Port Waikato – Weathertop
The longest river in New Zealand is the Waikato River at 425 kilometres, and Port Waikato is where the river reaches the sea. The Lord of the Rings Weathertop Hollow was filmed at the rock formation.

Kiwis visit this coastal town for the beaches, surfing, and fresh seafood. The beach is also call Sunset Beach where you get to see the most spectacular sun-setting show in New Zealand.

Matamata – Hobbiton
Matamata is a small rural town known for their Thoroughbred horse breeding and training. Now, it is more referred to as the Hobbiton, thanks to Lord of the Rings movie.

As the actual film site is located on private land, no personal visits are allowed. To get to Hobbiton, you will need to go for a guided tour. Registration can be done at Matamata I-Site.

Tongariro National Park – Mordor
This is the first National Park in New Zealand, and fourth in the world. It is also a World Heritage area with important links to Maori cultural and spiritual associations, as well as its volcanic features.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing is the most popular one-day tramp in New Zealand. This route is a part of the Tongariro Northern Circuit, one of the 9 Great Walks in New Zealand. This crossing takes about 7 hours of constant walking and requires a good fitness level.

Whakapapa Ski Field – Mordor and Emyn Muil
Whakapapa and Turoa make the largest ski resort in New Zealand during winter. But during other seasons, Mount Ruapehu is just an area full of mountainous volcanic rocks, with little activity.

The alpine weather conditions are unpredictable and changeable over the day. Even if you are going in the middle of summer day, you can still find un-melted snow around the area.

Ohakune – Ithilien and Mordor
Ohakune has rich volcanic soil, which allows the claim to the largest carrot production in New Zealand. Try spotting the Big Carrot around town; you will look so tiny beside it!

Ithilien is located at Turoa Ski Field Road aka Ohakune Mountain Road Scenic Drive. To reach the film site, you will need to travel as far as the Mangawhero Falls.

Rangitikei River Gorge – River Anduin
The river starts from the Kaimanawa Ranges (southeast of Lake Taupo), flows through Central Plateau and out at South Taranaki Bight at Tangimoana, 40 kilometres southeast of Wanganui.

Steep vertical cliffs, deep canyons boulders and ancient shellfish create a unique setting for adventure activities. The world-famous attraction, Gravity Canyon, is located here.

Waitarere Forest – Trollshaw Forest and Osgiliath Wood
The Waitarere Forest is at the south of Foxton on the Kapiti Coast. This is one of the lesser-known forest track and not so common for tourists. If you want to go in, do bring sufficient food, water and a GPS along.

Kapiti Coast, on the other hand, is a popular holiday site for many Kiwis. It is about an hour from Wellington city, and you can get spectacular sea views, glorious sunsets, with an untouched native forest and dramatic landscapes.

Otaki and Otaki Gorge – Leaving the Shire
I had the impression I went somewhere in Otaki once for a camp. It was an outdoorsy camp and they recommended not to bring valuables. There is no reception for any mobile phone either.

There are several tracks that go from Otaki Gorge Road down to the gorge. However, the actual locations used to show the Hobbits leaving the Shire in The Fellowship of the Ring are not accessible by public.

Paraparaumu – Pelennor Fields
It is a small suburban town near Wellington. The Maori name parapara means food scrapes, and umu is an earth oven. It probably refers to the arrival of a war party and found only few scrapes of food in abandoned earth ovens.

The closed up shots for Battle of the Pelennor Fields in Lord of the Rings were filmed at Queen Elizabeth Park near Paraparaumu and the paddocks near MacKays Crossing. You can also check out the Wellington Tramway Museum here on weekends.

Mt Victoria – ‘Get off the road’ and ‘Escape from the Nazgul’
Go up Mount Victoria (Mt Vic for short) to get an excellent view of the city, Cook Straits and harbour. It is quite a long uphill walk. Try Metlink bus #20 on weekdays if you don’t drive and really want to check out the view.

I think I went up once or twice by car, enjoyed the view and wind while I was there, but not much impression of it now. You can also pass through Mount Victoria Tunnel when travelling between city centre and airport.

Mt Victoria and Lyall Bay – Dunharrow
If my memory is correct, this was one of the sites I went to on Wellington Rover Tours. Since I can’t even remember the exact scenes from Lord of the Rings, I don’t have much impression of this location.

The close-up shots for Dunharrow were filmed at this location while the wide shots were filmed in the South Island. Movie effects have a way of merging the various scenes together seamlessly!

Fernside – Lothlorien and Gladden Fields
Fernside’s gardens was established around 1870 and attributed to English designer Gertrude Jekyll. The peaceful and tranquil gardens and the man-made lake suited the portrayal of LOTR Lothlorien – home of the Elves – perfectly.

Do note that this site at South Wairarapa is not open for casual visits. You will need to go for their organised garden tours to get in.

Putangirua Pinnacles – Dimholt Road
The special feature of Putangirua Pinnacles is the ‘badlands erosion’. It is a spectacular landscape formed over time as streambed exposed layers of gravel to rain and floods. The rocks that are more resistant formed the pinnacles.

Check out the viewing platform near the base of the pinnacles. The top bush walk track to the viewing platform above the Pinnacles formations has already been closed for safety reasons.

Kaitoke Regional Park – Rivendell
Among all the film sites in North Island, this is my favourite. Perhaps I really like the fantasy Rivendell. Somehow, Kaitoke Regional Park has the ethereal look, not sure if it is because this place was used as Rivendell.

The park is located at the foothills of Tararua Ranges, with many mature native trees such as beech, rata, and rimu. Best thing about this place, the “magical tranquillity” remained almost the same for centuries.

Harcourt Park – Isengard Gardens and Orc Tree
Other than the beautiful park, the unique feature of Harcourt Park is that it showcases an example of the Wellington Fault – one of the 4 major active fault lines running through the Wellington Region.

The Wellington Fault last ruptured about 200-450 years ago, with repeating intervals every 500-1000 years, and moves 4-6metres each time. Also, vertical ground movement causes difference in terrace heights.

Hutt River – River Anduin and Rohan River
The scenes are filmed in multiple sites along Hutt River, with the major location between Moonshine and Totara Park. Wellington Fault activity in the last 2 million years weakened the bedrock and formed the river floodplain.

A way to follow the river is to walk all or part of the Hutt River Trail. Short walk will be accessible via Moonshine Bridge to the bank of Totara Park. Long walk (~24km) will be from Petone towards Upper Hutt.

Fort Dorset – Bree
Bree is filmed at an old army base in the suburb of Seatoun. Nothing is left from the set and this place is also not accessible by public. The closest view is from the end of Burnham Street and walk around the beach.

Dry Creek Quarry – Helm’s Deep and Minas Tirith
Dry Creek Quarry is located on the Western Hutt Road to Haywards Hill Road. Do note that the set has been removed and the quarry is now operational again. Yes, it is not accessible by public too.

New Zealand. Waterfalls, green forests, white sand beaches, volcanoes, deep fjords… Sounds like it is enough as to choose it as a travel destination? Sure it does. But this is just the lovely part! When it comes to look for the plane tickets things become a bit more tricky and sometimes can even frustrate a trip you want to do. Don’t let this feeling turn you off! Let’s take a look at how you can get New Zealand Flight Deals.

First, let’s kill the bad ones!

There are several ways we can find New Zealand flight deals today, but most of them are absolutely not useful. First of all, let me kill all the search engines that run with an affiliate network. This involves all the famous ones, as they have become famous because affiliates promote them. After you’ve killed all this search engines, let’s eliminate some airlines: Cathay Pacific will never have the best deal, as well as the Thai Airlines. Sorry guys, but they simply are repeatedly more expensive. Any other? Yes, New Zealand airlines is most of the time more expensive too, as well as British Airways.

What’s left then? You’ve killed them all!

There are some left, even if not many! First of all, I recommend the search engine called Flightcentre. This guys have many trips that are more expensive than in other places, but if you check their deals section you will find things that nowhere else appear. They operate in the US, in Canada, in Australia and in the UK.

When it comes to airlines, let me tell you that the only ones standing are Singapore Airlines and Korean Air. They have always the best New Zealand flight deals., At the time of writing Korean Air brings you from London to Auckland in New Zealand for just 870 Euros, which is by far the best price in the market, but you need to book it through Flighcentre. Singapore Airlines is today at 950 Euros, but things can change very quickly. You’ll find this special price at their Local Promotion Fares page.

Where should I depart from?

If you are in the US, get to Los Angeles or San Francisco, as the best fares are found there. In case you are in Europe, fly first to London and look at the offers only from London. Never include your home town when searching as this will make trip a lot more expensive often. Look first for the low cost carriers to your departure city and then look for the New Zealand flight deals from there.

A look to the future

There is an emerging airline, Oasis Hong Kong, which soon will be covering the London-Australia flight route. They are the first low cost carrier from Europe to the South Pacific. In any case, you must take care, because flights from Australia to New Zealand can be very expensive. Remember that low cost in this region costs 10 times more than Ryanair’s European fares.

Of course! If you are looking to travel between April and September, which is low season there, you are able to get free travel certificates for international destinations with a 90% discount. There are very few places that offer these certificates for free, but they exist!

Natural, untouched beauty! That’s what New Zealand’s South Island is all about. The South Island is home to the Southern Alps and some great skiing and snow boarding opportunities.

Christchurch is the busiest city in the South Island and also offers an international airport, with flights connecting directly to a lot of overseas destinations. The Sumner Beach, Gondola, Avon river and Cashmere hills are the main attractions in Chistchurch. The city centre is always busy with trams running frequently making it a great place to hang out!

Dunedin with it’s Cadbury’s factory and Queenstown with it’s adventure attractions are the other two cities that can’t be missed in the South Island. Queenstown also has bungee jumping opportunities, jet boats and ski dive opportunities. Milford sound tours also leave from Queenstown, and are highly recommended. Stewart island can also be visited by ferries leaving Invercargill.

Most cities in the South Island are well connected by Trans Rail and that’s perhaps the most convenient way to travel. Alternately, rental cars can also be booked and a drive along the West Coast is highly recommended. Getting to the South Island from the North Island is possible by either catching the Interislander ferry from Wellington or a Sounds Air flight from Wellington airport. Domestic flights run by Air New Zealand and other airlines also connect most other cities in the South Island to Wellington.

Origin:

Merengue originated in the Dominican Republic. It is the national dance of the Dominican. There are a few stories describing how the dance originated. The most common one is that of the slaves who were chained together and had to move by dragging one foot at a time. Merengue as a two beat music and since the footwork is quite similar to walking, it is a very easy dance to learn.

Music:

Merengue is played in 2/4. The double sided drum is played on one side with a stick with a strong syncopation to mark the beats. Saxophones and guitars are also very popular instruments found in the music.

Dance:

Merengue footwork is extremely easy to learn as it's a simple two beat movement ("left, right") with the body weight being moved between the legs. The upper body stops fairly straight while the hips move with the weight change. The Merengue frame is much smaller (closer) in comparison to Salsa. Having said that, Merengue is often led with a single (right) hand on the back. But in open hold, arms are often completely extended out instead of maintaining a closer L-shaped frame.

Latinos NZ Popularity Scale: 8.5 / 10

Meregue is a very popular Latin American Dance in New Zealand, second only to Salsa. On an average night out in a Latin Club, as many as every second or third song can be Merengue.

Celebrity Cruise in Australia and New Zealand! If you are the type of traveler who wants to get out on his feet and do some exploring rather than sit in a cabin all day or lounge by the pool, then an adventure excursion in Australia and New Zealand is the ideal holiday for you. These two vacation spots are popular destinations for tourists who want to hike mountains, swim in and sail through ocean blue waters, explore rain forests, and discover the amazing wildlife that lies within them. A Celebrity Cruise trip will bring you right in the middle of the action where you will get to experience an eclectic mix of cultures in an environment teeming with different climates and landscapes.

If you have a lot of time in your hands, you may consider hiking the rough lands of Sydney by taking the Exclusive Blue Mountains tour by Celebrity Cruise. A 4WH tourist vehicle will take you across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and into the Featherdale Wildlife Park where you will be able to come up close with exotic local animals. You will also make brief stops at fruit orchards known to many Australians as the “fruit bowl” area.

A further drive down South will bring you to the Burralow Creek National Park where you will be able to view and smell the different flora and fauna of Australia such as the eucalyptus, grass trees, and red gums. Prepare to be serenaded by the fun chirping of the kookaburras and other native birds. The off road voyage ends with a scenic view of the Three Sisters rock formation in the Blue Mountains, an experience which many have found breathtaking.

If you’ve had enough of the rough roads and would now like to explore the beautiful coastal region of Australia, you may take the Celebrity Cruise package that lets you do some kayaking on the coast of Melbourne. Upon landing in Melbourne, you will be riding the bus to the Mornington Peninsula where you will be given basic kayaking lessons. The Celebrity Cruise package already includes the life vests and the flotation equipment necessary for your safety during kayaking. After you’re all geared up and ready to go, you will head off to Port Phillip Bay where you will get a good view of the cliff mansions of the rich and the famous. As you go kayaking, you will also encounter Australia’s ocean treasures such as penguins, dolphins and seals.

Celebrity Cruise ships can also take you to the adventure lands of New Zealand. The Alpine Hammer Springs and Jet Boat tour takes you to a scenic drive along New Zealand’s mountainous landscape, and afterwards to a thrilling jet-boat ride on the Waiau River. While doing this tour, you will also get an eyeful of the culture and local life in the region. You will pass by farming regions and wine-growing communities where you will definitely appreciate the laid-back culture and warm climate. To capture the beauty of your experience, you will be treated to a photo shoot at the Mudhouse House Winery, home to the most famous wines in the Canterbury area.

The Rangitaiki Water Rafting trip is another one of the packages offered by Celebrity cruise for thrill-seekers. This six-mile adventure allows you to paddle through Tauranga, New Zealand for two hours. You will be equipped with the appropriate safety gear and given instructions to help you prepare for your invigorating journey. In the middle of your rafting trip, you will encounter the breathtaking view of the Aniwhenua Falls, a well-kept treasure of New Zealand.

The possibilities for an adventure trip in Australia and New Zealand are limitless. You can be sure that once you embark on your trip, you will be actively involved in your exploits from start to finish.

Migrating to another Country is always the biggest challenge to all aspiring migrants. Therefore, careful study and analysis of your actions and decisions are very important, it could make or break your dream. As a migrant here in New Zealand, I went through all of the immigration process that took me almost 3 years in preparation, landed in New Zealand, had the experience of difficult job hunting and difficult adjustment in work place.

This article will outline important tips that I consider to be very valuable for aspiring migrants. For them to be thorough with their document preparations, learning from others mistakes and get them equip with skills and right mindset before heading to New Zealand. All these tips were taken from my personal experience of my Journey to New Zealand and the people that I know.

Expression Of Interest (EOI)

This is the first thing you do, first step of the immigration process. Do your research, read information on the website before filling up the EOI form.

1. Enter information on EOI form correctly, follow instructions and honestly to avoid problems in the future. Your Visa Officer (VO) will contact your employer, your references and your school and if you think they don’t give much attention to this. You are wrong.

2. Collect as many supporting documents as you can that has got something to do with your work e.g. employment certifications, tax records, promotion letters, SSS contributions, etc. Have it handy just in case your VO needs it. Remember, the faster you provide documents to your VO, the faster the progress of your application will be.

3. Educate yourself, sign-up to egroup (online groups) regarding NZ and learn from them. Ask questions, remember “there’s no stupid question only stupid answers”.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

For those people who’s English are their second language, you may be asked by your VO to take IELTS test. This is very challenging and expensive, that’s why you need to prepare yourself before taking exam.

4. Listen to BBC news. Watch movies like Harry Potter and other British accent movies. Imitate the way they speak, I know this is sounds weird but you have to familiarize yourself with their accent.

This is very helpful in IELTS Listening exam. This will also come very handy when you arrive in NZ so that you will be understood in workplace. In fact, communication barrier is one of the reasons why most migrants cannot get skilled related employment. Even if your skills, experiences and education are excellent, if you can’t communicate, all these credentials are useless.

5. Motivate yourself to speak English. If you’re not comfortable talking to your peers in English, talk to yourself, talk to your dog or find someone you can comfortably talk to. The main point is practice every day. It pays to enroll in English short training to improve your English speaking skills. This will boost and build up your confidence to speak in English.

PERSONAL INTERVIEW

This stage is when your EOI has been accepted, submitted the Invitation to apply (ITA), completed medical exam, completed all the paper works, NZQA, etc. This is also a nerve cracking experience, as you will have a face to face interview with your VO.

6. Do your homework. Search on questions that your VO might ask. You may start composing your answer and practice it seriously. Some of the basic questions are, “Why did you choose NZ as a place of migration?” “What preparations have you made in regards to your migration to NZ?”

7. Be motivated in developing your English speaking, writing, and listening skills. I couldn’t emphasize more how crucial this stuff but if your VO is not satisfied with your English skills, s/he might decline your application. Ask your partner to practice English as well because there are some parts of the interview that is intended for her/him.

While waiting for the result of your interview, you must upgrade your skills based on the advertised roles in NZ jobs website, e.g. trademe jobs, seek etc. Anticipate the skills that you need most eg. for engineers, CAD skills is a big advantage. Perhaps try shifting or doing CAD works upon starting your EOI, I know it’s a downgrade to most of the engineers but I tell you, most of the engineers here that has CAD skills has great chance of getting a job.

WTR (Work To Residence)

Before heading to New Zealand spend time revising your CV, have someone to check it. Identify role you are applying for, be specific on what you’re good at and avoid jack-of-all-trade style of CV.

8. Send hundreds of application letter and mention that you will be arriving on that date. This way, once you arrived in New Zealand, you have couple of interviews lined up, at the same time you are trying to find another prospects.

9. During the job interview, just be yourself, do not be concerned about your accent or anything. Address your interviewer by his/her name, don’t call them Mam or Sir, I find others get offended when you address them Mam or Sir.

PERMANENT RESIDENCY

If you are lucky to get a relevant job before your deferral period, you can extend your visa for another 3 months while waiting for immigration approval for your Permanent Residency.

10. Constantly communicate with your visa officer at this stage because time is very crucial here, update your status and follow-up. Once you receive your PR invitation to apply, you’ll just need to pay migrant levy and you’re done.

It’s quite straight forward but there are hundreds of migrants who struggle to find a relevant job here in New Zealand for so many reasons, such as unpreparedness, immigration policy issues, employers awareness about Skilled Migrant and many more.

I hope you find this article helpful to your journey to New Zealand and I wish you good luck.

Regards,

Andre

New Zealand is well-known for its beautiful views, stunning landscapes and beaches. Any visitor to these Pacific Islands will be blown away by the variety of luxury accommodation available at a price to suit every pocket. Whether you like vacations by the beach, near a mountain or in a bustling city New Zealand will be able to provide the luxury accommodation for you.

Coopers Beach, Doubtless Bay

This stretch of golden sand in a safe swimming bay is in the Northland Region of the North Island. Pods of dolphins are frequently sighted. Two of New Zealand’s top golf courses, Carrington and Kauri Cliffs, are an easy drive from Coopers Beach. Fishing is abundant and tours are available to Cape Reinga at the top of the North Island where the Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman Sea.

Waiheke Island, Hauraki Gulf

This island is accessible by a short Ferry trip from Auckland City. The beaches on Waiheke are amazing and there are some exceptional vineyards on the island also. Waiheke is well-known for its arty alternative inhabitants. Art exhibitions are held regularly and people flock from Auckland to visit these, the vineyards and the lovely beaches.There are some easy to moderate walks available and most everywhere you look there is a knockout view.Waiheke is a must stopover for beach buffs, wine connoisseurs and art afficiandos.

Martinborough, South Wairapa

This town has grown into one of New Zealand best-loved wine and food areas. Local vineyards, Cafes and Restuarants make this a foodies paradise. Local craft are displayed at fairs along with wine and food. Fishing is available from Cape Palliser. Olive groves, sheep and beef farming can be found in the hills around Martinborough. Boutique shops in Martinborough make this a well worth visit.

Nelson, Tasman Bay

Found at the top of the South Island Nelson is one of the most picturesque places in New Zealand. It is well-known for arts and crafts. The World of Wearable Arts event was founded in Nelson and there is a museum housing past winners. Nelson also has vineyards and cafes worth visiting along with fishing and general sightseeing.

Wanaka, Otago

This town is situated on the edge of Lake Wanaka with the spectacular backdrop of the Southern Alps. Wanaka offers a wide variety of outdoor sports which are made more enjoyable by the great setting. Not too far from the other great tourist spot, Queenstown, Wanaka is on the route to Milford Sound. Wanaka also hosts the bicentennial Warbirds over Wanaka airshow which draws aircraft from all parts of the world.

If you are considering working in New Zealand as an ODP there are a host of opportunities available to you. You can work in all the major cities such as Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch or can you choose to work in the smaller cities and towns around the country. The excellent quality of the healthcare system allows for widespread use of state of the art technology. New Zealand boasts a well developed and advanced healthcare system and ODP’s looking to work here will enjoy this modern environment. The last ten years has seen a rise in the accessibility of protocol, clinical guidelines, evidence based methodology and creative research coming out of New Zealand. It is now widely considered that the clinical practice in this country is as advanced as anywhere else in the Western World.

Most ODP jobs in New Zealand involve working for either public or private hospitals and a small number are employed by private dental surgeries. You can work throughout the country however most Anaesthetic Technician jobs are held in the main centres of the country where there are more and larger hospitals. Auckland has the highest percentage of ODPs with 36%, Canterbury comes second with 16%, and Waikato and Wellington trail with 12% and 7% respectively. You are not limited to working in the main centres though because ODPs are needed all over the country and the modern healthcare system allows for this expertise in a broader way. The pay involved in this career depends on the amount of experience you have. ODP jobs in New Zealand provide qualified applicants with a more than adequate salary of $40,000 to $54,000 and you may be able to earn more than this if you do shift work or are on call. Those who are in training can expect to earn between $27,000 and $37,000 a year. Senior ODPs who teach trainees or work in specialised areas can earn up to $70,669.

Working in Auckland as an ODP has many advantages. As well as having a modern working environment with a range of highly qualified medical experts you are in close proximity to beautiful beaches, hiking trails and charming holiday islands such as Waiheke and Great Barrier Islands. The sunny climate and diverse culture will make your experience that much more enjoyable and memorable. Wellington also provides a great working environment with a range of top class hospitals to choose from in central locations. The state of the art technology will make your working experience that much easier. Wellington is considered the cultural centre of New Zealand being home to the national museum, Te Papa as well as hosting events like World of Wearable Arts. The school and university opportunities will also provide your family with an excellent education. Christchurch is an excellent place to work as an ODP with many opportunities. It is a beautiful, quaint city and is known for the iconic Avon River and many lovely parks and gardens. People are drawn to this city by its beauty and vibrant culture. The work environment you will experience is top class with modern facilities and support systems in place.

Disclaimer; The information contained in this article should not be construed as or relied on as official legal advice and is only the researched opinion of the author and the author provides no guarantee as to its accuracy nor accepts responsibility for outcomes associated with its use.

Almost every driver in New Zealand or Australia will inadvertently break the speed limit at some point in their driving career. Typically it is only a few kilometers above the speed limit due to inattention or an inaccurate speed odometer. Yet according to the transport authorities such behavior is considered reckless, dangerous and likely to cause a crash. (We have all heard their mantra that speed kills).

But what is the real association between speeding and crashing? In highly populated countries such as Germany where they have an open speed limit on their motorways, if the mantra was true there would be deaths galore, yet this is not the case.

In Melbourne, where the speed tolerance is the strictest (only a few kilometers above a posted speed) they have more crashes per head of population than the other Australian states which have a greater speed limit tolerance.

An experienced New Zealand serious crash unit investigator recently published that the main cause of motor vehicle accidents in NZ in his opinion was fatigue NOT speed and that the police were incorrectly attributing speed as the cause of crash in many instances.

Despite this, the Police continually target motorists who travel even slightly over the speed limit and issue fines wherever possible even though your speedo may not be accurate enough to ensure you are not speeding. Why? Could it be that they rake in millions (or in Australia billions) of dollars in revenue every year? I mean, at the end of the day, if you were driving down a main highway and drove 10-15km over the posted speed limit and arrived at your destination, who have you affected?

If Europeans can do 180 km/h on the German motorways safely then why can’t sensible drivers do 112-120 km/h safely, particularly on our motorways when traffic conditions allow it?

The best advice I ever heard from a government agency was ‘drive to the conditions and when they change reduce your speed‘. Now that is sensible advice. On a dry day, in light traffic on a sealed highway, the conditions allow for drivers to safely exceed the speed limit without causing any issues. Yet we are punished and fined for attempting to do so.

As a paramedic I have attended many car accidents over the years, some of them very serious. I have to say that it appeared to me that few of the accidents were caused by speed. Rather, a lack of attention, failing to read the road ahead, failing to drive to the conditions or plain stupidity were by far the biggest causes.

Yet we are continually feed the propaganda that it is speed that causes accidents. I think the reality is they are trying to justify the huge income gathering system they have created by feeding us this false message.

After realizing that the system is concerned with raising revenue more than road safety I set upon trying to understand how the legislation allows them to so easily extract the money we have worked so hard to earn. What I found out shocked and astounded me.

The system mainly relies on the fact that they know all the regulations and legal system and that we are largely ignorant of our rights or how their system works. This is important because we actually have very powerful rights which, when exercised properly, can get us off their allegations.

Did you know that the Traffic Police are actually trained to try and trick us into admitting we are guilty on the side of the road when they pull us over? They will say something like, “do you know why I pulled you over” or “Was there a reason you were speeding.” If we admit we might have been going a bit fast, they record this as an admission of guilt and will use this against us in court if required. So it’s important not to admit guilt by replying that you have no idea why they pulled you over or if they asked you why you were speeding just say “was I?” or “I really don’t think I was”.

Very few people realize that according to current New Zealand and Australian legislation, any fines or forfeitures before conviction are void and illegal. That means the speeding fine you got handed or sent is illegal and void (according to their rules).

Also, the law states that you are innocent until proven guilty and the burden of proof rests entirely on them to prove that you did in fact breach one of their statutes and not on you to prove you are innocent.

However you need to act on their allegations and remind them of this if you want to take advantage of your rights. Staying silent, which most people probably do, hands all the power over to them because in the legal world silence is consent.

If you take a look at the wording on a speeding ticket you will see that it is in fact just an allegation that you did something wrong. They don’t provide any evidence or proof to back up the claim (that you were speeding) and just hope that you will pay it. They even give you 28 days to write back and deal with the fine but most people simply give in and pay the fine.

But you don’t have to!

You have rights and there is a way to lawfully challenge their allegations and make them either withdraw the charge or be found innocent and have it discharged by a judge. Best of all it does not involve paying for a lawyer! You can try by following these steps:

1. Never admit liability on the side of the road (see above) when pulled over and politely ask the officer if he is a public servant. Also ask for ID including his badge and business card (people DO masquerade as cops). Ask him what capacity he is acting in (it should be as an enforcement officer for the Land Transport Act or similar) and what assumption he is relying on to gain jurisdiction over you. Write down his answers.

2. Tell the officer you are simply exercising your inalienable right to travel the Queens highways in your vessel as a man/women of the land (don’t use the word drive or car as these are commercial terms) and ask that he records this

3. If they ask you for your license tell them you have one and feel free to produce it if you so wish but be sure to mention that you were not operating under it at that moment in time (see 2) and ask him to record this. Also mention you are not a public servant (unless you are acting in the capacity of one at that time) nor are you performing any function of government but a free man/woman and not a creation of fiction or some name on a government issued ID card.

4. Ask him for proof of his allegation that you were speeding, what law you have allegedly broken and how does that law apply to you if you are not a public servant? If he shows you a radar reading, ask him how do you know it relates to your vessel (it doesn’t record number plates and could have been there all day). Ask him who the injured party was?

5. Ask him if you are under arrest or not. If not you are legally allowed to drive off as the Police have no general powers to detain you for questioning (this has been determined by the courts). You can ask the officer if you are legally required to remain on the side of the road while he writes a ticket. The answer is no so you can legally leave.

6. If the officer writes you a ticket (and they will!) then decline the offer to take it from him. You can simply ask if you are legally required to take the ticket. The answer is no! They will likely post it to you.

7. As soon as you get the ticket in the mail (or if you did accept the ticket) write to the authority and tell them that you have received an allegation from them addressed to you so you wish to clarify some things:

a) Ask them for proof of their allegation via a sworn affidavit of their allegation (claim) against you. (remember they are only ever alleging you did something wrong and you simply want proof of it).

b) Ask for a certified copy of the complaint from the injured party

c) Ask for a certified copy of the training record showing the officer had the necessary training to use whatever speed detection device was being used to make up the allegation (if the officer has not been trained they will drop the charge)

d) State a claim that you were using your inalienable right to travel the Queens highways uninterrupted as a man/woman of the land and not acting as an agent of the government or carrying out any function of the crown nor acting under your government issued license at the time of the alleged infringement and that you told the enforcement officer this at the time

e) ask them for proof on how any statute they allege you have breached applies to you in the first place given that it was made by the crown which is a corporation and you are not a member of that corporation (public servant)

f) Tell them that if they believe you were acting under your drivers license or acting as an agent of the crown or performing some function of government that they need to provide written proof of this to you

8. Ask them how they are able to send you a fine when the Bill of Rights Act (in NZ) or Imperial Act Application Act (in Aus) clearly states that all fines or forfeitures before conviction are illegal and Void?

9. Ask them if this is a commercial transaction and offer to contract and if it is that you do not wish to enter into contract with them.

10. Give them 14 days to respond to your demands. They wont be able to answer most of them. They will send some rubbish instead. Write again asking for the information and give them another 10 days. When they don’t answer then send another letter titled notice of default and explain that as they have not provided the information you requested that they accept your claim that you were not acting under your drivers license at the time of the alleged infringement and that they did not therefore have jurisdiction over you at the time (silence is consent)and that the allegation is illegal and void.

11. If they still insist on trying to enforce this allegation against you then elect to have the issue heard by a court. Write to the court and file the correspondence you have sent to the Police and ask that this matter be dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction.

12. If you have no luck with any of this and wish to appear in court then file the correspondence into the court before your appearance and tell the judge you are here on this matter and already have agreement between the parties that you were not ‘driving under your license’ and that you would like the case dismissed due to lack of subject matter (they also have not provided a complaint from the injured party) and if the judge dismisses the case ask to be awarded expenses.

If you want to try a different method which has been very successful or read more about how to do this then follow the advice given here.

You do have rights and it is up to them to prove their claim beyond reasonable doubt and not you to show you were innocent. The worst that can happen is you still end up paying the fine (and possibly some court costs) so give it a go and stand up for your rights.

Please note: If you have caused damage as a result of an accident due to speeding then this method will not help you!

Registering a New Zealand Look Through Company is a quick and easy process, consisting simply of incorporating a new New Zealand company and completing a single application for Look Through status.

What do I need in order to incorporate a New Zealand Company?

Before you apply to incorporate a New Zealand Company it is advisable to gather all of the required documentation which you will need for the procedure, such as:

• Proof of Identity
• Certified copies of the passports for all of the proposed Shareholders and Directors
• Proof of Residence
• Certified copies of a utility bill for all of the proposed Shareholders and Directors (can also be a local council rate bill, internet bill, cable TV bill, etc.)

In order to incorporate a company, you should also prepare:

• A unique company name
• A Registered Office address for use by the company
• Details of all shareholdings for the company

How to incorporate a company?

1. The company must first reserve a unique name, which cannot be the same as any name already in use by a New Zealand company, and must end with “LIMITED” or “LTD”. Once approved, the name will be reserved by the New Zealand Companies Office for 21 days.
2. The application to incorporate the company must be lodged via the Companies Office’s online facilities, where details of the proposed company are entered.
3. Before the application can be completed the nominated Directors and Shareholders need to complete and submit their Directors’ Consents and Shareholders’ Consents, which will be generated by the Companies Office. The forms must be returned as originals to the Companies Office, and scanned copies must be uploaded online.
4. The copies of the passports and utility bills for all Directors and Shareholders must be submitted at the same time as the Consents.
5. Once all the forms as submitted, the application is processed on the following working day, and the Company should be approved within a few hours

How to elect for LTC status?

Before applying for LTC status, the company must first meet all the requirements for being a Look Through Company.

The Company must:

• Have a maximum of 5 shareholders
• Only have shareholders who are individuals, Trusts, or other LTCs
• Ensure that the shareholders unanimously agree to elect for LTC status

The Company must pass a resolution stating that it meets the requirements for LTC status, and that all shareholders agree to become an LTC.

The Company must submit an Inland Revenue Department’s IR 862 form. The processing can take up to six weeks, and if approved, the company will be granted LTC status.