Travel Wires

Welcome to Queenstown’s landing strip Two solid weeks of the national anthem, flag-waving, medal tables, weeping athletes and chest-pumping newsreaders has left a nation feeling ridiculously patriotic. But enough about Australia. Queenstown Airport has been voted the world’s fourth most scenic flight approach, pretty much the same result as most Kiwi athletes on the Goldie. Donegal (Ireland) is No. 1, followed by Barra (Scotland), Nice (France) and Snowvegas. PrivateFly.com readers say: “Green rolling hills surround the runway at Queenstown Airport, a small landing strip that serves as the gateway to southern New Zealand.” Ouch, but we’ll take anything. Paris, Tokyo . . . Hamilton The Tron also gets a smiley emoji from Guardian readers, asked to name the world’s best city parks. Claiming its rightful place alongside metropolises like Paris, Tokyo, Beijing, Delhi, Geneva and Valencia is Hamilton Gardens: “This sprawling park on the banks of the Waikato River is the jewel in the crown of this small city. Highlights include the 20 or so themed gardens including Japanese, mid-century modern, Tudor and a traditional Maori garden.” Not bad, considering it’s not even the best park in Hamilton — that would be Galloway Park, home of the mighty Claudelands Rovers. Hygge hopes for heritage listing Denmark has applied for hygge to be included on Unesco’s list of “intangible cultural heritage”. The wellness trend embodies the Danes’ ability to appear constantly relaxed and refreshed, and is credited with Denmark being voted the happiest nation on Earth (no, not Disneyland). A VisitDenmark campaign invites tourists to “experience the transformational effects of hygge for themselves” — perhaps a bike ride through Copenhagen, a canal tour or a Dine with the Danes home-cooked meal experience. In 2017 Unesco recognised the art of Neapolitan pizza, the Dutch craft of operating windmills and Irish uilleann piping. The whistled language of Turkey was added to the endangered list. Most forms of self-expression in Turkey could be added to the endangered list. Arrive late? Whatcha gonna do? US airlines are getting better at some things — losing fewer bags, bumping fewer passengers, complaints are down — but not getting people to their destination on time. Brent Bowden of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University says 80.2 per cent of domestic flights arrived on time last year, compared with 81.4 per cent in 2016. Alaska and Delta were ranked first, budget carriers Spirit and Frontier worst. Don’t expect any improvement, he says, as airlines don’t have to improve their performance and have a captive market.

— travel@nzherald.co.nz