This may not be of much interest to all and sundry, but I am sure there are quite a few of you who would like to know more about New Zealand, particularly if you are perhaps thinking about an Overseas holiday. Weather wise, our temperatures are very temperate.
Even in Winter, you really need to be around the mountains to get really cold weather!
Starting from the top and working down is perhaps my best way of putting this information together.
Auckland is our largest city by far. Has about 2/3 of the population. There are some really tropical areas all within a days driving from Auckland to the top of the country where both the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea actually meet. Beautiful and famous Piha Beach is along that Western Coastline.
Among our native Maori population, it is the place where they believe their Spirits fly from once they leave this mortal soil.
Auckland has its own Casino and Tall Tower with a restaurant right at the top. Many beautiful beachs and walks including some of those being on what are supposedly Extinct Volcanoes, but which our scientists assure us are still very much alive.
There is a huge International Airport catering for anyone and everyone.
It is a great city for sailing, swimming, long walks, its many cafes, and massive shopping areas.
It's a huge multi-cultural city like so many others around the world.
Too big for me. I prefer the smaller towns and cities as they have less people and are much more quiet to live in.
Coming down you come across the hills to beautiful farmlands, quiet peaceful towns and more beaches either side of the country. You are never more than 6 hours drive from a beach in New Zealand, yet we are sufficiently enclosed with hills and mountain ranges to make it very warm and cosy feeling.
Coming from Auckland you soon meet up with our only North Island Ski field called Turoa, and also the Whakapapa Field.
These are magnificient in Winter of course, and many thousands of skiers and "boarders" take time off to go there each year. they cater for 1,000's of Overseas visitors as well.
Many tourists travel into Taupo and Turangi and get themselves some wonderful shots of the Snow capped Ski fileds as memories to take home.
Passing from there we come to our very beautiful Lake Taupo, renowned for its wonderful Trout fishing, water ski-ing, swimming, picnicing, and general all-round enjoyment.
You can choose to fly here as well as they have a very good Airport just minutes from the city.
From Taupo we travel to places like Castlepoint Lighthouse, in the Wairarapa District, and through to Wellington which is our Capital City but not as populated as Auckland. Still a very large city though and also has it's own International Airport, just as Auckland does.
Wellington is also very multi-cultaral like Auckland. Massive shopping areas, and Malls, superb train services, and buses for getting around to various places.
A beautiful inner harbour where the Ferries take off for the South Island via Cook Strait. This can be a wild and windy area, very much like the Straits of Dover in England, but usually not as boisterous as there.
After crossing Cook Strait, you reach Marlborough Sounds which are incredible scenery sites!
Their beauty is out of this World. Sheer magnificence!!
You can drive right round the coastal area taking in all of the glorious sites there are.
Once reaching the Ferry Terminal you proceed through Picton to Blenheim which is a large part of the Wine-growing area of New Zealand. Some of the World's Best Wines come directly from there.
Also most of our normal Table Salt, which is also a New Zealand Export, comes from the big Salt Lake just out of Blenheim on the way to the Southern areas.
From Blenheim its on through a little town called Kaikoura, renowned World-Wide for it's Whale watching expeditions, and also for it's fabulous tasting Crayfish.
Our Maori folk call it Koura and thus the township gets its name from the two words "Kai and Koura" which when put together means "Eat crayfish". Choice eh?
Onwards from Kaikoura is our largest South Island city, called "The Garden City" due to its tremendously beautiful Parks and Gardens in and around the City.
Cathedral Square is very much like Trafalgar Square in England. Doesn't have nearly as many pidgeons though as England!
Hagley Park in Spring is an absolute picture. A photographers dream!
Acres and Acres of superb daffodils, crocuses, snowdrops, bluebelss, and georgeous Avenues of Oaks and many other out standing massively tall trees.
There is also a very beautiful University here which caters for 1,000's of Students every year. Much Like Aucklands does too, and not forgetting our other 2 Universities, in Hamilton, in the North Island, a little over an hour away from Auckland, and also the second South Island one situated at Dunedin, which is approximately 4 to 5 hours from Christchurch.
They also have their own Casino here too which caters for both New Zealanders and Overseas clients. Not places I have ever been because they just hold no interest in any shape or form for me.
Moving along from here is Dunedin, our penultimate Southern City.
Here we have Larnach Castle which was built many years ago by William Larnach in 1871 for his dearly loved wife Eliza.
It is a totally glorious place, situated high on a hill overlooking Dunedin harbour and waterways. It is Magnificent!!! Superlatives fail me. they just don't match the beauty of this place at all.
You can find a link to this place in my External links.
From Dunedin we head through wonderful Dairy and Sheep farming country, which is usually very green and lush, but this year of 2007-2008 is extremely dry and arid. A terrible nightmare for our farmers. Having grown up on the Land, I know a little of what they are currently experiencing. It's not good so we are all praying for more rain for them as well as us.
Travelling through these areas you can branch off and go to a place callled Central Otago where there used to be massive gold-fields, but sad to say are no more.
However, the area has been turned into one of the best and biggest Orchards in the whole country.
Fruit, in particular from here has such a wonderful flavour a tremendous lot is exported to many over seas countries.
Although we appreciate the dollars that come into the country from this Trade it also makes our own fruit quite expensive unless we live close enough to be able to go to the Orchards and pick our own.
There are cherries, apples, plums, quince,nectarines, peaches, gooseberries, tomatoes, pears, and many others also.
Potatoes are also grown and exported from here too.
From these areas you can then wander through to Invercargill which is the Southern Most City of New Zealand. This is mainly a farming and rural type city but many Tourists go through here now on their way to the Southern Alps and Queenstown where the greater part of New Zealand's Ski fields are. There are several tremendous Ski fields here, and also our very pristine Fox and Franz Joseph glaciers. Their icy blue tinge is awe inspiring.
From Invercargill, you can take a Ferry ride or go by light Aircraft across to Stewart Island, which is a haven for many rare birds and insects, besides being a very tranquil and lovely place to live or holiday.
I spent 2 years living their when my children were very young and my husband was a commercial fisherman.
Of all the places I enjoy in New Zealand I believe this place gave me the most warm memories. It is so calm, peaceful, laid-back, and utterly tranquil. Beaches to swim on, fresh fish to be caught any day you like, boat owners who will take you fishing at sea etc. So many things to do, yet so un-spoilt.
There is so much more I could write about this Country of ours but I am conscious of you having to sit there and read it.
I hope Qassia make it possible for folks to print these out so they can be read in peace and quiet.
My hopes now are that you have enjoyed this walk with me down "memory lane". There are many other parts I could tell you about so if you want to know anything more, please feel free to contact me anytime.
