Hotel guests in New Zealand wake up with drunk Aussie in their bed

by Katie Hammel on

In more naked news, a couple vacationing in a New Zealand resort town woke up to find an uninvited guest in their room. A 29-year old Australian had wandered in, climbed into their bed, and fallen asleep.

The Aussie had been out drinking with a woman and gone back with her to her hotel room. At some point in the night, he got out of bed – naked – and began wandering the halls until he found an unlocked room. When the couple woke up and discovered the unintentional threesome, the woman ran to the bathroom to hide while her husband called the hotel concierge.

By the time the police got involved, the hotel had given the man a robe and escorted him to the lobby. Since he couldn’t remember which room he’d originally been in and didn’t know the name of the woman he’d been with, the police kindly offered him a ride home. The couple who’d been disturbed opted not to press charges, and no doubt learned a valuable lesson about always locking their hotel room door.

[via Herald Sun]

Ten amazing “green” adventures

by Kraig Becker on

Eco-adventures are all the rage these days with environmentally conscious travelers choosing to visit far flung places, all the while fully aware of the size of their carbon footprint. They want an amazing travel experience, and are willing to go to great lengths to get it, all the while adhering to the principles of sustainable travel.

With that in mind, the Times Online has an excellent article listing ten top “green” travel experiences, or what they call “clean breaks”, each of which offer cultural immersion, amazing scenery, and a fantastic experience that is far off the beaten path. For instance, the article recommends heading to Lebanon to hike the Mountain Trail, the country’s first long distance trek, which runs through the Mount Lebanon range from Qbaiyat, in the north, to Marjaayoun in the south. The trail is roughly 270 miles in length, with regularly spaced stone inns offering up a place to sleep, good food, and plenty to drink.

For a completely different experience, hop a flight to New Zealand to spend a little time on the slopes. The authors of this piece recommend heading to Craigieburn Valley in the Southern Alps for some amazing skiing, minus the resort. Yep, that’s right, no chairlifts or groomed trails here. Just a couple of rope tows that will pull you to the top of the mountain, where you’ll get the opportunity to ski through untouched wilderness. And at the end of the day, relax in one of the nearby huts, which are comfortable but primitive.

Other suggestions include a swimming vacation in Finland, camping in France, and hiking in Estonia. There is a little bit of something for everyone, and you won’t need to feel guilty about your impact on the environment while you travel.

Gadlinks (7.21.09)

by Jeremy Kressmann on


What’s new in the world of travel news, you might ask? You’re in luck – we’re back again with this Tuesday’s installment of Gadlinks. What travel stories from around the web caught our eye today? Take a look below:

More Gadlinks HERE.

Gadling Take FIVE: Week of July 10-July 17

by Jamie Rhein on

We are halfway through Hotel Month at Gadling and have added blogger Katie Hammel who is afraid of flying but has not let that stopped her from becoming a world traveler.

Here are items you may have missed that might astonish, surprise you or give you pause.

  • First up, Stephen’s post on Pet Airways. When I first heard about this airlines, I wasn’t sure if it was a joke or not. It’s not.
  • Next, there’s Scott’s story about the family who left their son at a rest stop bench and had to drive back 200 miles to retrieve him.
  • Mike discovered that not all people are thrilled with the risque Air New Zealand videos where body paint is a prominent feature.
  • In the arena of natural wonder, Kraig has a post on the new geyser that erupted in Russia
  • As a person who has been traveling through Montana, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico these last two weeks, Tom’s post on the fishing package deal at the Teton Mountain Lodge and Spa caught my eye. Very sweet. If you’re in the area, sort of, head to Bannack, a ghost town in Montana. You won’t be disappointed.

Prudes take umbrage with Air New Zealand videos

by Mike Barish on


Last month, we told you about Air New Zealand’s new in-flight safety video that features the flight crew in nothing but body paint. That, of course, came on the heels of their new ad campaign featuring their staff in – you guessed it – nothing but body paint. We thought the in-flight video and television commercial were innovative and quirky examples of an airline showing some actual personality. Sadly, not everyone has what we here at Gadling call “a sense of humor.” Some people are offended by the videos and they’re starting to speak up.
According to news.com.au, many Kiwis who have flown national airline recently think that the risque videos are inappropriate. “Enough is enough, this is our national airline, not a strip joint! I for one won’t bother booking with you again,” one perturbed passenger said. Another Kiwi lodged a complaint with New Zealand’s advertising watchdog. The complaint stated, “All genital areas were hidden but they left nothing to the imagination and (it) conjured pictures that none of us needed.”

Air New Zealand is defending their campaign, which they say “highlights the transparency of the airline’s all-inclusive domestic airfares.”

I, for one, agree with the airline. Lighten up, people. It’s kitschy. It’s creative. It’s devoid of any “genital areas.” The television commercial is better than what most companies throw out there. And the in-flight video beats listening to a bored flight attendant phoning in the delivery of the safety spiel because she’s done it a million times before and just can’t muster up the energy to care anymore.

Just to stick it to the prudes who can’t seem to accept that life is too short to complain about everything, I’m slapping the in-flight safety video in this post. Watch it again for the first time.