Even a 3 month trip doesn’t last forever, and on April 1 we drove from Punakaki to Christchurch, our last stop. That evening we met with our friends, Donna and Mark Lee. They had flown in from CA and were just beginning their NZ adventure as we were ending ours. We had a very nice dinner at the 27 Steps restaurant and shared thoughts on places to go and things we had really enjoyed.
The next day we caught a Fiji Air flight to Nadi, Fiji, and then on to LAX. Lots of time in the plane, but we went business class so it was about as nice as it can be for a long flight.
Looking back over our trip, it is hard to pick out favorites and highlights. There are so many great memories that I’d have to reproduce the entire blog to do it justice.
If you decide to make the long journey to NZ, I know you will not be disappointed. There are things to do for every traveler.
You will see beautiful and varied landscapes.
Up and down the country you will find gorgeous coastal scenes and communities that are well worth the visit.
You might want to look for some of NZ’s weird, wacky and sometimes cute critters, …
Go on some adventures of your own …
Find your adrenaline high in the forest…
… then relax and cool off in the pools and springs.
Marvel at the unique geology …
Check out the quirky public art…
– fun sense of humor…
and mailboxes as and art form!
Enjoy sampling local favorites at one of the many wineries …
then check out the breath-taking beauty of Fiordland National Park with a visit to Doubtful Sound …
and Milford Sound.
Visit some of the many gardens and botanical gardens (they are ALL free!).
See Queenstown, in the summer for gondola rides, hiking, swimming and bungee jumping…
-or the winter, to find some fresh powder on some of the southern hemisphere’s best ski slopes.
And don’t miss the mesmerizing glow worm caves at Te Anau.
You can relive your Tolkien memories with a trip to Hobbiton,
and have a brew at the Green Dragon Inn.
You can do something really crazy – like jump off NZ’s tallest building!
or explore the deep in one of NZ’s many famous dive sites.
A trip to NZ would not be complete without spending time in several of the many beautiful and wonderfully maintained parks.
Hiking the many trails are some of our best memories.
You can hang out with the locals,
(some are more friendly than others)
Or you can work on your sailing skills with some of the world’s best sailors.
If you do make the trip, no matter where you go, I am sure that, like us, you will return with wonderful memories of your own from this magical place.
Thanks for all of the updates, Pat! It was lovely to see the country again some 14 years since we were last there.
If you’re in the Bay Area, please feel free to look us up! We’d be happy to host for dinner here or take you out to a local favorite. (Part of my not-quite-admitting-that-I-might-be-retired-yet role is to try to keep in touch with old friends. Managed to see Anna-Marie and her husband Andrew a little while ago, in fact.)
Take care,
Steve
Wow – what a trip! It was a pleasure to share it with you.
Thank you,
Frank and Karen
Great recap! What a wonderful time, I can’t wait to see where you go next! ❤️
Thank you, Pat! I appreciate that you shared you experiences with all by blogging of your adventures as you traveled. And I learned a lot more about sailing, too!
Blessings to you and Peggy and in your further adventures!