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We were able to finally able to tick off two of our longtime dream destinations this year – New Zealand (NZ) & Ladakh and they were both simply stunning. NZ for its’ natural beauty which one can argue, that it is curated and Ladakh for its rugged and raw beauty. I faced the same issue – never felt I had enough. Heart just did not have the fill and left me with a deep desire to go back.
To fully enjoy NZ and all its beauty, driving across North Island to South is a MUST. The landscape, weather and the topography changes with every twist and turn. Post landing at Auckland, we took a couple of days to adjust to the time zones and be ready for the 3 weeks of road trip.
The North Island’s must visit places were Waitomo Glowworm Caves to explore the unique underground world of glowworms as we took a boat ride through the caves and marvelled at the twinkling lights of these fascinating creatures.
Hobbiton Movie set where one gets immersed into the whimsical world of the Shire from the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies.
Rotorua to experience the geothermal wonders, including bubbling mud pools, geysers, hot springs and also feel the Māori culture up close.
The Coromandel Peninsula lets one discover the beautiful beaches and amazing coastline and Cathedral Cove presents a stunning natural rock archway. Cape Reinga is the northernmost point of the North Island, where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet and the panoramic views are stunning, to say the least.
We then hopped across to South Island via the ferry which in itself was an incredible crossing to Nelson. At Nelson it was amazing to explore local art galleries & the visit the Nelson Market for local produce and crafts. It was also great to sample craft beers at local breweries. The city is also the gateway to the mighty Abel Tasman National Park for hiking. The park covers 237 Sq. Kms and if time is a constraint, then it was best to visit by a boat around the park and alight to take short hikes.
Our next destination to Kaikoura was magical to see the huge whales and the school of dolphins. The Sperm whales being the most consistently seen species year-round. However, other whales are spotted, depending on the season, like the humpback whales, southern right whales, orcas, and we were told even the blue whales. The hundreds of friendly Dolphin pods literally enthralled us with their various dives and jumps.
Queenstown is probably the darling city of the tourists. The waterfront, the array of restaurants and shops are just what the doctor ordered.
NZ is a country for adventure and thill lovers as it gives an opportunity to experience, sky diving, para gliding, ziplining, bungee jumping, hiking & treks, and many water sports like kayaking, canyoning, sailing, white-water rafting, and jet boating. Other adventure sports include, heli-skiing, and mountain biking. For those seeking unique experiences, New Zealand also offers glacier hiking, black water rafting, and swimming with dolphins.
Queenstown is also a great place to visit the well-known Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound and also various beautiful wineries. We also experienced the thrilling Shotover jet boat adventure on the Kawarau Rivers. Most tourists visit Mount Cook and also take the Heli ride over the Franz Josef, Fox or Tasman but we decided to go a bit off beat and take the Mt Aspiring and Glaciers flight – which was an hour flight and included two alpine landings.
The flight got us up close to Mt Aspiring where one could see the blue ice and deep crevasses of the Bonar, Therma and Volta glaciers which were just as spectacular as the west coast glaciers. The heli ride we took from Wanaka, where there is a unique Willow tree located at the southern end of Lake Wānaka.
Today, the Wānaka Tree stands as a symbol of resilience and a quiet reflection of the surrounding landscape’s beauty. It stands alone in the lake with the Southern Alps as its backdrop and the tree apparently changes its personality with the seasons.
NZ is a land of Lakes and has 3,800 lakes, big and small. If we exclude the smaller lakes and ponds, there are 775 lakes that are at least half a km long. These lakes have diverse origins, including volcanic craters, glacial formations, riverine formations, and coastal areas. Our favourite lakes were Lake Taupō (The largest lake), Lake Wanaka, Lake Wakatipu and Lake Tekapo.
We then drove down to Christchurch to take the scenic TranzAlpine Train to visit the Arthur’s Pass before flying back home.
Time quickly flew by and we had to bid goodbye to the gorgeous New Zealand, I kept repeating –Yeh Dil Mange more, ইয়ে দিল মাঙ্গে আরও, ये दिल मांगे मोर, யே தில் மாங்கே மேலும், in all possible languages I could say in.
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