Nearly a third of the country falls within national park boundaries and, with only four and a half million people in a country roughly the size of the UK, you’ll have much of it all to yourself. New Zealand is one of the world’s ‘big outdoors’ experiences with a grand backdrop that always amazes. From a cultural viewpoint it is a remarkably young country with the indigenous Maoris only really colonising the islands as a result of the wanderings of their Polynesian, ocean-faring ancestors in the middle of the last Millennia. Even so the islander traditions like the haka and hangi feasts remain an active presence on the modern society notwithstanding attempts at colonial cleansing by Europeans right up to the 20th-century. From hiking to high adrenaline sports, New Zealand is renowned worldwide. On the water there has always been a fine tradition for sailing, but if you feel the need for speed then take a thrill ride on a jet boat. Fans of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ will want to visit the open-air sets that were featured in the screen epic. On a more ‘human’ note a visit to New Zealand is a feast to savour with fresh, ingredients-based cuisine washed down by its famous wines. Wherever you travel across the islands you are sure to be impressed with the high standard of accommodations. Invariably privately-owned these worldfamous lodges are to be found in the most stunning locations, some of which we showcase overleaf. n explosion of dramatic scenery, this distant group of islands in the Pacific has it all: mammoth mountains, icyblue glacial lakes, unspoiled coastlines, idyllic vineyards and cool, cultural cities. From the subtropical kauri forests and volcanoes of the North Island to the remote fjords and alpine reaches of the South Island, New Zealand offers countless open-air opportunities for adventure. 21 a Lake Taupo Auckland WELLINGTON Christchurch Queenstown LakeWanaka Hawke’s Bay
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