IT’S A BIG LITTLE COUNTRY New Zealand for newbies
Bryn Reade discovers the incredible landscapes and epic cultural attractions of the Land of the Long White Cloud
Aotearoa, New Zealand, The Land of the Long White Cloud, is rightly celebrated for its stunning scenery and the friendliness of its people. Few countries can compete with New Zealand’s range of adventure possibilities: it boasts a surf-pounded coastline longer than that of the US, 2 400km of cycle trails, world-class scuba diving, 24 ski fields, and over 10 000km of walking trails. If there’s a structure to jump off, the locals have attached a bungee to it. With the progress of the Waitangi Tribunal, an institution without parallel in post-colonial countries, New Zealand has awoken to discover new taonga or treasures: the art, culture and language of the tangata whenua (the people of the land) — the Maori.
The evolution of the All Blacks’ haka performance is a striking illustration of the elevation of Maori culture in the country’s consciousness. For visitors, the experience of Maoritanga — Maoriness — paves a pathway inward to a place forgotten and obstructed by the absurd paraphernalia of modern life.
As a parent and surfer, nothing brings me more pleasure than the sight of my children playing in warm and friendly waves on a deserted Northland beach. To touch the grey giants of the Waipoua Forest, already 1 000 years old when the first humans arrived, is a poignant, humbling experience. A front-row seat at the Milky Way, under Mackenzie Country’s dark skies, is to witness the divine.
They call New Zealand a big little country — it takes 30 hours to drive non-stop from end to end. The most common complaint NZ tourism operators hear is “we wish we had stayed on one island”. This is an ambitious itinerary: it showcases some of the best physical, cultural, and culinary experiences the country has to offer, but — “she’s a big ask to see the whole country in less than a month, mate”.
DAY 1
Fly to Auckland. A search on skyscanner.net for flights in November finds returns from Joburg with Singapore Airlines from R12 500 (with a stop in Singapore) and Emirates (with a stop in Dubai) from R14 000.
DAY 2
From Auckland Airport, take a taxi to trendy Hotel DeBrett (hoteldebrett.com), a five-minute walk from the ferry terminal. Have a room booked in advance to freshen up, then take the ferry to Rangitoto Island and walk off your jet-lag to the summit for the 360-degree view of the Hauraki Gulf
DAY 3
Walk 10 minutes to Auckland Art Gallery, which houses major holdings of New Zealand historic and modern art. If time allows, check out the exotic tree collection in Albert Park
A midday taxi will get you to Auckland Airport for the 1.50pm flight to Keri keri in the Bay of Islands. Pick up a rental car and drive to Russell, the first permanent European settlement and sea port in New Zealand. Check into the Duke of Marlborough (theduke.co.nz), the country’s first hotel.
Drag yourself away from the Duke’s beachfront bar, walk around the country’s first European settlement — once known as “The Hell Hole of the Pacific”.