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local cheeses, sausages, oysters, and chocolates. to the botanical gardens, then joined a local is a leafy, colorful, highly walkable, charming
After the tour, we ferried back to foodie tour through the heart of the city. city with an English village vibe. My favorite
Auckland. At dusk, the harbor came alive The bay between New Zealand’s North activities were punting along the Avon River,
with both locals and visitors, gathering at and South Islands linking the Tasman Sea riding the San-Francisco-style red trolley around
waterfront restaurants and bars for live music with the South Pacific made for a surprisingly town and sitting in the chilly sunshine devouring
and people watching. rough overnight crossing. We were especially hot fish & chips and cold local microbrew.
The finale to our short time in Auckland grateful to arrive on the South Island the From the port of Christchurch, we rejoined
was the iconic All Blacks Experience — a following day and disembark in Picton, the our cruise and sailed to Dunedin, distinctly
tribute to New Zealand's legendary national gateway to wine country. We hired a private Scottish in history yet with big city bones,
rugby team, the All Blacks, who represent the wine-savvy guide to explore the celebrated including winding highways, elevated overpasses
pride, passion, and spirit of the nation. This vineyards of Marlborough, including and stuffy traffic. The real attraction here is
singular experience provided us with a deep renowned labels like Cloudy Bay to tucked- the wildlife of the Otago Penninsula, home to
understanding of the Kiwi culture and tribal away family-run wineries off the beaten path. majestic southern royal albatross and little blue
foundation of this nation. Don’t miss it! We packed overnight totes and boarded the penguins. We embraced adventure and joined
From the port of Auckland, we embarked famous Coastal Pacific Rail for a five hour an open air 4x4 safari through a privately held,
on a two-week cruise that took us on an scenic rail hugging the wild watery coast family-owned wildlife sanctuary at the tip of
unforgettable journey from New Zealand’s from Blenheim to Christchurch. A white- the peninsula. The bumpy ride over grassy knolls
North Island to the South Island. Cruising gloved hostess poured delicious local wines and into deep ravines combined with the birds,
is an ideal way to experience the country’s and served us a multi-course dinner while we seascape, and colorful conversation with the
coastal cities — unpack once and wake up enjoyed the fantastic views as the sky turned local Kiwi conservationist made this a genuine
each day in a new destination, ready golden and the sun set. highlight.
to explore. Upon arrival in Christchurch, we checked We cruised the Milford Sound the following
In Tauranga, we ventured inland into the cozy Small Luxury Hotels of the day, a scenic and spiritual experience reminiscent
to Rotorua, a region renowned for its World property, The George. Christchurch of cruising Alaskan waterways. The air is cool and
geothermal wonders and deep rooted Māori pregnant with chilly fog, and the sound is silence
culture. In Napier, we visited a local family - notwithstanding the buzz of the occasional
farm and met a young couple who had left sightseeing helicopters and planes.
behind their corporate careers to start a The ultimate finale for us was our arrival
thriving goat farm — now a business centered in Queenstown. Cruise ships do not dock in
on artisan goat cheese and agritourism. We Queenstown. Our ship crossed the Tasman
were incredibly lucky to be in Napier during Sea to dock in Sydney, Australia, so we took a
their annual Art Deco Days, a community flight back to Queenstown for an awe-inspiring
celebration with costumes, music, vintage scenic landing. The dramatic mountain scenery is
cars, and a wonderful sense of stepping back spellbinding and worth the return ticket.
in time. Within minutes of landing, we arrived at
In Wellington, a modest metropolis and our hotel and settled into wide Adirondack
the capital of New Zealand, we rode the chairs overlooking the majestic grey mountains
historic Wellington Cable Car funicular up and clear calm waters of Lake Wakatipu. We
the hillside for panoramic views and a visit soaked in the sunshine, cool summer breeze
and savored New Zealand wine, local cheeses
and the peaceful view. At sunset we hopped on
the water shuttle to Queenstown harbor, a hub
of great little corner restaurants, cobblestone
streetside cafes, alleyways, rooftop bars and shops,
all tucked into the elbow of seriously scenic
mountains. We had a sophisticated steak and
seafood dinner at Eicherts Private Hotel and
called it a night.
Queenstown is known as the adventure
capital of New Zealand, so the next morning
we opted for lux-style adventure by checking
into Blanket Bay luxury lodge, riding horses
through the forest and taking a glacial helicopter
ride over the craggy snow-capped ranges to
land on a glacier. The real adrenalin rush was
stepping from the still-running helicopter onto
the glacier at the mountain’s edge and taking
our first slippery steps across the ice. It was a
heart-pumping finale with the love of my life
that will forever remain a valentine’s vacation to
remember!

Life in Naples | August, September, October 2025 5959