Destination Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand

The snow-capped peak of Mount Ruapehu, the reknowned active volcano in New Zealand’s Tongariro National Park, sparkled in the sunlight. Lake Taupo, formed by a volcanic eruption almost two thousand years ago, seemed to go on forever. To the north of the lake, more like a sea, the impressive Huka Falls roared like thunder as the foaming water cascaded down. 

It is a long flight to New Zealand from the UK. There were many early mornings and several hours spent in a coach travelling the long distances between places, but it is all worth it because this country thrills and excites beyond your wildest imagination.

Lake Taupo,

The highlight of day was the geothermal wonderland of Rotorua. For the first time, I saw geysers spouting steam and water high into the air and boiling mud pools all in a surreal setting of volcanic craters, coloured springs and silica terraces. The strong whiff of sulphur that fills the air is a small price to pay for what you see.

Nestled in the Pacific Rim of Fire, Rotorua has been a tourist magnet for years. Besides the geothermal wonders, people flock here to learn about the Māori, the first inhabitants of New Zealand. Its Māori name is Aotearoa, which translates as the Land of the Long White Cloud.

Impressive Huka Falls

The lively town has plenty of attractions including Lake Rotorua. During a long walk along the shore I was captivated by the sight of black swans dart in and out of the water. A ride on the Skyline Rotorua Gondola is a must for special views of the town. There is a restaurant at the top of the complex ideal for enjoying a glass of New Zealand wine while soaking up the vistas. 

For adventure seekers a ride on the luge, a light toboggan, is guaranteed to give you an adrenaline rush. You can ride your Luge cart on one of three tracks, dependent on your skill, through twists and turns through the Redwood forest. Once at the bottom you take the Luge chairlift back up to the top.

A ride on the Skyline Rotorua Gondola is a must for special views of the town

For further thrills try the three-seated SkySwing, which elevates you 50 metres above Skyline Rotorua, stopping for you to take in a view over Lake Rotorua. Then, hanging from your harness, you decide when to go for the drop as you have the release in your hand. This is not for the faint-hearted.

A trip to Rotorua would not be complete without the experience of a Māori banquet prepared in a Hāngī (a traditional method of cooking food in a pit under the ground) and concert. 

We arrived at Te Puia in the early evening and were whisked away on a waka (people mover) for a trip around the valley. To stand in front of the famed Pōhutu Geyser was the stuff memories are made from. It certainly lives up to its name which translates as “constant splashing”. It explodes one or twice every hour and can reach up to 30 metres (100 feet).

The famed Pōhutu Geyser

Tearing ourselves away from the hot pools and geysers we made our way to the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute to see exquisite examples of its work. A visit to the Kiwi House which has its own breeding programme for the flightless birds was also on the agenda.

In the meeting house, we watched a traditional Māori welcoming ceremony in which performers tell stories through song and dance. Seeing the Haka performed in front of you is quite something. 

Afterwards, we had a scrumptious buffet dinner. As we left I looked up and saw the sky covered in a canopy of twinkling stars.

Māori welcoming ceremony

What a romantic setting. I thought fondly of two leading lights I had seen earlier at the Agrodome Farm Show. We were introduced to 19 breeds of sheep. The audience were given facts and figures while sheep dogs showed off their skills. We were also treated to a live shearing demonstration.

That is love

The cast, the sheep, stayed on stage eating, sleeping or resting throughout. Except for two that did not touch their food. Oblivious to what else was going on around them, heads, locked together, they only had eyes for each other. Now that is love!

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

Which city you fly into in New Zealand will depend on where your tour starts from and therefore, which airline you choose. Highly recommended are Cathay Pacific cathaypacific.com and qantas.com The service and inflight experience is spot on. Ensure that the flight you book is operated by the company and not just code-sharing

The tour was part of the Grand Pacific Ultimate Small Group Tours which I booked through Trailfinders (trailfinders.com) as I did the flights

The advantage of travelling aboard the Ultimate Coach is that instead of carrying the normal 48 passengers, it only carries 20. You sit in comfort in leather fully-reclining seats so no neck ache at the end of a long day. (Distances are vast in New Zealand.) There is plenty of personal storage. It is much easier being in a small group, no hanging around waiting for people, no long queues for the loos, overall much cosier

Destination Wellington, New Zealand

Wellington, New Zealand’s gorgeous compact capital, crackles with the spark of a major city and the charisma of a small town. 

Sandwiched between Wellington Harbour and undulating green hills, it certainly lives up to its reputation as being the windy city. It is also earthquake prone but from the laid-back attitude of its inhabitants you would never know it.

After crossing the Cook Strait, swaying between rocky shorelines and hard-to-navigate headlands on the three-and-a-half hour ferry between the South and North Island, I arrived in Wellington.

My eyes had been treated to so many wonders on the South Island and I had prepared myself to be underwhelmed by this next stage of my trip. How wrong I was. 

The Kiwi capital of cool, glistening like a rare precious jewel

The Kiwi capital of cool, glistening like a rare precious jewel, was out to impress. A fusion of sophisticated and avant-guard it has clearly carved out for itself a unique identity.

From Mount Victoria Lookout the city, harbour and ocean stretched out beneath me. Modern and old buildings tumbled down the steep slopes to the bustling water front. Crammed in between were quirky wooden houses that could only be reached by restricted winding roads, steep stairways and funiculars. Imagine being stuck there in the winter. I would never leave home.

Wellington from the waterfront

Fans of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit will recognise this location and many others around Wellington. 

The Botanic Garden, home to protected native forest and stunning floral displays, showcased more wonderful vistas of Wellington. The city was like a film set that was continually playing out before your eyes.

If you want to know what an earthquake feels like, a visit to the Earthquake House at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is a must. This “container of treasures” (what its name literally means) has to be one of the most fascinating museums that I have ever encountered. The guide was simply amazing. Fusing educational information with entertainment they gave me a wonderful insight into New Zealand, its people and the Māori culture in a short period of time.

I joined the long queue to see the highly-acclaimed exhibition Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War. It depicted the story of the eight-month Anzac campaign in the words of eight New Zealanders. Each of them was captured in a crucial moment of time in the form of a giant sculpture that is 2.4 times human size. Created by Weta Workshop, the special effects company that also worked on Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, they have a commanding presence.

Almost three thousand Kiwis lost their lives on Gallipoli while others were left with indelible scars that would last a lifetime. Powerful and poignant, this was a thought-provoking and extremely moving presentation. This museum has such high standards that if you are in Wellington, you should go to see its featured show. 

Botanical Gardens

It was now time to get up close and personal with the city. It is so small that you can almost walk everywhere. Ambling around the Parliamentary District, I got a taste of its colonial past. Around Lambton Quay there was great shopping to discover.

Wellington is renowned for its culinary delights. It is crammed with remarkable restaurants and bars as well as wonderful cafés so you will be spoilt for choice. The bohemian and edgy Cuba Street is jammed with buskers, boutiques and an abundance of eateries. 

Part of New Zealand Parliament

Lovers of wildlife should head to the outskirts of the city to ZEALANDIA, which claims to be the world’s first fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary. Here you can see rare wildlife living in a valley as close as possible as it was before the arrival of humans.

At night the waterfront is the place to be. Take a stroll along the water’s edge, littered with artworks and sculptures. With all the sea air you are bound to work up an appetite and there are plenty of outstanding restaurants.

Shed 5 was my choice. This superb institution is housed in one of the oldest wharf sheds. It dishes up fresh tasty seafood in a lively unpretentious atmosphere. Just like Wellington, itself classy without being ostentatious.

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

Which city you fly into in New Zealand will depend on where your tour starts from and therefore, which airline you choose. Highly recommended are Cathay Pacific cathaypacific.com and qantas.com The service and inflight experience is spot on. Ensure that the flight you book is operated by the company and not just code-sharing

The tour was part of the Grand Pacific Ultimate Small Group Tours which I booked through Trailfinders (trailfinders.com) as I did the flights

The advantage of travelling aboard the Ultimate Coach is that instead of carrying the normal 48 passengers, it only carries 20. You sit in comfort in leather fully-reclining seats so no neck ache at the end of a long day. (Distances are vast in New Zealand.) There is plenty of personal storage. It is much easier being in a small group, no hanging around waiting for people, no long queues for the loos, overall much cosier

Stay at the Intercontinental Wellington, an elegant and modern well-situated hotel

Saying goodbye to the South Island, New Zealand

Fusing the old with an injection of cool, Hokitka, an interesting seaside town on the west coast of the South Island, was the first stop of the day. It is a great place to have lunch and while away a couple of hours. 

The gold rush of the 1860s may have given birth to this town but now art galleries and studios specialising in pounamu (green-stone/jade) jewellery and art are part of the treasures that line the wide streets. 

Hokitka

I can see why this place is a setting for so many novels. Not only is Hokitka pretty, it is a great place to people watch. If I had stayed longer I am sure I could have come up with an interesting script for a telenovela.  

Seen from theTranzAlpine train

The TranzAlpine train journey had to be the highlight of the day. After travelling along Arthur’s Pass, going through swathes of rain forests and seeing rivers and waterfalls, it was time to board the train. Rated as one of the world’s best train journey, it passes through tunnels and viaducts dishing up picture-postcard views of peaks covered in snow, beech forests and gorges. The rain only added to the drama.

Marlborough Country

After an overnight stop in Christchurch, we were up before the crack of dawn to whizz through North Canterbury’s main wine region, the Waipara Valley. We passed through silver and red beech forests before travelling through Marlborough Country, home of the illustrious sauvignon blanc. There are plenty of wineries here that you can visit, if you want to sample the delicious dry, fruity liquid. If you fancy lunch in a vineyard, this is the place.

It seemed all too soon that we were at Picton and ready to board the Interisland Ferry to sail through the Marlborough Sounds and across the Cook Straight to Wellington, New Zealand’s capital.

South Island was magical. Sometimes you look forward to visiting the place of your dreams and reality is a let-down. This was so much more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. Pictures and words cannot do it justice, you have to see it for yourself.

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

Which city you fly into in New Zealand will depend on where your tour starts from and therefore, which airline you choose. Highly recommended are Cathay Pacific cathaypacific.com and qantas.com The service and inflight experience is spot on. Ensure that the flight you book is operated by the company and not just code-sharing

The tour was part of the Grand Pacific Ultimate Small Group Tours which I booked through Trailfinders (trailfinders.com) as I did the flights

The advantage of travelling aboard the Ultimate Coach is that instead of carrying the normal 48 passengers, it only carries 20. You sit in comfort in leather fully-reclining seats so no neck ache at the end of a long day. (Distances are vast in New Zealand.) There is plenty of personal storage. It is much easier being in a small group, no hanging around waiting for people, no long queues for the loos, overall much cosier