NEW ZEALAND-THE WORLD'S MOST PEACEFUL NATION (Ranked #2)

*MILFORD SOUND

       New Zealand . . . a place where we've never been. It's a small, isolated country, similar in size to Great Britain or Japan, but with a population of only 4.5 million compared to Great Britain (67 million) and Japan (127 million). It's consists of two major islands, the North and the South. Its known for it's rugged mountains, spectacular glaciers, picturesque fiords, rolling hillsides, miles of rugged coastline, and peaceful sandy beaches. About a fifth of the North Island and two-thirds of the South Island are mountainous. The “Kiwis” are known for their friendliness and laid-back life style.

*MOUNT ASPIRING

     Nine months ago, we heard about a promotional airfare that Air Tahiti Nui was offering from Los Angeles to Auckland, and decided to take advantage of it. Our children and granddaughter will be joining us—making it all the more exciting. New Zealand is one of those places we've always wanted to visit and this seemed like a good opportunity. I booked it for 30 days, the maximum number of days that the fare allowed, and chose the month of November which is spring in New Zealand.

     Our itinerary is mainly around the South Island because it is has the most spectacular scenery. One of the difficult things about planning this trip was deciding what to do and what not to do. Everything looks so fascinating. We also had to make sure that we allowed enough time to savor the places we did visit. I scanned travel brochures to see what the experts included in their tours. I also talked with travel agents, researched travel books and websites, and found a good touring map. Next, I put together a tentative itinerary and requested feedback from everyone. This was followed by another itinerary to review.

     Another thing I did right away was to book lodging while there was still availability and reasonable rates. I used booking.com to reserve two-bedroom apartments—all of which were cancelable. I did need to make some changes. However, booking early provided far better choices and the comfort level that I needed.

     A capsule version of our itinerary looks like this:

                                 Auckland - 3- 7 nights (different arrival dates)

                                 Queenstown - 4 nights

                                 Te Anau - 4 nights

                                 Twizel - 1 night

                                 Christchurch - 2 nights

                                 Greymouth - 1 night

                                 Nelson - 3 nights

                                 Wellington - 4 nights

                                 Auckland - 2 nights

     Another challenge was how best to navigate New Zealand, and that was probably the most difficult of all. Ron and I travel in Europe by train and bus—it works great for us and we wouldn't do it any other way. Trains are scarce in New Zealand and buses are the alternative. Most tourists prefer to rent a car, van, or camper. Our son and son-in-law had a preference for driving. We will be trying a little bit of everything: a flight to Queenstown from Auckland; a large van for one week; a car for four days; two scenic trains from Christchurch to Greymouth, and Wellington to Auckland; ferry boat rides; and a lot of walking.

     

*MacKensie Basin

*Photos courtesy of Tourism New Zealand