Anna Sarjeant is Deputy Lifestyle and Travel Editor, Audience for the New Zealand Herald.
Anna joined the NZ Herald in 2021 after a decade working as a travel writer and simultaneously exploring the world when not tied to a desk. She graduated from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, in 2009 and moved to New Zealand in 2011. What was meant to be a one-year holiday visa turned into residency and then citizenship, a house, marriage, and a Kiwi son. The only thing that hasn’t dramatically changed in 10 years is her passion for travel and journalism. You can contact Anna at anna.sarjeant@nzme.co.nz.
Summer 2025: Auckland's best activities for families
Indoors and out, 10 of the best places to enthrall children and parents alike.
It's time to upscale your family holiday from a campground to a bougie bach
Book more. Pay more... Enjoy more.
Part Two: The travel hot list! These are 2025's top travel trends
The second installment of our annual travel predictions by NZ's leading travel experts.
Part One: The travel hot list! These are 2025's top travel trends
Predicted by New Zealand's leading travel experts.
Rottnest Island: The only thing better than the quokkas is this
What could possibly trump a smiling, selfie-loving marsupial?
Why do planes still have no smoking signs?
The reason is way more complex than you’d imagine.
Why I expected to pay more at this five-star Perth hotel
Your wallet won't go completely unscathed, but you get plenty of grandeur for your dollar.
Who would bother flying 7 hours for a holiday in Australia?
Not me - until I discovered this little-known beach town that's better than Queensland.
Opinion: Hey Disney, can you please stop killing parents?
OPINION: Mufasa could have lived. They all could have lived.
Opinion: I've never rated Air NZ – but this one flight changed everything
OPINION: Seven hours later and I'm starting a fan club.
Have kids, hate the rain: 13 things to do in Auckland on a wet day
Try as you may, there’s no ignoring bored children on a rainy day.
The unsettling reason this busy airport has a graveyard built into its runway
It's not every day you hurtle across a cemetery during take-off.
Five things I’d wish I’d known ahead of my Disney cruise
Disney Magic is returning to NZ shores this October.
Shiver me timbers! An 1980s icon is returning to Rainbow’s End
The news will be met with elation or trepidation - depending on your memories.
Want more holidays? Forget going overseas and buy a campervan
Easy, enjoyable and stress-free. You couldn't ask for a better holiday.
What does it take to be a headline artist for World of Wearable Art 2024?
Artist Nikita 雅涵 Tu-Bryant finds inspiration in travel. Always.
You can now stay at Peter Andre’s personal holiday home for less than $60
The 90s hitmaker is sharing his Cyprus holiday pad.
Fourth Australian dies in Bali in three weeks
The latest incident occurred in Bali's international airport.
I may have found myself in The Truman Show at this slick Sydney hotel
It's not what I was expecting at check-in.
Every reason why you should be in Queenstown right now
Did you know everyone's favourite ski town excels in September? Here's why.
Man's 'audacious' mid-flight act leaves people feeling queasy
The internet thinks he committed the ultimate air travel sin.
Your son smashes a 3500-year-old vase - what do you do next?
You can run, but you can’t hide from the museum director.
A chilling newspaper excerpt on the Titanic disaster has been discovered after 112 years
It's been hidden in the back of a cupboard for over a century.
This solo traveller says she’ll never visit Mykonos again - here’s why
The 'dreamy' Grecian getaway didn’t leave a good impression.
Brazen passenger sneaks on to two planes in two days without a ticket
How did he fly 1200km to Stockholm undetected?
Doctors fear travel's biggest trend could kill you
Everyone's doing it - and the medics are worried.
The 'wop-wops' and festive undies - 8 times things got lost in translation while travelling
“I’ve had my fair share of shockers in New Zealand.”
Man boards flight dressed as a tent to avoid paying luggage fees
Saves hundreds of dollars and gets away with it.
Couple win the hotel jackpot and score a penthouse suite for $78
A stroke of luck, or something we can all strive for?
Snorkelling with sharks at Kelly Tarlton’s - what could go wrong?
The easy way to tick off a bucket-list item.
Air NZ flight aborts two landings in Cook Islands before returning to Auckland
Crosswinds caused the Rarotonga-bound Air NZ flight to return to its airport of origin.
Baffling disappearances: People who have mysteriously vanished on holiday
These eerie cases have puzzled crime sleuths for decades.
Stay overnight at a vineyard for less than $5
NZ's best-kept secret – the cheapest way to enjoy a vineyard stay.
5 underrated corners of New Zealand for a short break
NZ's most irresistible stays - and no one knows about them.
Is it too hard to take kids campervanning in winter?
It’s July and we all need a holiday – but we don’t all have a Pacific Island budget.
The world's greatest patisserie opens in Paris - none of it edible
The year's most hotly anticipated event launches in Paris, and it's not the Olympics.
Excerpts from my travel diary: 'I saw the South Island Big Cat'
This rare sighting would go unawares for 15 years.
You are cordially invited to enjoy high tea with the Care Bears this July
Travel Alerts: Everything that's new in travel this month.
Why you shouldn't bother going to England for another four years
OPINION: You've missed the boat this year, but you could try again in 2028.
What’s 'untrending' in travel? 7 things that are hilariously dated or over-done
What’s cool today is cringeworthy tomorrow.
How to rent an entire Australian island to yourself
Extra-special places to lay your head in the Land Down Under.
Do you have what it takes to visit this haunted asylum?
Those with a nervous disposition need not apply.
Introducing the ‘UltraBasic' airfare, where you pay less for the worst seat
This budget airline is taking 'no-frills' to new heights.
The first rule of staying at W Melbourne? Don't flash the neighbours
The W Melbourne is super luxurious, just don't get too comfortable...
Guest flies 2700km to attend a wedding. Arrives a year too early
'It’s all fun. I’ve got time to fix my tan lines now.'
5 things NZ could learn from a city like Melbourne
From your commute to your coffee fix, improvements could be made.
The little dog that could: Bluey sets a new record in Queensland
Bluey fans set the Keepy Uppy world record in time for Bluey's World opening.
The culture shocks that stayed with me forever, according to 8 travel experts
Cultural awakenings take even the most seasoned travellers by surprise.
I’m a travel writer, it's only okay to recline your plane seat in these situations...
The ill-conceived seat feature divides travellers into two camps: Recliners and Decliners.
Let's travel around Australia in 10 incredible flavours
From dining inside a fig tree to crocodile pies and Melbourne's best coffee.
In search of the world's least boring museums, and one that could kill you
The world's most unusual museums that need to be seen to be believed.
You can now wake up next to giraffes while 'on safari' in Australia
7 of the most extraordinary glamping spots in Australia.
In a world-first, Air NZ crew use sign language to communicate with passengers
To celebrate New Zealand Sign Language Week, Air NZ uses NZSL at 36,000 feet.
Need some winter sun? You're only 4 hours from 25 degrees
New things to do in Queensland this winter.
How the uncoolest holiday on Earth became cool again
The holiday we all loved in the '90s is surging in popularity again.
10 packing essentials that travel experts swear by
They might not be sexy, but they're key to a smoother journey.
Is it the Maldives? A deserted island? The latest 'best job in the world' might surprise you
Score the world's best job and live in absolute paradise.
8 things that get better when the nights get earlier
A selection of night-based activities to make winter great again.
I unwittingly booked a family holiday with electric fences and charging bulls
The reality of an off-grid stay in Matamata.
Having a bad week? Could be worse, you could be in The Museum of Failure
One of Washington DC's top tourist attractions is ironically, full of duds.
Is a Disney cruise worth it? And more questions to ask before booking
Expectation versus reality. Don’t do anything until you’ve read this.
What to do this long weekend if you've got prams, dogs and buggies
Easy Auckland day trips for families.
Travel smarter, not harder: this cruise takes you straight from Christchurch to Antarctica
It's as comfortable as a five star hotel aboard the world's only luxury ice-breaker.
Dance to Darude Sandstorm and tag on a bungy jump this week in Queenstown
EDM royalty is coming to the South Island.
I got scammed by two elderly 'holidaymakers' and they stole over $600
Con artists come in all shapes and sizes.
What to do this St Patrick's Day, and more activities to make Autumn better
Don't dismay, summer might be over but your weekends aren't.
Christchurch for the weekend: This hotel has everything within walking distance
The Muse Christchurch Art Hotel offers a city-centre stay that won't blow the budget.
Why I’ll always pick New Caledonia over any other island holiday
Lock in your next island holiday for winter. Not THAT island holiday. This one.
I went to Christchurch for the first time in 20 years. Should I have bothered?
What to do in the Garden City if you haven’t visited in a while (or ever).
From treehouse stays to cliff-edge campsites – the top spots for 'high-altitude tourism'
The world’s highest treehouse sits deep in Laos jungle and your fellow guests are gibbons.
Inside Auckland's brand new luxury hotel, and its restaurant we all need to know about
The InterContinental Auckland is so popular people have been banging on the doors for days
From safes to cellphones: 13 travel mistakes even experts make
Even seasoned travellers make silly mistakes. Learn from us so you don't have to.
Splash versus splurge in Egypt: How to have a high-end holiday for less
Experiences to book when you win Lotto, plus real-world options for the time being.
5 of the best hotels that opened in 2023
If you didn’t get to rest your head here this year, there's always 2024.
How do people fall off a cruise ship?
'People don’t just inadvertently fall over the side of a ship.'
Travel highlights from 2023 and the best countries to visit in 2024
Part two: Let's look back on the year that was.