2 replies to this topic

[Tom Hampton]

I've been reading all night, and I still 4 pages of new posts.

I'm back from a 3 week business trip to New Zealand. If you ever get the chance to go to this country, I highly recommend it. I had a few chances to get away from the base and see the countryside. Its every bit as amazing as the Lord of the Rings (and The Hobbit) make it out to be.

It has seriously impaired prep of the race car, but one less thing on the bucket list.

[Danny Steyn]

Tom
My wife an I share your thoughts on NZ, once of the best trips we ever made was renting a camper van and traveling the entire South Island Coastline. Best thing about NZ, free camping anywhere (unless posted). Find a nice stretch of beach, pull up your van, park for the night and wake up to sunrise over your own private deserted beach. Some of my best breakfasts ever were watching the sun slowly rising over the Pacific Ocean, and there are not too many places you can see that! And really thrilled we got to see Christchurch while it was such a stunning city, so sad to see it in its current form. North Island is great, although substantially more developed than SI. Exotic cuisine offerings in Christchurch are second to none, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Samoan, Fijian, and more - absolute culinary delight! One more thing; the Kiwis themselves are just really great friendly people, and welcome you into their homes. Cannot recommend this trip enough.

[Tom Hampton]

This was my second trip this year. Back in January, i spent 2 weeks in Marlborough. This trip was in auckland.

As an engineer, i don't get lots of opportunities to "get out". But, my wife did come with me this time and we spent the weekends touring the area around auckland. The islands off the coast are amazing. Waiheke, Raingitoto, etc. Ferry rides to and from at dawn of dusk.

One of my coworkers is stationed there for a year, so our wives toured the area while using husbands worked. She got to see a lot more than I did.