Are You Ready for a New Zealand Adventure?

New Zealand has become one of the hottest travel destinations in the world. 

Like Rome, it can't be seen in a day.

While it looks small in comparison to Australia, if you count the ocean break between North and South Islands of New Zealand, it is about the same size as Italy. 

In fact, it looks a lot like an upside down version of that boot-shaped European country. 

Because of its greater distance from the Equator, however, some of its micro-climates are considerably different.

You aren't likely to see many penguins or fjords in Italy.  Then again, NZ's City of Sails, Auckland, frequently has sunny days.

The many diverse regions make cruising an excellent way to visit New Zealand.  While spectacular mountain views found in "Lord of the Rings" will be found inland, on a cruise you glide effortlessly through beautiful alternatives Milford Sound and Thompson Sound.

To see how Peter Jackson created movie magic in his interpretations of J.R.R. Tolkien's classics, you'll want to visit Wellington.

New Zealand was never inhabited by Hobbits, but you will be fascinated by the very real Maori, who arrived in what had been a natural bird sanctuary a few hundred years ahead of Europeans.  The Maori definitely impacted their environment, hunting to extinction the Moa, a 500 pound native species of bird that had no natural predators, but the Europeans took it a step further.  They attempted to re-shape New Zealand in the image of their prior homelands in regions with similar climates.  New Zealand's Scottish-oriented city of Dunedin is a good example of this.  As a bonus, you can also visit a penguin refuge there.

You'll love beautiful places like Akaroa and Waiheke without any agenda beyond enjoying the day in a scenic paradise.

Many New Zealand cruises begin or end in Australia, another wonderful destination that tops many bucket lists.

If you haven't guessed by now, all of the hotlinks above take you to more specifics about the subjects linked. 

 

There are more sites to see in New Zealand, whether by cruise or land tour, but these links will give you a good idea of the variety.

 

When do you want to go?