New Zealand

Follow in the footsteps of the locals and embrace the outdoor lifestyle! Abel Tasman National Park, with its impressive forest and white sandy beaches, Mount Cook National Park, the country’s highest mountain range, Stewart Island, a paradise for seals and whales, Milford Sound, with its fiords and waterfalls: together, they form a stunning collection of backdrops for a wide range of outdoor activities. Watch the sheep (the national emblem, outnumbering people by 15 to 1) gambol over the hilly wilderness. Or walk in the footsteps of Peter Jackson, who recreated the volcanic fantasy landscapes of Lord of the Rings here in New Zealand, and more specifically, in Tongariro National Park. On the doorstep of these untamed expanses are New Zealand’s great cities. Christchurch, in the region of Canterbury, sport-loving Hamilton, the capital, Wellington, or the most heavily populated, Auckland: they’re all laid back, creative places, each with its own local identity, finding their ultimate inspiration in their impressive vineyards.