Taupō is a popular spot on the New Zealand tourist trail. There isn’t much to do in the town itself, but Taupō sits on the shore of a massive lake. Lake Taupō was formed by one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history. Unsurprisingly, therefore, things to do around Taupō include water-based activities and geothermal sightseeing. Here’s a list of my top ten: 1) Take a cruise out to see the Maori Rock Carvings If Read more…
New Zealand may not have much history, but what it does have can be fascinating. Since moving to New Zealand, I’ve been to many different historical places, from museums to heritage sites. The following list features the places that have really stuck in my memory. That means they must be pretty special, right? Anyway, see what you think, and maybe you can visit some of them when you’re on holiday in New Zealand. 1) Nigel Read more…
New Zealand certainly isn’t short of beautiful gardens. It has so many that a ‘top ten’ list would be quite impossible to write. Instead, here’s a list of ten gardens that I thought were really nice. Each one would make a lovely addition to any trip around New Zealand. 1) Hamilton Gardens Hamilton’s number one visitor attraction was named International Garden of the Year in 2014 – not bad for somewhere that used to be Read more…
Yes, it’s true. Some parts of New Zealand are so beautiful you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d wandered into a fantasy story. No wonder so many fantasy films and television series are shot here. Here’s a list of the top ten… List compiled by Abigail Simpson
Looking for a relaxed holiday in the New Zealand of the good old days? You could spend a few days in Taranaki. Taranaki, or ‘the Naki’, is a beautifully green region of the North Island, jutting out into the wild Tasman Sea. It’s dominated by a stunning, snow-capped volcano and steeped in history. There are many interesting things to do in Taranaki – here’s a list of my top ten: 1) Visit Pukekura Park Read more…
New Zealand is a very outdoorsy nation. Bush walks are a big thing. The Department of Conservation maintains nine ‘Great Walks’ in different places around the country, but they all take a few days to do. I like walks I can do in less than a day. Happily, New Zealand has more of those than you can count. As I live in the North Island of New Zealand, I’m more familiar with the North Island’s Read more…
I’m a huge fan of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films. Living in New Zealand, I’ve visited a great many of the filming locations. Frankly, they’re worth seeing even if you’re not a Lord of the Rings fan – their sheer beauty is unsurpassed. People from all over globe flock to them, and they’ve certainly been the highlights of my various travels around New Zealand. Here’s a list of ten of them: Glenorchy My family visited Glenorchy on Read more…
New Zealand is one of the most secular countries in the world. Less than half of the population identify as Christian, according to the 2013 census. Almost as many people declare no religion at all, and even of those who say they are Christian, only about 15% actually go to church. If you include the people who didn’t answer (or actively objected to answering) the question of religion on the census, and the people like Read more…
Chances are you’ve heard the words ‘crazy’ and ‘Kiwi’ in the same sentence. This is because New Zealanders are insane. No concern for personal safety, they throw themselves headlong into their obsessions, combining inherent ingenuity with mad optimism. Kiwis can conquer the world with a piece of number 8 wire, or so they enjoy telling themselves. Reading this list of crazy kiwis, however, you might well believe it. The following 10 New Zealanders all displayed Read more…
Every country has its slang – its silly words and phrases that make absolutely no sense to outsiders – and New Zealand is no exception. Here’s a list of ten of the silly words and phrases that Kiwis say, of which I had to hastily make sense when we emigrated from England, and which you might find useful if you’re planning a holiday in New Zealand: Sweet as Kiwis have a disconcerting habit of not finishing similes. Read more…