We had an early start to the day to ensure we caught the ferry crossing at 9am. The crossing lasts three and a half hours crossing the Cook Strait from Wellington in the North Island to Picton in the South Island. The last hour is quite scenic as the ferry pushes down Queen Charlotte Sound and passes numerous secluded bays, coves and inlets. I was lucky that one of dad's old rugby friends lives in Richmond that happened to be one of our scheduled stops for lunch...

Te Papa museum Wellington contains historical aspects of Maori as well as recent 20th Century history. The Museum leaves you with a sense of how much change New Zealand has gone through in a very brief period of time. Being able to go back in time through these exhibits is a valuable thing to do for anyone interested in Maori culture. There was also an excellent exhibition on Gallipoli the scale of our war. The exhibition tells the story of the Gallipoli campaign...

One of New Zealand's best kept secrets, River Valley is a destination you want to put on your bucket list. The remote destination is popular with travellers eager to get off the tourist trail and discover the real New Zealand. Surrounded by towering cliffs and bush-clad hills, packed with epic scenery, adrenaline pumping activities and tranquil trails, the family-own ranch, situated on the wild Rangitikei River, no mobile reception, it truly is a hidden gem well ...

Our next stop was Rotorua, we were warned that the sulphur smell would be overpowering. Our bus driver, Andrea, gave us a quick tour of town before making our way to our hostel, passing the museum in the government gardens and the Polynesian spa, a magnificent yellow outcrop with volcanic grey mud pools overlooking the lake. The weather was still fine, so Bobbi, Sam, James and I headed to visit the Polynesian Spa, New Zealand's leading internationally acclaimed ...

Tongariro Alpine Crossing is commonly cited as the best one-day walk in New Zealand and considered to rank in the top ten single day walks in the world. I am sure on a clear day this walk does live up to its reputation and would be a photographer's dream. However when we woke up at 6am for our 6.20 pick up we were just pleased it was not raining! There was very low cloud cover so the visibility wasn't great, it did brighten up later in the afternoon when we had c...