Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly

Our website is free to browse without user registration or account creation. If you choose to contact us via email, we collect your name, email address, and the contents of your message in order to respond to your enquiry.

Information collected automatically

When you browse our website, certain technical information is collected automatically by our servers and analytics tools:

• Anonymised IP address (truncated before processing);
• Browser type, language preference, and version;
• Operating system and device category (desktop, mobile, tablet);
• Pages visited, time spent per article, scroll depth, and navigation path;
• Referring website URL or search query that brought you to our site.

This technical data is collected via HTTP cookies and Google Analytics 4 (detailed below).

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following legitimate purposes:

• Delivering, maintaining, and improving website performance and content quality;
• Understanding which travel guides and city hubs are most useful to our readers (via Google Analytics 4);
• Displaying non-intrusive, relevant advertisements (via Google AdSense) to support free access to our content;
• Responding to your feedback, questions, or content corrections;
• Monitoring website security and protecting against DDoS attacks or malicious bots.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.

3. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Cookies are small text files stored in your web browser. Our website uses standard cookies for site functionality, analytics, and advertising:

You can configure your browser to block or delete cookies at any time. Note that blocking essential cookies may affect some website navigation features. You can opt out of personalized ad targeting via Google Ads Settings.

4. Google Analytics 4

We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to analyse aggregate reader traffic. GA4 measures page views, reader engagement, and general geographic regions (country/city level). IP anonymisation is enabled by default.

GA4 data is processed by Google in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy. You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting your browsing data across all websites by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

5. Google AdSense & Advertising

We use Google AdSense to serve advertisements on our website. Google uses cookies (including the DoubleClick cookie) to serve ads to visitors based on their visit to this website and other sites across the Internet.

Users may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or aboutads.info.

6. Third-Party Services

Our website utilizes the following trusted third-party infrastructure and service providers:

• Cloudflare — CDN, DNS, and web application firewall security (Privacy Policy);
• Google Analytics 4 — web traffic measurement (Privacy Policy);
• Google AdSense — digital advertising platform (Privacy Policy);
• Firebase / Google Cloud — backend database for real-time weather & public event feeds (Privacy Policy);
• Unsplash — high-resolution travel photography CDN (Privacy Policy).

7. Data Retention

Aggregated website analytics data is retained in Google Analytics for a maximum of 14 months, after which it is automatically purged. Direct email communications are retained for up to 2 years for support and editorial records. You may request earlier deletion of your correspondence at any time.

8. Your Rights

Under the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 and applicable data protection regulations (such as GDPR for European visitors), you have the right to:

• Access: Request confirmation of whether we hold personal information about you and obtain a copy;
• Correction: Request correction of any inaccurate or outdated information;
• Erasure: Request deletion of your personal communication records;
• Opt-Out: Manage or decline tracking cookies via your browser settings or opt-out tools.

To exercise any privacy rights, contact us at nzguide.app@gmail.com.

9. Children's Privacy

Our website is intended for general audiences planning travel in New Zealand and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal identifiable information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us for immediate deletion.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Website Privacy Policy, please contact us:

You may also contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (New Zealand) for independent guidance on New Zealand privacy rights.