New Zealand travel updates, from hotel news to the World Buskers Festival

Located above Commercial Bay, InterContinental Auckland is welcoming guests from January 30.

The holidays may be over for many, but there’s still plenty happening around Aotearoa.

The new Intercontinental Auckland opening soon

Tāmaki Makaurau’s central business district is getting yet another high-end hotel, with the latest addition, InterContinental Auckland, welcoming guests from January 30. Above the Commercial Bay dining and retail precinct, at 1 Queen St, the hotel will be a good addition to the building’s offering, anchoring the development and overlooking the waterfront and Waitematā Harbour, and with the regeneration of downtown Auckland, it’s well placed for guests to make the most of all the city has to offer. It has 139 rooms — including Club InterContinental rooms which, from June, will have access to the exclusive lounge — which each feature a whāriki (woven panel) by Beronia Scott (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei) and Te Pūawai Ōrākei Marae and photography by Fiona Pardington. Facilities include a 24-hour fitness centre and the Gareth Stewart-helmed restaurant Advieh, which has a sharing style menu and relaxed all-day dining; later this year they’ll be joined by a rooftop bar, another trend cropping up across the Auckland skyline. Auckland.intercontinental.com

The InterContinental Auckland hotel is well-placed for guests to make the most of everything the city has to offer.

Send in the clowns

The globe’s best street performers descend on Christchurch this week for the 31st World Buskers Festival. With two dozen international and local-grown acts vying for attention, public squares will be overflowing with world-class entertainment this week. As well as impromptu performances there are several ticketed events such as the Silent Disco Walking tours and a 1000 cubic metre inflatable maze. The festival runs until January 28. Breadandcircus.co.nz.

A korero of creativity between artists and taonga at Wellington Museum

If you’re visiting the capital in the next couple of months make sure to stop by Te Waka Huia o Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho Wellington Museum, which is hosting a special exhibition, Te Ohonga The Awakening, featuring captivating work by artists and creative collectives from the region — including Darcy Nicholas QSO (Kāhui Maunga, Te Ātiawa nui tonu), Hinepūororangi Tahupārae (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngā Tūkorehe) and many more — who were invited to respond to undocumented taonga Māori from the museum’s George Pain collection. The show runs until April 1. Museumswellington.org.nz

Te Ohonga The Awakening at Wellington Museum Te Waka Huia o Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho. Photo / Wellington Museum.

QT wants you to get a room

Ever fantasised about raiding the whole mini bar at a hotel? QT is giving guests the chance to do just that for the month of February. In a competition it cleverly calls “Get A Room!” visitors who stay at any of QT’s hotels or resorts in New Zealand and Australia during February (or book a QT Gift Card) go in the draw to win the contents of a “room” — everything from the tissue box and towels to a Samsung Smart TV and Dyson Supersonic hairdryer. For more detail, and terms and conditions, head to qthotels.com.

QT is giving guests the chance to raid a whole mini bar for the month of February.

A mid-air questionnaire

An American tourist visiting New Zealand has gone viral after sharing about the moment a Kiwi skydiver asked a confronting question while in mid-air. Not only was she left questioning whether she should quit her job but if she should move to another country. What was it? Find out on NZherald.co.nz/travel