D’Urville Island/Rangitoto ki te Tonga in the Marlborough Sounds is the kind of place you visit to connect with nature, and you live there because you prize solitude and independence. About 50 people live there permanently, but there is a steady stream of visitors, fishing charters from Wellington and beyond, the historically curious, and nature lovers like our party of … [Read more...] about D’Urville Island: Paradise with amenities
New Zealand
Surprising Kaiapoi
Picture yourself in a boat on a river with shady green trees and cloudy blue skies. Hold on is the shout. You answer quite quickly, a man with fun in his eyes. I reckon a fast burst upriver in a jet boat with some fancy turns to get the adrenaline going is the most fun you can have on water. On a crisp North Canterbury morning, my wife and I headed up the Waimakariri … [Read more...] about Surprising Kaiapoi
Why there’s never been a better time to check out the charms of Central Otago
Central Otago in summer is hot, relaxing, historically interesting, wonderfully scenic and full of activities, and most of those features continue into autumn. Queenstown was lively over the summer months, but nothing like its heady days when the place was packed with international visitors and Kiwis felt alienated by the crowds and the high prices. Autumn is when … [Read more...] about Why there’s never been a better time to check out the charms of Central Otago
Time to enjoy Bay of Plenty-ful beaches
It’s only 154 kilometres from Waihi Beach to Ohope Beach east of Whakatane, but the stretch of coast along the Bay of Plenty is full of wonderful beaches, history and things to do. I took five days to drive what is easily done in under three hours and explored every beach and more along the way. Most of the journey is along State Highway 2, except to visit each beach the … [Read more...] about Time to enjoy Bay of Plenty-ful beaches
Stewart Island is something special
A man called String Ballantyne exemplifies the spirit of what makes Stewart Island a different kind of place from the rest of New Zealand. He was a larger-than-life figure, a legend in the Bluff, Foveaux Strait and Stewart Island area, a fisherman who was a pioneer in the crayfishing industry, and who built the southernmost house in New Zealand on a promontory on the south … [Read more...] about Stewart Island is something special
It’s all about the River and the past
In the sunshine, the city is quite a delight. Some cities have repurposed their buildings and modernised their downtowns, but Whanganui has retained its old-town charm with heritage buildings looking fresh and spruce down the main street, Whanganui services a population of just over 40 000 people, The Whanganui River is still the centrepiece and focus of the city. At 290km … [Read more...] about It’s all about the River and the past
Beach by Beach
On a wet, warm and windy November morning, my wife and I set off from Wellington heading for Whanganui intending to stop at all the beaches along the North Island’s west coast along the way. We choose to stay at holiday parks, partly because we hadn’t done so for many years and partly because we’d heard they had become a bit trendy since Covid-19 restrictions were lifted … [Read more...] about Beach by Beach
3 interesting anytime destinations
Central Otago is a destination for all seasons. Queenstown was lively over the summer months but nothing like its heady days when the place was packed with international visitors and Kiwis felt alienated by the crowds and the high prices. Last summer there weren’t the crowds but the prices weren’t much lower than usual – at least not in my reckoning. Nowhere did I see a No … [Read more...] about 3 interesting anytime destinations
‘An authentic Kiwi experience’: Reflections of a campervan virgin
At just past midday on a sunny Auckland Sunday, I climbed into the driver’s seat of a Maui campervan at their depot and pointed my turtle, as I called my new home, down Manu Tapu Drive and onto SH20 and then SH1 and SH 2 heading for Waihi Beach. Eight days later at a bit before midday on another sunny Auckland Sunday, I returned the van having driven 1179km, having spent … [Read more...] about ‘An authentic Kiwi experience’: Reflections of a campervan virgin
Ulva Island: Up close to friendly, and not-so-friendly, locals
Ulva Island is a predator-free island a short boat ride from Rakiura/Stewart Island. It’s a destination popular with casual walkers, naturalists and those interested in the outdoors, but care must be taken with the local wildlife. On a recent visit, our party had several encounters with a weka, who thought that we had brought it lunch. The weka is a flightless … [Read more...] about Ulva Island: Up close to friendly, and not-so-friendly, locals