“Forget the shopping,” a retiree friend advised, adding, “just immerse yourself in the spectacular scenery of New Zealand, and you’ll come back totally refreshed!”
I realised that it was the best advice I got in years when, after the wife’s “annual leave” was approved by our daughter Cheryl, we toured New Zealand for seven wonderful days in 2016. It was my birthday treat to my wife, who is also my best friend and soul mate, Rina.
It was late November – spring time in New Zealand. The weather was perfect, with daytime temperatures at 18°C, light southerly winds, clear blue skies and no rain.
Immediately upon our arrival in Christchurch – and as we travelled through many little quaint towns and Queenstown – we were met at every turn by an explosion of colours. Flowers have always fascinated my other half, and we were happy to see them everywhere during our trip.
There were rose bushes covered in blooms of every hue and size. Some of the blooms were as large as the head of our eight-year-old granddaughter Hannah whom we often babysit. Peonies were widely grown and my wife squealed in delight when she stumbled upon a garden filled with huge, blood-red peonies. She was literally in seventh heaven. Never have I seen her in such a relaxed mood and thoroughly enjoying herself.
Then there were swathes of yellow wild flowers, draping over sun-burnt hills. And along braided river beds, streams and valleys, thousands of wild lupins (blue/purple, pink and yellow) joyfully danced in the breeze.
As we headed south, the lush green grazing land that was dotted with countless sheep, cows and deer, gave way to dry, tussock-studded country. Then as we passed the claustrophobic Hommer tunnel en route to Milford Sound and the Fiordlands National Park, where we were told the rainfall was measured in metres, we noticed a dramatic change in landscape.
Once again trees and bushes hugged the mountainsides. Everywhere was damp and at close range, we observed that every tree trunk, branch, twig was delicately coated with moss, glistening with raindrops. What a captivating sight!
It would be unforgivable of me if I left out the enormous aquamarine lakes we visited: Tekapo, Pukaki and Wakatipu. We were absolutely enthralled by their light greenish blue waters which, as our guide explained, was the result of rock dusts washed down by the glaciers.
One of the most spectacular places we visited was Milford Sound, on the western side of the Southern Alps, in the South Island. A boat cruise is a must to see how huge bush-clad mountains rise almost vertically out of calm fiord waters to astonishing, snow-capped heights. As I tilted my neck to catch a glimpse of the mountain tops, I sensed how puny I was. The little waterfalls down the mountains were a sight to behold.
I must confess that as our eyes feasted on the splendour of Mother Nature, breathing in the clean, crisp air, diets were completely forgotten and we gorged on ice creams, chocolates, lobsters and Fergburgers.
Hamburgers have never been among my staples. But the Fergburger in Queenstown was in a class of its own. Huge and tasty, it was worth the RM30 we paid for each burger. Be prepared for a long queue.
Altogether we had seven glorious days of bliss, punctuated by the occasional annoyance of limited free WiFi. New Zealand is one country that we promised ourselves that we would visit again. The week-long trip was simply not enough for us to enjoy the country as it should be.
The views expressed are entirely the reader’s own.
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