Dream Destinations – New Zealand

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After a series of very diverse locations around the world that have their very own characteristics to warrant being classified as a Dream Destination, I have finally arrived at my ultimate dream location that I simply cannot wait to visit and explore further – the gorgeous islands of New Zealand. Situated in the heart of Oceania in relative close proximity to Australia, New Zealand is an attractive destination for many reasons, none more so than the beautiful scenery and landscapes that the natural terrain offers.

We are hoping to visit New Zealand at the end of 2014 so hopefully we will be in a better position to truly confirm that this is the ultimate in Dream Destinations. Here are some of the key attractions and locations we are really excited about visiting, hopefully in the not too distant future!

Milford Sound

Image courtesy of http://upload.wikimedia.org/
Image courtesy of http://upload.wikimedia.org/

Located towards the southernmost point of New Zealand’s South Island, Milford Sound is a spectacular fjord emphasizing the true natural beauty throughout this country. For many visitors, it is difficult to understand and visualize that this fjord was actually carved out by the path of a glacier but it is a must see for anyone visiting New Zealand.

Described by Rudyard Kipling as the ‘eighth wonder of the world’, Milford Sound provides an iconic symbol for New Zealand and with waterfalls cascading down the sides of the fjord, it is a gorgeous sight in all weather.

Tongariro National Park

Image courtesy of http://upload.wikimedia.org/
Image courtesy of http://upload.wikimedia.org/

Continuing the spectacular natural landscapes in New Zealand, Tongariro National Park offers visitors with gorgeous scenery and a perfect opportunity to get out and start exploring the heart of the Kiwi land. This national park was established in the late 19th century and is one of the world’s oldest. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its Maori cultural and spiritual associations along with the fascinating volcanic formations that are present here.

Tongariro National Park is located in the center of the North Island so visitors opting to see both here and Milford Sound will have a spectacular trek between the two beautiful attractions.

Waiheke Island

Image courtesy of http://upload.wikimedia.org/
Image courtesy of http://upload.wikimedia.org/

One of the most amazing experiences in New Zealand is to go on a wine tasting tour of Waiheke Island which is located just a short forty minute ferry ride from Auckland. Waiheke is home to a gorgeous array of vineyards that produce high quality wines and sampling some of New Zealand’s finest would be a real treat for anyone interested in wine-tasting.

Not only can you sample this amazing wine but you can do so with fascinating beach and other scenic views of the surrounding regions. What could be better than sipping a glass of New Zealand’s finest red wine and watching the sunset fading in the gorgeous backdrop!

Auckland

Image courtesy of http://upload.wikimedia.org/

After spending some time on Waiheke Island, why not head back to Auckland and experience some of the attractions in one of New Zealand’s leading cities. Key attractions include the Sky Tower, Auckland War Memorial Museum and Auckland Harbour Bridge and each one are uniquely catered to reflect the Kiwi image in one way or another.

The Viaduct Harbour plays host to some of New Zealand’s finest restaurants and shopping experiences so this is a spot worth exploring if you want to find something local to New Zealand both in terms of fine cuisine and a memorable local souvenir.

Bay of Islands

Image courtesy of http://upload.wikimedia.org/
Image courtesy of http://upload.wikimedia.org/

If you really want to experience New Zealand, take a trip north to the gorgeous Bay of Islands where you can really enjoy beach and water activities. It is a subtropical region known for its stunning beauty & history, and is an ultimate spot for relaxation after spending so much time exploring the rest of the North and South Islands.

***This post is part of the 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge (#DreamDestinations #AtoZChallenge)***

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Chris Boothmanhttps://abritandasoutherner.com
Chris Boothman is the co-founder of A Brit and A Southerner. Born near Manchester, England, Chris moved to USA in 2006 where he soon after met his wife and travel partner in crime, Heather. They have since embarked on an amazing journey of travel as they challenge others to follow in their paths of working full-time but also being able to travel frequently! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Chris at [email protected]

32 COMMENTS

  1. New Zealand is beautiful. When we visited, we only went to the South Island. I definitely have to go back some day and do the North Island…gorgeous. Have fun planning your 2014 trip!

  2. I’ve been to a couple of places in New Zealand but I think the day is getting closer to plan to spend some time there. It really is a beautiful country… and it doesn’t take 24 hours for us to get there!

    • Is it feasible to see both the North and South in one trip or do you recommend visiting both separately as you are doing? I figure it really depends on the amount of time you have and of course if you split it up you can do each island more justice and explore better rather than just being rushed to get through the key attractions.

      • It really depends on how much time you have. Because I live in Sydney its easy for me to break up my visiting NZ into smaller trips but if your coming from other parts of the world you could easily visit the major highlights and more of both islands on one 4 week trip. As you said the more time you have the more you will get to see.

        • Cheers for the insight Jen! Yes I could imagine if you live in Sydney or anywhere in Australia it would make life much easier but then again I guess you could say that with any parts of the world. You sometimes fail to truly appreciate a destination until you are no longer there or not within close proximity, I know that I fall into that category for England now that I live in the States.

  3. New Zealand is a great choice. There’s something about this country. It’s the bit of the unknown with the comfort of (mostly) a similar language. And the Flight of the Conchords, despite their horrible manager/NZ tourist center employee, made me want to go there even more.

    Great suggestions for things to do.

    • Thanks Ann for the kind remarks, I certainly agree with you that there is something extra special about New Zealand which is actually pretty difficult to put your finger on. Maybe it’s the natural beauty but whatever it is it attracts my attention. The fact that the Kiwis speak English is also a benefit for the Western societies wanting to head over there for a trip.

    • It doesn’t surprise me Anabel and I bet there are many more out there focused on something regarding New Zealand! But I have to say that if I hadn’t already visited New York before, that would have been up there because I LOVE NYC!

  4. Stunning – and I love the tie-in with your post yesterday featuring Melbourne. New Zealand sounds wonderfuland those mountains in your first picture are incredible!

    • Cheers Calli, not sure if it was more luck than actual planning in terms of having Melbourne and New Zealand follow each other but I think it has worked out really well. We are really considering doing a trip to Oz and NZ at the end of 2014 and both of these Dream Destinations would be an awesome experience. Doing one would be amazing but getting to visit both in the same trip would be unthinkable!!

    • Thanks for the comment Sue! I would strongly encourage any aspiring travelers to seriously consider NZ as a spot to explore. It really does have everything in terms of natural landscape, attractions and things to keep you busy.

    • Stephanie, that really is an awesome plan to download images prior to going on your trip so that it keeps those long office days passing by with something to look forward to! New Zealand is absolutely gorgeous and that is just my opinion from all the research I have done on this part of the world. I can only imagine that visiting there in person will supersede my expectations.

  5. New Zealand to this day is my favorite country. I hiked Tongariro Crossing and also kayaked in Doubtful Sound and drive to see Milford Sound. The country has so much natural beauty!

    • Very, very envious of your travels around NZ Angela! I am really looking forward to getting over there hopefully at the end of this year and really taking advantage of some time there to explore the regions that I highlighted in the article. Plus of course there is so much more that I didn’t cover that will probably make leaving NZ very difficult as there is so much to do!

    • Coming from a town in England named ‘Ramsbottom’ I don’t think I will have any problems at all knowing some good old sheep jokes – heard them all before!

  6. I am already excited for you both, for your trip later this year. Although I haven’t ever been myself, I have friends from New Zealand and also a close friend who spent about a year working there, I believe on the South Island. Her photos are really spectacular, lots of magical scenery. I am sure you’ll publish some great features after your trip, and you mustn’t forget to get some good sheep photos also, to go along with the jokes 🙂

  7. New Zealand is definitely on my wishlist of places to visit (along with Iceland and Thailand at the moment). Waiheke Island looks beautiful and if there are wineries there, too… well, that sounds like a great destination 🙂

  8. Such a wonderful country with so many different, stunning attractions. Each one alone would be worth the visit but put them all together and you get the most magical of destinations. Would love to see it all one day.

    • Definitely will let you know when we are there Syd!! Loved following your adventures there and picked up some great tips along the way, I think your latest post on “Talking like a Kiwi” is a great start for anyone heading there 🙂

  9. This would also be a top dream destination for me and you’ve shared some fantastic areas to visit. When visiting Hawaii last year we met a couple that owns a pistachio farm in New Zealand. They were telling us about their woofing program and thought our son might be interested in working for them. Ever since I keep thinking that I should go work there for a few months and explore the rest of New Zealand at the same time. I haven’t yet talked my husband into it but I’ll keep trying. 🙂 Great post!

  10. Hello my friend…
    Loving all your posts for the challenge…we have always consider New Zealand as such as an interesting place to go…some of the pictures I see remind me of some landscapes here in Chile too…I feel that we have some similar geography.
    Always a pleasure to visit this blog!
    FrandalF

  11. New Zealand is a dream destination for us too! Great list of places to visit when there–I want to see them all, but I think Tongariro National Park would be at the top of the list! So many exciting places to visit and adventures there, I really need to plan a trip soon!

    • I agree completely Jenna! I am kind of disappointed that we are not going to be able to head there in December this year as we were initially planning that trip along with a return to Australia but the cost is just too high right now so we have opted for a trip around Europe which we are really excited about! But we are certainly both ready to head to NZ and explore all of these great attractions and locations for ourselves. Seeing them in person I am sure is way better than in pictures!

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