The Insider's Guide to New Zealand
THE INSIDER'S GUIDE TO NEW ZEALAND
I’M MIDWAY THROUGH singing Gore’s praises and just gearing up to hit the high note when my husband starts to laugh. “What are you laughing at?” I’m indignant on behalf of my new favourite place. “You know you do this every time, don’t you?” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice even though he’s at the other end of the country. “You leave home with no expectations, then ring me blown away by how fantastic a place is, and so full of excitement. Your surprise is predictable.”
He’s not wrong, but travelling without expectations is a must in my job. There’s no point arriving in Whakatāne with preconceived notions and the chapter already half-written. I set out on my research adventures with a spring-cleaned mind and dusted-away presumptions ready to capture whatever or whomever I come across or trip over. My notebook is blank and my camera is empty. Then it all happens.
In Ōamaru, I almost tripped over a portly sea lion snoozing on the Shag Point path (page 131). I left Hobbiton with a warm glow after overhearing international tourists who could not get enough of Aotearoa (page 44). Another warm glow in Gore, but this time emanating from sips of moonshine made true to a handwritten recipe passed down from the notorious, but beloved, McRae family (page 148).
There is always one special moment that becomes a treasured-forever memory; an experience that sums up my year of research for Insider’s Guide. That special spot from this year’s work is held by Ōpārara Arch (page 98). On a list of the most remote locations in New Zealand, Ōpārara Arch would be in the top five.
After a 14km drive on a winding gravel road north of Karamea there is just me.
I’m wandering through almost ridiculously beautiful, mercifully untouched native rainforest, with a cola-coloured stream fizzing alongside the path and heading to see the largest limestone arch in the southern hemisphere.
A little kakaruwai bounces into my path. I pause and bend down to have a chat with the South Island robin. “Hello, little one. What a lovely home you have.” He peers at me, fluffs his feathers and toddles towards my outstretched hand. My eyes began to prickle unexpectedly, my heartstrings plucked by this fearless tennis ball-like bird. “I cannot wait to share this country with my daughter,” I sniffle to myself, imagining a lifetime’s worth of New Zealand adventures like a filmstrip. “I can’t wait to see her fall in love as I have, to feel the excitement, and discover the magic.”
Yes, husband, my surprise may well be predictable but it is always genuine. My adventures have come to a close for the year as I hand this guide on to you. Go. Plan your trip and discover the wonders that await in these six regions, from the city lights of Auckland to the starry nights of the West Coast.
Happy travelling, eating, exploring.