New Zealand: A 13-day journey across a nation that embodies the balance of nature and humanity.

Kia Ora…the Maori greeting that means welcome, good health, expresses gratitude. This greeting embodies New Zealand and its people.

We had always discussed going to New Zealand for years, but still working and distracted by closer trips, we put it off. A flight that could total over fifteen hours compared to a European trip of six or seven can be a deterrent. Truly, it is a 3-week trip, but due to circumstances, we decided to plan it with excruciating detail and do it in 13 days. (And add in four nights in Bora Bora to unwind!)

Let’s begin at the end: when we pondered what was the main highlight, the one thing we thought just stood above all others — a resort, a meal, a drive, anything — we struggled to list only three.

Truth be told, one illumination and revelation sets this nation apart: this is country of complexity and simplicity all at once; never before have we seen such a beautiful dance of humankind and nature.

In several posts, we will try and capture the amazing, almost speechless beauty, grace and rawness of New Zealand — both the beauty of its environs and people. But the end result is: if you can go, you must go. This is not traveling in the usual sense, this is an adventure, and let it be said, while natural splendor and it’s beauty is so resplendent, it was the people, the nearly five million spread in clusters across both islands, that make New Zealand so unique. While this is in broad strokes, these characteristics seemed ubiquitous: friendly, open, challenging in a fun way, always willing to help, a sly humor, a rugged individualism.

In several posts, we will cover some high-end places to stay: Treetop Lodge, outside Rotorua, Hapaku Lodge near The coastal town of Kaikoura, and Blanket Bay, near the bottom of the South Island near Queenstown.

In addition, nature and culture will have its due: sites like the geysers of Rotorua, the Maori culture, the coastal drives, the mighty Mt. Cook and it’s retreating glaciers and azure glacial lakes, will be captured in words and images, as best we can.

Last, some smart tips and local gems for navigating what ends up being a long self-driving experience: how they drive, what they eat, and a host of small bit meaningful insights.

It was not a vacation, but a journey across a nation.

https://www.newzealand.com/int/

@newzealand