Top 10 Things to Do in New Zealand

So, you’re planning a New Zealand Honeymoon? Great idea! For the more adventurous, new-style romantics, New Zealand offers uniquely extraordinary expereinces.
1. Auckland for Foodies:
For the natives, food is an experience to be savoured. For those in Auckland, grab your shopping bags, wake up early and visit the farmer’s market for handmade bread, honey fresh from the bees, flavoured olive oil, a variety of cheeses and much more- the experience is sure to leave your taste buds tingling. You could also enroll yourself for a short cooking lesson, receive recipe suggestions or go on a tailor made food and wine tour. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?

2. Luxury Lodges
Have you ever wanted to lose sense of time? Book yourself for a luxury lodge stay in New Zealand and understand what bespoke truly means. These sprawling properties with personalized services will not just cater to your needs but will delight you at every step with the kind of experiences that they have on offer. Have brunch on the mountains, go horse riding during the day, spend the evening at a private beach with fine wine or simply laze around exploring heritage properties. Let your imagination take a dreamy ride.

3. Walking Trails
If walking hand in hand through valleys and lakes is your idea of a picture perfect postcard then book yourself for a walking trail in the misty Milford tracks of South Island or opt for the Togariro Alpine Trail in North Island. For those wanting to experience the beauty without spending days on the walk, there are shorter guided tours available. Most hotels and lodges will be able to guide you about walking trails in their town – seek their support and step out for some sunshine.

4. Heli-Photo Tours
Whether you’re trying to woo your missus or want to feel like a celebrity on your holiday, you cannot miss A Travel Duet’s heli photo tours. Allow us to whisk you on a chopper to a spot unknown with a professional photographer in tow. With a wine and cheese platter by your side, and the sun sliding across the skyline, all you need is a button to freeze time.

5. Napier’s Art Deco Tours
Once destroyed in an earthquake, this little town is a result of some magical restoration. Explore the city rebuilt in Art Deco style of the 1930′s – architecture and culture buffs are sure to swoon over the vintage style. Other attractions include museums, antiques and Maori art galleries coupled with some fine boutique wineries in the region.

6. Beach Hopping at Coromandel Coast
With the crystal clear waters of the Pacific, some secluded beaches and warm natives the Coromandel is one of New Zealand’s best kept secrets. You can explore Cathedral Cove by boat, or settle down and spend the evening at a hot water beach. A walk around the coast is equally inviting. On a lucky day, you might find perfect reflections on the beach.

7. Intimate cruising in Doubtful Sound
Pick a private cabin, hold a glass of bubbly and watch the Fiords come alive. Experience solitude or enjoy some kayaking. Wildlife enthusiasts will be greeted by seals, penguins and dolphins.

8. Canyon Swing
Fasten your chest belts, hold your loved one and take the leap of faith! A tandem canyon swing is an adventurous cliff jump which is a great alternative to bungee jumping. With several different styles of jumping and an unmatchable adrenaline rush, this is a ride that will make thrill seeking couples ask for more.

9. Wine tours in Martinborough
Welcome to a town that is passionate about food and wine. Our recommendation is that you do a wine tour and spend the afternoon having a picnic lunch at one of the boutique wineries. Take it slow and spend some quality time bicycling around the region.

10. Hot Pools
Imagine being under the night sky sprinkled with stars, clouds slowly drifting over mountains as you slowly sink into a hot tub with your loved one under the watchful eyes of aromatic candles. Pamper yourself and soak in one of the most fantastic experiences that New Zealand has to offer. Most resorts, lodges and hotels provide the facility of hot pools – some facing the lake or mountains or in an open backyard. With a bottle of bubbly, this is a must-do on our list.

Skincare tips while travelling

Take time off and travel to a relaxing destination. But while packing your bag, make sure to take along skin care products like moisturiser and face wash.

Here are a few must-carry skin care products suggested by Aakriti Kochar, beauty and makeup expert, Oriflame India:

Light-weight moisturiser or sunblock: These will help to avoid skin damage and pigmentation.

Face wash: When excess oil settles on your skin for long, it causes acne. It is advised to wash face every six to eight hours to avoid such skin problems.

Sanitizer: Our hands come in contact with many surfaces that attract bacteria and infections. An anti-bacterial sanitizer will keep hands clean and bacteria-free.

Toner or astringent: Regularly use a toner or astringent to remove impurities from skin.

Blotting paper: Use it to wipe excess oil or dirt from the 'T' zone of your face. The blotting paper also removes impurities and also keeps makeup intact. 

Tips for glossy makeup

Women often wonder whether to try matt makeup or glossy one. An expert says try glossy to make your face glow, but avoid it during summer or humid weather.

"Makeup that's matt will not have a wet shine or glow to it as the foundation has been settled with powder. When you are wearing matt make up, a glow can be brought about by adding a powder blush or shimmer," makeup artist Renuka Pillai told IANS.

"Shine makeup or what I would rather call 'glossy', gives a more dewy effect as the foundation used is generally a liquid or a tinted moisturiser with minimal powdering. It gives a rather nice glow to the face," she added.

She suggests to highlight cheekbones, add a bronzer or creamy highlighter.

Glossy makeup gives the glow that we thrive for, but Pillai says to check the season too.

"During summer season, try and keep it matt. Sometimes glossy can get a little oily looking if there is humidity," she exp

5 foods that fight high BP

SOYBEANS
These provide ample potassium. When potassium is low, the body retains sodium and too much sodium raises blood pressure. When potassium is high, the body gets rid of sodium, keeping the BP low. Soybeans also contain isoflavones, which help lower blood pressure levels.

SKIMMED MILK
It provides calcium, potassium and vitamin D, three nutrients that work as a team to help reduce blood pressure levels by about 3 to 10 percent.

TOMATOES
They are rich in lycopene and other important antioxidants that helps reduce blood pressure

SPINACH
Loaded with magnesium, it is a key ingredient for lowering and maintaining healthy blood pressure levels.

Practice yoga for amazing abs

A toned abdomen is often considered as a sign of a healthy body.  For those who are still struggling to tuck in their tummy and get well-toned abs, yoga can be of great help. A couple of hours spent once in a Sri Sri Yoga course will equip you with simple weight-cutting yoga postures which can be practiced daily. Here's a list of yoga postures to get you started on your journey to a jaw-dropping tummy:

Kapal Bhati (Skull shining breathing technique)
A Breathing technique that tones the abs? Yes! The Skull shining breathing technique improves the metabolism rate, improves the digestive tract functioning, and thus helps in reducing weight effectively. Begin your yoga routine with this breathing technique.

Viparita Shalabhasana (Superman pose)
The Superman pose stretches and strengthens muscles of the chest, shoulder, arms, legs, abdomen and lower back. This is an excellent posture to tone the abdomen and lower back and is also one of the most effective workouts for abs and stomach.

Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)
The Cobra pose strengthens the entire back and shoulders. It also helps tone the abdomen and improves blood circulation.

Paschimottanasana (Seated forward bend)
The Seated forward bend stretches the lower back, hamstrings and hips. It also tones the abdominal and pelvic organs.

Hastapadasana (Standing forward bend)
All the muscles of the back are stretched in the Standing forward bend. This posture tones the abdominal organs and also improves the blood supply to the nervous system.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge pose variation)
This variation of the Bridge pose helps improve digestion by stimulating the abdominal organs.

Veerbhadrasana (Warrior pose)
The Warrior pose stretches and strengthens the shoulders, chest, belly and groins. It also helps tone the body and is an effective stress relieving posture.

Avoid

 10 Stunning Terrible People to Avoid

A1. The “Charmer”: otherwise known as a sociopath. This type of person might appear attractive and know all the right things to say, but their whole reason for being is to con their way into getting what they want. They lie with a smile on their face. They cheat, steal, manipulate and exploit. They break as many rules as they think they can get away with, all with great finesse and without a drop of remorse.

A2. The “Narcissist”: This person values themselves over everyone else. Initially, they might appear nice, but eventually you’ll realize that their needs and feelings are the only ones that matter. They’ll let you down when you need their support and turn on you angrily if you inadvertently get in the way of their needs being met.

A3. The “Volcano”: This person carries around a lot of anger just under the surface. Sooner or later the volcano is going to blow, spewing hot lava all over you. Their rage is always out of proportion to what’s happening to them. You’ll end up walking around on eggshells, when what you need to do is just walk away.

A4. The “Drama Queen”: This character needs to be the center of attention or to create a crisis everywhere they go. Either they’re in trouble and demand to be rescued or they make problems for the people in their lives. They’ll often pit one person against the other and then sit back and enjoy the show.

A5. The “Cynic”: This angry, bitter individual sees the bad in everything, but their attitude is really just a psychological defense against feelings of vulnerability. They’ve unconsciously decided that negativity and pessimism will prevent them from getting hurt. The problem is, their rotten attitude is hurtful to everyone else.

A6. The “Complainer”: This individual blames everyone else for what’s is going wrong in their life. Because they refuse to be accountable for the consequences of their choices, they keep repeating the same mistakes ad infinitum, accusing those around them of causing all their suffering.

A7. The “Boor”: This is a pretentious name-dropper and social climber who sees you as a rung on their ladder to success. They’ll stop at nothing to have the money, power and status they crave. Social interactions are all strategic to them and designed to maximize access to the lifestyle they aspire to. They’re incapable of genuine affection.

A8. The “Wild Child”: They’re the rebel, the rule-breaker, the non-conformist. At first glance, they might seem exciting but very quickly it becomes clear that their recklessness disregard for their own and everyone else’s welfare is hurtful and unattractive. Even if they’re willing to suffer the consequences of their impulsiveness, you don’t have to.

A9. The “Dreamer”: This person always has the next big secret of success just at their fingertips. They’re full of grand ideas and plans, but either they don’t follow through or they don’t think things through, both of which result in social and financial disaster. Attaching yourself to this sinking ship puts you at risk of being dragged under.

A10. The “Lost Boy”: This person is a modern-day Peter Pan. They’ve refused to grow up and instead, try to get their friends and loved ones to take emotional and even financial care of them. This perpetual child could actually grow up if they wanted to, but because they’ll never take responsibility for themselves, they’ll be a burden on you forever.

No.1 reason

This is the No.1 reason why Apple is replacing the iPhone 5 with the 5c

When it launched the iPhone 5c this year, Apple broke its long-standing tradition of keeping its most recent high-end iPhone model on the market and selling it out a discount. And now we have a good idea of why: It’s all about money.

AllThingsD points us to a recent iPhone teardown conducted by IHS estimating that it costs between $173 and $183 to build an iPhone 5c, which means that it’s around $20 to $30 cheaper per unit to build than the now-discontinued iPhone 5. The math for Apple is pretty obvious in this case: It could either keep producing a hard-to-build high-end model and sell it on contract for $100 as it’s done with other older iPhones, or it could produce an easier-to-build model for less money and sell it at the same on-contract price.
Seen from this perspective, it’s easy to see why Apple isn’t too worried about the 5c cutting into its margins anytime soon.