I believe it was Rudyard Kipling who described Milford Sound as the 'eighth wonder of the world' and now I've been there I can completely understand why. Stunning natural beauty that I'm afraid I can't effectively capture or convey either in words or in photographs make this a very special place that you really must include in any trip to NZ. I have to admit to thinking that the idea of doing the 4-day trek to here would be a fabulous way to experience it - eve...

Queenstown is absolutely fabulous! As far as I can see, there are only two problems - the first that I'm at least 20 years older than I really should be to fully enjoy all that this fabulous city has to offer, the second is that we only have two days here! However, there's a silver (or should that be grey?) lining to very cloud. The very good thing about being an 'old fogey' is that we are staying in a completely fabulous suite in the wonderful Hotel St Mortitz w...

So after enjoying a fabulous BBQ at Jane and Mark's gorgeous house in Wellngton - where we were completely spoilt (thank you both!) and had the opportunity to meet lots of wonderful New Zealanders - it was time to leave the North Island and venture south. Thankfully, the rough seas that had greeted us when we arrived in Wellington had been blown away and we were blessed not only with a smooth crossing of the infamous Cook Strait but also were able to enjoy the st...

It's a public holiday here today in NZ - Waitangi Day when they celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi between Britain and the Maori Chiefs in 1840 - and we're fortunate enough to be spending that day in Wellington for two reasons. The first is that we have spent the morning in the fabulous Te Papa museum, one the very best musuems I have ever spent time in. Incredibly modern and interactive in how it engages with its visitors of all ages and with guides...

So a week into our time in New Zealand and we arrived to spend the weekend in Rotarua, the home of a beautiful lake and wildlife sanctuary nested in the crater of (what we were told) is an extinct volcano. However, a walk around the lakeside showed that the many thermal springs in the area are still very much active - and, because of the sulphur, are creating a distinctive and not particularly pleasant pong! The lakeside walk revealed the lake to be a wildlife s...