December's Accommodation Award goes to...

Auckland Central Backpackers

Lots of information here about how to book travel and accommodation in New Zealand. Java applets have been used to enhance navigation and rotate sponsor's banners and a good selection of external links ensures visitors won't be left wanting for information on any topic. Room rates are clearly displayed, currency is stated as $NZ and a currency convertor is linked to from the relevant pages. A lot of information can sometimes be a downside though, if too much is squeezed onto one page. Perhaps limiting the number of java applets and images on each page would improve download speeds in this instance? The site does however, offer a selection of mirrors so one could always try these if response times are too slow. One further improvement we might suggest would be the addition of a secure booking form. Whilst visitor's are prompted to use the PGP public key and hard-copy form, the online form still has an area for inclusion of credit card details. Even without this, this site is an excellent resource for those seeking information on budget accommodation in Auckland and adventure travel throughout NZ.

© 1998 Discover New Zealand Magazine