DO YOU KNOW

your neighbours? I have to put my hand up and say that I don’t. It’s not for lack of opportunity; one neighbour received multiple knocks on the door when our foster cat made a Mission Impossible-style escape from the second floor of our Auckland home and took up angry residence under their deck. But as we get busier, our commutes longer and our spare time more precious, communities have become more an online idea than a physical one. That’s what I thought before I embarked on the research trips for the 2018 edition of The Insider’s Guide. And, dear traveler, I once again raise my hand but this time to admit that I was wrong. Communities exist, just as strong as ever. Within two hours of arriving in Wairoa, I was helping Jason Clough haul in a flounder net, and despite my protests, was rewarded with a crayfish for my (admittedly lacklustre) efforts. It’s koha, he said. What about the chilly bin, I protested? “Mate, just leave it at Futch’s place - he’ll drop it back.” Righto. On Stewart Island, local birthdays are updated on the blackboard outside Four Square (let’s hope they don’t have to share their cake with all 380 residents). The board is above a trailer-load of firewood destined to be raffled to help the island’s older generation keep warm over winter. In Golden Bay, we were first on the scene at one of New Zealand’s largest whale strandings. Wet, cold and as wrung out as our sodden clothes, photographer Jane Ussher and I were treated like family by accommodation owner Tracey, who was somewhat startled to see her guests return from their sunrise Farewell Spit tour in such a sorry state. Everywhere we went, people looked out for one another (I’m still not convinced that money ever changes hands in Wairoa and the Mahia Peninsula, which appears to have an economy built on kahawai, crays, koha and kindness). These communities envelope you like a bear hug, cuddle you close and say, ‘Let us show you the best of everything. Let us introduce you to this brilliant human over here. Let us open our doors, and share our place.’ That is what I wanted to capture in this, our seventh edition of The Insider’s Guide to New Zealand. I want you to feel that warmth, to meet these people and feel part of their community. To walk away feeling like you’ve fed both stomach and soul, rather than just knocking off the top-five list of things to see. Here is my advice for getting the most out of your Insider’s Guide adventure: Get lost. Ignore the robotic voice barking ‘make a U-turn’ from your phone and see where the gravel road leads. Spend an hour in the local pub, and talk to strangers (sorry Mum). Go to the weekend market and try something new - oysters, mussels, taro whatever the local delicacy may be. And always say yes to crayfish.

Businesses featured in both the 2017 and 2018 editions of the Insider’s Guide to New Zealand have ‘Recommended by’ stickers to display, so it’s easier than ever to discover the best places to eat, stay and explore when out and about in New Zealand. Look out for the stickers on your travels.