New Zealand – 100% Middle Earth

Introducing New Zealand

Having travelled extensively I have often wanted to travel to New Zealand, the land of towering mountains, adventure sport and let’s not forget the home of the Hobbit. New Zealand contains a remarkable variety of landscapes, from giant sand dunes, to sheer-sized fiords. The wide spine of snow-covered Alps together with bays and islands make this the ideal travel destination for any sport enthusiast.

One can do a variety of adventure sports from boating, swimming, fishing, surfing to name just a few. New Zealanders are justifiably proud of their country’s clean, green image, and work hard to maintain it.

This is a country unspoiled by industrial excess or overpopulation, and it is a land made for physical adventure. After all, this is the nation that gave the world, among other things, bungy jumping.

So if it is fun and adventure sport you are seeking, visit the majestic country that provided the background for the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The People

New Zealanders are extremely mobile and well-travelled, particularly the young people who travel as a rite of passage.

Although their ways of life were dissimilar, New Zealanders of European descent (Pakeha) and the indigenous people, the Maori, have mostly co-existed easily this century.

After suffering a serious decline in the mid-19th century, the Maori population growth is now vigorous, particularly in the regions of the East Coast, Poverty Bay, Northland and Rotorua.

Food and Drink

New Zealand cuisine is a melange of overseas recipes and local influences which is as tempting and tasty as anywhere in the world, and is complemented by locally produced wines of exceptional quality.

Pastoral products such as lamb and beef, a variety of seafood and a climate which enables most vegetables to grow most of the year round, are the foundation of a thriving and diverse food industry.

Sport

A mild climate makes this an ideal destination for ardent sports people who have had international success in rowing, rugby, netball, squash, softball, cricket, horse riding and yachting.

We love our rugby, but I think in New Zealand it is more than a sport. It has become a sign of patronage. Even the smallest New Zealand town has a rugby field. The Rugby World Cup 2015 starts next month and we give our support to the South African team against the formidable All Blacks.

Go Bokke!

For more information on New Zealand, purchase your copy of Globetrotter Travel Pack: New Zealand (including a detailed map) or your Globetrotter New Zealand eGuide  from www.mapstudio.co.za or call our telesales consultants on 0860 10 50 50.