Great escapes

Call of the wild

The Kāpiti region is one of the fastest growing tourism spots in New Zealand – and with so much to offer we can see why. One of the biggest attractions is the Paekakariki Escarpment Walkway – a stunning track with swing bridges and steep staircases that ends in a breathtaking lookout with sweeping coastal views. And just 15 minutes from the mainland is Kāpiti Island, a 2000 hectare, predator-free nature reserve where you can spot a huge array of native birds including the kōkako, weka and kākā - or even the little spotted kiwi if you do a night tour. See kapitiisland.com.

Riveting rivers

It's one of the plum routes of river cruising in Europe – the 1500 kilometres between Amsterdam (pictured) and Budapest along the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. You can see it all on APT’s 15-day Magnificent Europe cruises. More at aptouring.co.nz.