For
the longest time I've wanted to visit New Zealand, even before the
Lord of the Rings films made the country famous for its stunning landscapes.
In fact, you could say it's been a lifelong dream of mine to go there.
It might have been a choice article that sparked my initial desire
to visit New Zealand or even a documentary on television, but whatever
it was, it's safe to say that the country has held a undeniable fascination
over me.
Images
of the awesome mountains, the spectacular forests, the beaches,
the wildlife and the Maori culture have embedded themselves in my
mind. So favourable was the impression I got that New Zealand has
always been high on my list of destinations.
It
was only recently, though, that I got the chance to discover exactly
why I found the country so appealing. I managed to arrange a three
week tour of the two islands that make up New Zealand so I could
finally see what was so alluring about the place.
Click
here to find out
about New Zealand's history
My New Zealand tour…
The trip that was organised took in a number of venues in the three
weeks. You'll find brief descriptions of the places I visited below
with the full reports (including pictures) coming later.
Keep checking this page for updates!
Auckland
(2 days) [more
details]
It's New Zealand's biggest city with a population of over a million
people but it's not the capital. Known as the 'City of Sails', due
to its maritime connection, Auckland is a modern, vibrant city that
offers the visitor a great deal to see and do... click
here for more
Rotorua
(1 day) [more
details] 
Rotorua is a tourist hotspot because of the amazing views over Lake
Rotorua and the various activities you can participate in. Located
in the Bay of Plenty area, the lake itself was formed by a volcanic
eruption long ago and you can still see (and smell) the volcanic
activity in the area…
Hastings
(2 days) [details
coming soon]
Hastings is in the Hawkes Bay area of New Zealand, which is renowned
for its wine production. The town itself resembles a quiet farming
community, with its many wineries and restaurants. Like nearby Napier,
the town was levelled by a devastating earthquake in the 1930s.
It was subsequently rebuilt in an art deco style of architecture…
Martinborough
(2 days) [details
coming soon]
This is another wine region not too far from New Zealand's capital
Wellington. The are over twenty-five wineries in or near the town,
and the speciality is pinot noir. It's a fairly quiet town but the
nearby scenery certainly warrants investigation…
Wellington (1 day) [details
coming soon]
Based on the southern tip of the North Island, the capital city
of New Zealand has a population of just over 200,000 (which is less
than Stoke-on-Trent's). It's the cultural and artistic heart of
New Zealand where visitors can find out about the history of the
country at the Te Papa museum. It also has a vibrant café
culture too…
Blenheim
(2 days) [details
coming soon]
This town can be found in the northern part of the South Island.
Blenheim is the biggest town in the region with a population of
just over 25,000. It's also another one of New Zealand's wine producing
areas with plenty of wineries. Bizarrely, you'll find Stoke is not
too far away...
Christchurch
(1 day) [details
coming soon]
Christchurch is in a region called Canterbury, and it's just like
a little bit of old England complete with its own cathedral (which
I reckon has Minton tiles in it). It has the sedate atmosphere of
a university town like Oxford or Cambridge with its English-style
stone buildings and Victorian botanical park. Amazingly, the river
Avon flows through the city centre and Sheffield is just up the
road!
Fairlee
(1 day) [details
coming soon]
Fairlee can best be described as a small farming community. What
really makes the place stand out is the stunning backdrop of snow-capped
peaks that make up the Southern Alps. There's also an intriguing
and strange 'Ostrich Hatchery' based in the town…
Queenstown
(3 days) [details
coming soon]
In the heart of the Southern Alps is Queenstown which is known as
the adventure capital of New Zealand. You can ski there in the winter
but you can also take part in all manner of adrenaline sports from
various death-defying bungy jumps to white-water jetboating - there's
plenty of exciting things to do if you've got the cash to do it.
For the more leisurely minded, you can take a cruise on the picturesque
Lake Wakatipu or visit the scenic reserve of Milford Sound (watch
out for the Sand flies though - they're vicious).
Wanaka
(1 day) [details
coming soon]
A short distance from Queenstown is Wanaka. The town is a less developed
version of Queenstown, which is not entirely a bad thing. You can
see the awesome peaks of the Mount Aspiring National Park just beyond
Lake Wanaka…
Franz
Josef (2 days) [details
coming soon]
You'll find the village of Franz Josef at the foot of Mount Cook
(New Zealand's largest mountain) on the West Coast. It's famous
for its glacier, which is remarkable because it practically reaches
the rainforest. The Franz Josef glacier (and the nearby Fox glacier)
are formed due to unique set of conditions you'll find nowhere else
in the world…
Christchurch
(1 day) [details
coming soon]
Back to Christchurch again for a final day before the long journey
back to Britain. It was a chance to chill out in what I found to
be a really beautiful city…
Your
holiday online...
Have you been somewhere you really want to talk about? Do you have
pictures? Or have you seen a foreign town with the same name as a
Staffordshire town? Send us words and pictures, and we'll put your
story online! Send your tales by e-mail to us at: stoke@bbc.co.uk |
