Auckland to Sydney – 17% saving!
Book flights online with Skyscanner New Zealand and you could be heading to Sydney on the cheap. Fly the flag and see the All Blacks hammer the Aussies in the Bledisloe Cup on Saturday August 19. A few days earlier, on Sunday August 13, you could dress up in your favourite costume and take part in the city2surf – the world’s largest fun run. The 15km course starts out in Hyde Park in the city centre and ends at Bondi Beach, where you can cool off in the ocean. Then, from August 24, Opera Australia’s My Fair Lady comes to the Capitol Theatre Sydney.
Auckland to Melbourne – 17% saving AND Wellington to Melbourne – 18% saving AND Christchurch to Melbourne – 20% saving!
Melbourne comes into its own in the cooler months when everyone wraps up warm and the pubs and restaurants do a roaring trade. It’s also time to curl up after a day’s sightseeing with a nice book – or you could connect with some of your favourite authors at the Melbourne Writers Festival, from August 25 to September 3. Also on, between August 18-20 at the Arts Centre Melbourne, is Supersense: Festival of the Ecstatic. It’s devoted to the many perspectives of the ecstatic experience and features a range of outlandish performances. One of the highlights is a show performed by Pussy Riot, the feminist punk collective that made news headlines when they were jailed after a performance in a Moscow cathedral in 2012.
Auckland to Bali – 16% saving!
Book cheap flights and hotels in August because it’s the best time to fly to Bali. It’s the driest month and there is plenty of sunshine, so you can enjoy the beaches while escaping the worst of the New Zealand winter. In August there are kite festivals across the island, including on famous Sanur Beach during the Sanur Village Festival, held between August 3-6. Hot? Chill out at Waterbom Bali, a great waterpark with lots of rides.
Auckland to Seoul – 13% saving!
Book cheap international flights in August to the capital of South Korea. Once you’ve tried all that street food take a peek at North Korea across the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). You need to join a tour to visit the settlement of Panmunjom, the closest point a normal tourist can get to the North Korean border. Dress up in hired clothes to make you look smart, look across the border with binoculars, and get your photo taken with a giant South Korean guard in the United Nations building that straddles the border. Talk about a strange experience.
Wellington to Auckland – 32% saving AND Christchurch to Auckland – 54% saving!
Hanging out for some culture in Auckland? The first week of August is still playing host to the New Zealand International Film Festival, which runs from July 20 to August 6. New Zealand Fashion Week also comes to town, on the 28th of August. It finishes with the NZ Fashion Weekend, from September 1-3, when the general public can check out the latest trends. Meanwhile, the city’s restaurants and eateries will be focused on special menus and dining events as part of Restaurant Month 2017.
Christchurch to Wellington – 34% saving!
There’s more food on offer at Wellington on a Plate, from August 11-27. It’s a region-wide culinary takeover of wellington’s restaurants, car parks and laneways, with pop-ups, set menus, burgers, cocktails and special events on the menu. Wash it down with some craft beers during Beervana, Wellington’s popular beer festival, from August 11-12. Beer brewed with lemongrass or lychees, anyone?
