Aussie or Aotearoa? Each has its appeal

Before I say anything else, I hope everyone around Ta¯ maki Makaurau is safe after the floods, and to those who were affected, I hope your communities have rallied around you with tremendous support. Some of you have had to spend the week mopping up, throwing out damaged items, lodging insurance claims and wondering how you’ll get through.

Just a week earlier, I was in Melbourne, the city known as one of the world’s most liveable, for the Australian Open.

My stay was timed between two weather extremes – temperatures in the 40s, then pouring with the rain the next day. There is no doubt we will continue to face many more extreme weather events in the years to come.

This isn’t a special ‘‘green travel’’ edition, but it is always important to offer our readers alternatives to carbon-heavy travels, or places they can visit closer to home to give them an escape with a smaller footprint.

Train travel is a brilliant way to explore a destination at a slower pace.

And we are lucky in New Zealand to have our own scenic rail journeys, such as the Northern Explorer.

You can read Alexia Santamaria’s piece on pages 32-33 on how the North Island train journey was therapeutic for her family.

A short ferry ride from central Auckland, there is a secret slice of paradise on Waiheke Island waiting to be discovered.

The sustainably-built Omana Luxury Villas, with its own forest reserve and pest-eradication programme, provides a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Read more about that on page 40.

As for my trip to Melbourne, once there, I never needed a car.

An extensive tram and rail network takes care of all your transport needs, and the central city is so well laid out I could walk wherever I needed.

Like here in New Zealand, there is a strong push towards promoting local produce, farmed and caught using sustainable methods, as well as highlighting and showcasing indigenous cuisine.

If you are thinking about a trip across the Tasman, check out some of the coolest upcoming events in the city, on pages 38-39.

For those of you enjoying the long weekend, travel safe, rest up, and I hope this holiday weekend treats everyone better than last weekend.

JULIETTE SIVERTSEN/STUFF Alexander McQueen tackled environmental destruction in one of his collections, as seen in this example with the explanation, ‘‘global warming has reversed evolution, driving humanity to adapt for survival underwater’’, on display at the National Gallery of Victoria.