It's quite the accolade in such a land of seemingly endless aesthetic wonder as New Zealand, but today I am crowning Mount Cook National Park the most beautiful in the whole of the country. Along with two cheeky young men from the Netherlands that I met in a hostel in Queenstown, I travelled to this … Continue reading Hiking the Hooker Valley trail and Mueller Hut in Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand
You're treated to a magnificent view of Queenstown if you follow the Queenstown Hill Track Queenstown, a small city in the south of the South Island of New Zealand, has come to be known as "the adventure capital of the world". Bungee-jumping was supposedly invented here, and its proximity to picturesque mountains and lakes make … Continue reading The majestic landscapes of Queenstown, Glenorchy, and Milford Sound
The village of Franz Josef, on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island, only has a population of 400, but up to 2,700 daily visitors can flood its main street during the high summer season. I had booked a guided hike up the valley to a viewpoint where we could see the face of … Continue reading Walking, kayaking, and hot pools near Franz Josef Glacier
Clear views of the north of the South Island as the ferry comes into Picton harbour New Zealand is definitely a country best explored with a car, or even better, a camper van. It can be hard to access its remote beaches and many national parks without your own transport, and the low population density … Continue reading Beautiful New Zealand: up and down the country via train and ferry
I have spent less than two weeks in Middle Earth, looking at the world around me as I would England in springtime – green and rolling hills, neat parcels of farmland, friendly polite people, and "four seasons in one day" - - that rural existence so familiar to a girl who grew up in a … Continue reading A visit to Middle Earth
no cash on the highway 