etc. I thought alcohol overall was a big no no over there.
 
Nah alcohol is fine over there. Theres too much foreign investment, interest and tourism to NOT have it. Theyre Emiratees..err..Emirates? Emirateees?, not strictly muslims. Slight difference.

Though I do remember when I was living there a couple getting kicked out of the country for chewing gum on the street during Ramadan.
 
Sounds like you're having an awesome time :D

Got any pics?
 
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