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Published: March 15th 2023
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I happened to chance upon a guide book to New Zealand at a nice coffee shop in Batu Ferringhi, Malaysia, and figuring that I was already sitting at the nicest place in the resort town, it is worth noting that I felt inspired, and determined not to write a stay in New Zealand out of the equation before the trip was through. At a hotel in Incheon, South Korea, the flights to New Zealand were being booked, all in the name of a free-spirited lifestyle. The dream sprang to life the moment the plane touched down at Queenstown airport, which was to be the opening salvo for a 17-night stay in the nation, starting far south, and heading slowly north. Queenstown is known as the adventure sports capital of all existence, and the overall cost of living there somewhat reflects that, so without wanting to compromise on the nature of the experience itself, I simply had to pluck out the very best of what the region had to offer in the realm of affordability. First up was an excursion to fjordland, namely Milford Sound, where a coach will take you to the gateway to the fjord where the ferry journey reveals
dramatic scenery running a close parallel to the Norwegian fjord tour which starts life in Bergen. Scenery defines New Zealand's south island to an absolute T, so this tour is a fine way of getting to grips with boththe stunning greenery en route, and awesome views at the Milford Sound itself, and a brief stop in the town of Te Anau to break up the journey makes the visitor realize that this is a nation where topography is like no other place on earth. Queenstown itself is not lacking in charm, from quayside loveliness, to smalltown atmosphere, but if you need to experience the thrill of the ride, then a short burst of euphoria could come your way in the form of the Shotover jet speedboat tour, operating since 1965, and giving you the chance to experience the joys of slicing through the shotover river, replete with twists, turns 360 spins, and that all-important spray of ice-cold water. Moving on from Queenstown, the city of Dunedin is dubbed the 'Edinburgh of the South', and is home to the world's steepest street, Baldwin Street, along with the kind of cityscape which more than hints at what the original Scottish settlers had
brought with them in times gone past. The Otago museum, documenting the delights of the surrounding region is well worth a look-in, and it was a joy to behold to discover that there is a section devoted to the local music scene which first graced my turntable back in the late 1980s and refused to drop off the radar ever since, happily so, might I add! Leaving the South Island, a short hop brought me to the nation's capital city of Wellington, located on the southern tip of the north island, and a city which easily nestles in among the holy trinity of top 3 cities visited on the entire world tour. Wellington may not be the nation's largest urban zone, but appears to have more charm per square metre than most other cities on earth, with features a-plenty which would appeal to residents and tourists alike. The cable car ride up to the museum and planetarium located at the top of the ascent appears to be a perennially popular tourist activity, and New Zealand's national museum has easily a full day's potential for a good old scout around at the various exhibits which define the nation in one way
or another. Heading further north, and the sleepy but appealing town of Napier contains enough in the way of Art Deco architectural styles to make the walk through the main street a feast for the senses, but the outdoor bathing experience at Ocean Spa on the seafront promenade remains my top Napier activity for affordable luxury. One spa bathing experience led to another, as Rotorua, further west, is a town known for its hot spring culture, characterized by a sulphurous odour which follows you all the way around town, forcing you to pay attention to the variety of boiling hot spa pools dotted in and around the city's confines. The famous Polynesian Spa might seem truly great, though has an admission fee somewhat heftier than Napier's Ocean Spa, perhaps made up for by the truly stunning tudor architecture of the city museum in the immediate vicinity, which went through a variety of incarnations over the years. If you're in search of the ultimate evening of entertainment in Rotorua, then the Maori show clocks in as the city's most popular, replete with stage show, fascinatingly exotic premises, buffet meal and Q and A session with a Maori native keen to share reflections on his lifestyle with all those who attend the show. Travelling further west still, and the city of Hamilton comes across as businesslike, but still highly substantial, the two sublime out-of-town attractions being a classic car museum (Classics) with adjacent 50s-style US diner, and the phenomenal Hamilton Gardens, a free attraction which feels anything but, the splendour emanating from the thematic sense of creative thought which has gone into collaging the entire gardens which have a strikingly pretty international depth about them. Before the entire trip to New Zealand came to an end, the nation's largest metropolis, Auckland was the final swansong, so a flash tour of all the commendable city sights just had to be sampled before I sailed out of the city of sails. Auckland comes across mostly as a city still possessing something of a smalltown atmosphere despite features a-plenty, such as the imposing Auckland tower, Auckland museum, and the variety of districts, Parnell and Ponsonby, to name but two, which make up the urban fabric. As the world tour was drawing to a close, it was time to respect the fact that a few casual purchases were possible by now, and many of them came in the form of a visit to Real Groovy, the nation's largest record store, amounting to over half of the world tour's crop of CD purchases. It is however, not solely the musicians of New Zealand who are supremely talented, and credit here must surely go to every living soul who has played a bit part in creating the nation the way it looks and feels today, as the New Zealand experience, despite being top of the tree in terms of overall cost for each individual nation on the route, redeemed itself several times over by being a relaxed, friendly, stupendously scenic, liveable and downright essential nation which seemed to make more of an impact as the experience progressed. There was but one nation remaining on the world tour, but given the fact that I was departing from the furthest-flung (from home) nation, the circumnavigation of the globe in a time span of around 7 and a half months felt like the most life-affirming way of not only living the dream, but keeping that dream so alive and kicking that no other lifestyle choice could ever topple this one from its lofty pedestal!
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