auckland

Win a Trip to New Zealand from Steinlager Pure

Lion Nathan, the leading brewer in New Zealand, has announced the U.S. introduction of Steinlager Pure this month, a beer brewed using only the finest water, barley, hops and yeast the country has to offer. Wholly sourced from New Zealand, the "purest place on Earth", Steinlager Pure is totally preservative and additive-free.

To celebrate its introduction to the States, Steinlager Pure is launching a contest offering lucky beer drinkers (21 and over) the chance to enjoy the heady brew straight from the source. Entrants must describe the first moment they experienced its natural and refreshing taste; the author of the "purest" narrative will win a trip for two to New Zealand. Check out SteinlagerPureNzTrip.com for details.

New Zealand's unique natural elements including rich volcanic soils, pure water sources and unrivalled clean air, contribute to the taste and freshness of Steinlager Pure. Barley is harvested from the sweeping landscapes of the North and South Islands, while the hops are grown on the northernmost tip of the South Island. Together, they create a beer with a light hop nose, a clean, natural finish, and a smooth, perfectly balanced flavor.

The new, state-of-the-art Steinlager Pure brewery follows rigorous sustainability practices in order to maintain the unaffected nature of its surroundings and allow for environmentally friendly brewing. Located on the outskirts of Auckland, The Pride Brewery uses 10% less energy in the brewing process, low energy lighting, and harvests rainwater for non-brewing purposes. Steinlager also has a record of reduced water use and CO2 emissions, as well as recycling, reusing or value-adding more than 99% of the solid waste generated.

Tags: Auckland, beer, brewery, contest, New Zealand

Austria, Switzerland Top World's Best Places to Live

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

vienna Europe – the same corner of Europe, actually – claims the first three spots in Mercer Consulting's annual Quality of Living Survey. Vienna, Austria and Zurich and Geneva in Switzerland lead the list, followed by Vancouver, Canada and Auckland, New Zealand in a tie for fourth.

Little has changed for the top half of the top 10. Last year, Zurich nabbed the top spot, and Vienna and Geneva shared the #2 spot. Vancouver is unchanged year-over-year, and Auckland's #5 finish last year is roughly the same as its tie for fourth in 2009.

Not only are the top places to live ostensibly enjoyable, you're more likely to be there for a while. Life expectancies in these cities start at 79 years. It's better than living a nice long life in a dump, I guess.

The United States doesn't appear until the bottom of the top 30, with Honolulu and San Francisco. From Asia, only Singapore picks up a spot in the world's 30 best places to live. South America and Africa are not represented at all. It's strange, I half-expected to see Mogadishu on this list.

Of the 215 places listed, Baghdad has the distinction of finishing last. Sometimes, common sense prevails.

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Tags: africa, asia, auckland, austria, baghdad, california, canada, geneva, geneva switzerland, genevaswitzerland, hawaii, honolulu, iraq, iraq war, IraqWar, mogadishu, new zealand, newzealand, san francisco, SanFrancisco, singapore, somalia, south america, SouthAmerica, switzerland, vancouver, vienna, vienna austria, viennaaustria, zurich, zurichswitzerland

St. Heliers, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

The town of Saint Heliers, a suburb of Auckland City, New Zealand is the site of today's estate. This luxurious home is a remodel in which the owners totally renovated the existing home. The five-bedroom home has an open floor plan and like many homes in the area, is designed to take advantage of its beautiful surroundings. It has wide glass windows and doors that lead out to expansive terraces which offer views of the local terrain. The ground level has a triple garage, family room, kitchenette laundry, bedroom and a bathroom set up for disabled access. The middle floor is the main living area with a large kitchen and family area, lounge, dining room and guest bathroom. The top level has four bedrooms and two baths. An elevator connects all three floors. This home is listed at approximately $2.077 million U.S.

Gallery: St Heliers

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Tags: auckland, estate of the day, new zealand, sant heliers, st heliers, StHeliers

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Astrolabe Place, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's Friday fantasy takes us to New Zealand and the Whangaparaoa Peninsula. This area has become a resort location for those looking for a getaway from Auckland. Gulf Harbor is a a marine village with waterside apartments and a busy marina. Today's home at Astrolabe Place is set on nearly a half an acre. The four-bedroom home has an open floorplan with large windows to showcase views to the marina. There is a two-way fireplace between the formal living room and more informal family space. A gourmet kitchen includes stainless steel appliances, a built in deep fryer and a granite island. The home has large decks, some covered with glass shelters. This gorgeous home goes up for auction on September 15.

Gallery: Astrolabe Place

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Tags: astrolabe place, AstrolabePlace, auckland, estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, new zealand, NewZealand, Whangaparaoa Peninsula, WhangaparaoaPeninsula

Clifftop in New Zealand, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's estate is one of the most prestigious in New Zealand. Chrisco founders Richard and Ruth Bradley are selling their clifftop mansion on Auckland's North Shore for more than $10 million. The ome has gorgeous ocean views and has six bedrooms, a gym, a sauna and multiple living areas. Outside there is a pool with a diving ramp, spa pool and an outdoor fire pit. After the jump, stars in the ceiling and a very odd placement for a bath tub.

[via New Zealand Herald]

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Tags: auckland, estate of the day, new zealand, NewZealand, richard bradley

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