New Zealand with (extra) wow factor

Make sure you don’t miss the must-sees – and for ultimate bragging rights, do them in style, says Sarah Baxter

New Zealand is magnificent. Who doesn’t yearn to visit this Land of the Long White Cloud, with its riotous geology, movie-set looks, scrumptious wines and opportunities for adventure?

Be you foodie, hiker, biker, birder, backpacker, retiree, culture buff or adrenalin-junkie, the country is likely to be near the top of your bucket list.

But it’s also on the other side of the globe – and a big commitment in time and money. Chances are, you won’t go twice (well, never say never…). And if you are going to go, you want to do it right.

You don’t want to risk returning from your once-in-a-lifetime trip and being asked “Oh, did you do such-and-such?”, realising too late that your dream holiday was actually missing something even more extraordinary.

For starters, allow time. “You are travelling a long way so ideally you need a minimum of three weeks,” says John Lightwood, director of specialist Silver Fern Holidays (silverfernholidays.com).

“As a rule of thumb for first-timers, spend a third of your time on North Island, two thirds on South Island. And allow two to three nights in each location to give you time to explore.”

While New Zealand isn’t huge – just a little bigger than Britain – trying to cram too much in will mean less satisfying experiences.

Then figure out what you’re into. There are a bunch of obvious “must-dos”, from marvellous Milford Sound to mud-bathing in Rotorua. But there are also more left field options, plus experiences you can only have in New Zealand, like paddling a Maori waka (canoe) or running down the side of a volcano (kaitiaki.co.nz/guided-tours).

“New Zealand is a ‘wow’ destination, offering an abundance of ‘wow’ experiences to match,” says

Emma Maidment of Audley (audleytravel.com). “But we encourage clients to seek out elusive, more private experiences, whether that’s taking on an overlooked walking track, embarking on one-on-one tours or simply choosing to focus time in a region that receives less footfall.”

You won’t be able to do everything. But you can, with careful planning (see overleaf), take a trip you’ll brag about for years. Or at least until you plan your second “once-in-a-lifetime” NZ adventure…