‘With the ship’s engines off, we marvelled at the majesty of the place the Maoris call Patea’

From a cruise on Doubtful Sound to a sighting of Elon Musk’s satellite, your travel experiences in New Zealand were epic

SOCK IT TO ’EM

For my 65th birthday, we visited New Zealand. On the South Island, there were stunning views from the TranzAlpine railway and from a helicopter ride we took over the Franz Josef Glacier. The hot springs at Rotorua and the Oamaru penguins coming ashore at dusk were magnificent.

But the highlight was at the goldrush town of Hokitika. We were relaxing on the hotel balcony when a group of Hell’s Angels arrived. One came over and (surprisingly) asked if he could buy my fluorescent pink socks!

I have worn bright socks since the 1960s – and although the sights on that trip were magnificent, I will always remember the $5 I got for my hosiery. Dr Andy Ellis, Middlesex

TRUNK CALL

Dusk. As we tentatively tramped through the otherworldly kauri forest, our Maori guide urged us to clean our boots in order to avoid contaminating the fragile ecosystem. Equipped with tiny torches, we followed her to a small woodland opening and were asked to close our eyes.

We waited. The drama of being asked to open our eyes was followed by anticlimax as we stared up into the forest canopy, enveloped in inky darkness. “Kia ora. Turn around,” the guide whispered reverently.

There before us was Tane Mahuta – 170ft high; 45ft in girth; 2,000 years old – the largest living kauri tree. We gasped in the face of such majesty. Ruth Crang, Essex

FEATHERED FRIENDS

New Zealand has a wonderful variety of birds, which I love. Rare takahe live on Tiritiri Matangi Island. Turkeysized, they have iridescent feathers and enormous red beaks and feet. In the mountains, cheeky parrots – keas – cavort in the snow and pluck rubber off car windscreens. Shy nocturnal kiwis search the undergrowth for worms. The Muriwai Cliffs are white with gannets. Tuis, or parson birds (with white tufted collars), mimic the sounds around them.

My favourites were the yellow-eyed penguins in Otago. They flop ashore at dusk and call for their lifelong mate; pairs waddle off into the sunset to nests hidden in the high dunes. Vivienne Seakins, Warwickshire

SOUTHERN ROMANCE

We had decided to meet up in Auckland, New Zealand. He came from Scotland and I flew in from Bali. It was great to see him after months apart, but he was pale and tired after the long flight. A good night’s sleep was welcome in a wonderful guesthouse with beautiful scented flowers all around.

Hiring a campervan, we set off for the far north of North Island and the Ninety Mile Beach. Then came the long trip – almost 2,000 miles, passing vineyards, mountains and lakes – to the very south of South Island.

Camping under the Southern Cross and swimming in the ice-cold sea was the most epic experience of our trip – crowned by a proposal of marriage while floating in the Southern Ocean. The ring was bought in Christchurch. Gitte Bushby, Perthshire

NATURAL CHARM

Driving north along the west coast of New Zealand, from the industrial town of Westport to Karamea, we came across a gem known as Charming Creek Walkway. The creek had been used for transporting coal from the inland mines to the coast, but these industrial sites had long since closed.

What was left was an enchanting area that entirely lives up to its name – “charming”: an industrial railway line taken over by nature, a rope suspension bridge across the creek and, finally, a waterfall and a scene of utter tranquillity. After soaking up the atmosphere, we headed back down the creek to Karamea – at the end of the road and, seemingly, the world. Beyond this there was only forest until the Abel Tasman National Park. It was breathtaking, and still remembered with fondness 23 years later.

John Clifton, South Yorkshire

NIGHT VISION

On a Sunday evening in February 2020, we found ourselves on a kiwi-scouting walk as part of a bird-watching tour of New Zealand. In the Craigieburn Forest Park, near Arthur’s Pass, our small group was walking quietly and in silence so as not to scare away any of these enigmatic local birds. Suddenly, we came upon an opening in the tropical beech forest and gazed up in wonder as the Elon Musk satellite constellation passed directly overhead.

Looking like a string of more than 60 brightly lit pearls gliding across the dark sky, it was a truly breathtaking sight. Of course, we all remained speechless, just in case there was a kiwi to be spotted nearby.

Alas, no kiwis were encountered that evening – but the view of that spectacular object in the sky will remain a vivid memory forever.

Gill Schofield, Derbyshire