Crisis uncovered our gems
Imust confess that despite being born and raised in the South Island, I have never been to either of this week’s featured destinations, Fiordland and Stewart Island. I know, it’s shameful. But until this year, I’ve been far more interested in ‘‘country counting’’ than checking off the diverse regions in our own land.
The other day, my Irish colleague asked me what would be some attractions that, despite being popular with visitors from overseas, many Kiwis have never experienced.
We started comparing places in New Zealand we have not yet visited. He struggled to think of somewhere he hadn’t already been, while my to-do list could have filled a whole guidebook.
Kiwis have long been apathetic about seeing our own country. While tourists come from far-flung corners of the world to do the whole country from top to bottom, our attitude is that we’ll get around to it.
Of course, with Covid-19 putting a halt to international travel this year, everything has changed.
New research from Tourism New Zealand suggests that nearly three-quarters of us are looking to take a holiday at home within the next 12 months.
We’re also starting to be more open-minded about what’s on offer. Among people surveyed in September, 62 per cent rated domestic holiday options ‘‘excellent’’ or ‘‘good’’, which was a 14 per cent increase from May.
I had my own epiphany about just how amazing a New Zealand holiday can be when I went on a road trip around the North Island a few years ago.
My boyfriend, who is also from Ireland, requested we visit Hobbiton, the famous Lord of the Rings movie set in Matamata.
The Kiwis in the car rolled our eyes, convinced it would be just another Middle-Earth tourist trap. But we begrudgingly handed over the $89 entrance fee, and joined the throngs of tourists for our guided tour.
It was one of the most magical places I’ve been, and I’m not even a Lord of the Rings fan. The hobbit holes nestled in the hillside, each with their own perfectly tended garden, were visually stunning, and our guide shared fascinating details about the creation of the set and the film-making process.
It was truly a world-class attraction, and we all marvelled over the experience while enjoying a brew in the Green Dragon Inn at the end of the tour.
We vowed to do more ‘‘touristy things’’ at home. And now the time to do that has come.
After reading Brett Atkinson’s guide to Fiordland National Park on pages 34-35, I’m determined to visit Milford Sound and its majestic Mitre Peak.
From now to April is said to be the best time to visit, so I’d better get cracking.
On pages 30-31, you’ll find an itinerary for how to spend a day in Oban, the only town on Stewart Island, and a place I have been meaning to visit since Prince Harry crashed the local pub quiz during his royal tour of New Zealand in 2015.