I visited the country during late spring 2002 and I must say I had very high expectations. I was absolutely thrilled to realize that to my big surprise, my hopes were after all low. I had been thinking about this destination since my childhood and during this time I saw very many "good pictures", none of which can be compared to reality. The country is simply magnificent. An astonishing combination of lush rain forest, beautiful mountains, lakes, tropical beaches, geysers, volcanoes, fiords, glaciers,... Also, the people are remarkably welcoming and nice! As you travel around, you will meet people from all around the world, some of which are absolutely hooked on this country - not unseldom, you may find travelers who are visiting for the third, fourth time in consecutive years... When you depart, you will find yourself wondering how long will it take before you return - because at that stage, you already know you must go back.
As someone once said, New Zealand may well be "God's own country".
So, here it is... I hope you like it! |