The Banks Peninsula has much to offer the visitor, despite looking like a hernia stuck onto the south east of Christchurch. That much of the massive now completely dormant volcano is covered in sepia coloured grass, starved of water by the hot summer, does not deter visitors to this genuinely idyllic place, within an easy two hour drive of Christchurch. The seared hillsides, patterned with regenerating native bush, provide a backdrop to pretty inlets with sparkl...

Most rural towns in New Zealand have a tall pole standing somewhere near the centre. The pole is not always visible, but is always heard, the reason being the air raid style horns atop the mast. When the siren sounds, day or night, everybody for kilometres around knows that there is an emergancy. The only ones who have to do something about it are the volunteer emergency services, the fire brigade and ambulance services, staffed by community minded volunteers...

Doug Fotheringham, owner of the Cheviot Motel, switches on the 'Welcome' sign in his office every day at 9am and off at 9pm. You know that when that light is on, Doug and his wife Megan are available and can be found never far away from the office, 7 days a week. They can't do enough to help you, always ready to have a blether with their guests. When Doug moves, with just a hint of a gammy leg, he is unhurried as if nothing would faze him. It is the gait of a ...

We almost made it in first time, although three hours late. Despite what the captain of the Airbus 319 told us over the radio, I think he was just wanting to give us all a second view of this amazing part of New Zealand from the air. The bumpy ride in to Queenstown was really just a loosener for the adrenaline trips to come in the next few days. But nowhere in the books will you find a missed approach and go around as part of the must do activities around here...

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is a grand name which in truth reflects the scenery and difficulty that would be experienced in winter. Promoted as possibly the best one day walk in New Zealand, the moderately graded walk is regularly completed by many hundreds every day in the months when alpine skills and equipment are not a requirement, the days are longer and the weather kinder. This is not the place to give detailed descriptions of the mountain environment, b...