Text: Irina Malkova NEW ZEALAND - AN ABSOLUTE MECCA FOR TRAVELERS AND VALUES OF BRIGHT IMPRESSIONS. THE COUNTRY SPREADED ON TWO BIG ISLANDS, NORTH AND SOUTH. AT THIS, MOVING FROM NORTH SOUTH, IT IS POSSIBLE TO CROSS ALMOST ALL CLIMATE ZONES - FROM TROPICAL BEACHES TO SNOWY MOUNTAIN ALPES. BORING EXACTLY WILL NOT HAVE TO!
With the light hand of Peter Jackson, who shot the Lord of the Rings trilogy in New Zealand, the country, as New Zealanders themselves joke, was marked on the world map. Breathtaking fjords, blue glaciers, geyser valleys, majestic volcanoes, tropical rainforests - which is not there! At the same time, the country is famous for its extreme sports and has long been recognized as a global adventure center. Due to the temperate climate, which hardly changes from season to season, you can come here at any time of the year.
North Island
Some people told me that in New Zealand the most beautiful places are on South Island. But, having first flown to the North Island, to the city of Auckland, I had to admit that this is perhaps one of the most beautiful cities I have visited. The bright emerald grass, millions of white sailboats on the water, parks, gardens, bridges and beaches were striking in their well-groomed and clean. A comparison with Zurich or Geneva immediately came to mind, only here, instead of the lake, there was a clear azure sea.
Auckland is consistently among the five best cities in the world in terms of quality of life. And all because the peculiarity of New Zealand - a small and relatively young country - is the almost complete absence of division of society into classes. Most of them belong to the middle class, which is why the country has an even and stable psychological climate with high rates of economic growth.
The roads here are smooth and comfortable. Around me lies sunlit green meadows where sheep and cows graze invariably, as in the Ankor oil advertisement, and long white clouds float leisurely overhead.
By the way, in the language of the indigenous inhabitants - Maori - the country is called Aotearoa, which translates as "Country of a long white cloud." The nature and landscapes of New Zealand are amazingly beautiful, and many species of flora and fauna are endemic, that is, they are not found anywhere else in the world. And this is another reason why you should come here. So if you are a real traveler, take a car and feel free to go explore the country.
From Auckland, my path lay in the amazing Waitomo Caves, which are home to the world's only luminous Glowwarms worms, which were described in one of the BBC Earth Planet documentaries. When I left the cave, I had a strong feeling that I had been to the other world: going down into a dark cave, a wooden boat roams silently behind you, somewhere in front of the carrier pulls the rope, thus moving the boat - but all this is not it is seen. In complete darkness and silence you swim through the high grottoes, and above you - an iridescent starry sky, an underground planetarium! When I came out of this kingdom of Hades, it took me a while to recover and realize what I saw.
Not far from Waitomo is the city of Rotorua, which stands on the lake of the same name and is surrounded by a valley of geysers. Champagne Lake, the Artist's Palette, Devil's Baths - all these are the names of natural sources that hit from the ground, are saturated with all kinds of minerals and “fragrant” with hydrogen sulfide. And around - coniferous forest and giant ferns, that dinosaur will run out and look. By the way, the so-called trekking, or hiking in the woods, is very popular here, and trails with detailed signs are laid throughout the country. If you want - go to the forest of giant sequoias, if you want - to rainforest or to the real jungle, but if you want - make a serious multi-day tracking around the Milford Sound fjord.
South Island
On Yuzhny Island, it immediately became noticeably colder. Although the sun was shining all day, the wind still blew piercing, so prudently captured warm things did not hinder. The southern part of New Zealand lies already in the subantarctic zone, so on the coast you can often see penguins. Throughout the western part of the island stretch the Southern Alps, the highest peak of which, Mount Cook (3,754 m), is called Aoraki by the Maori.
My path lay through it, passing through the picturesque Canterbury Valley, known for three high-mountain lakes - Pukaki, Tekapo and Okhau. Surrounded by a mountain range with snow-capped peaks, these lakes are of glacial origin, which explains their bright turquoise water color. The famous monument to the shepherd dog is erected on Lake Tekapo, and the Church of the Good Shepherd, built in 1935 and included in the list of New Zealand's historical heritage, also stands. This is the only church in the world where, instead of the iconostasis, there is a window with a view of the lake.
Indeed, why are icons needed if God created such beauty? Loving couples from all over the country come here to get married.
We had to do a two-hour climb up the rocky terrain to Mount Cook, but it was not in vain. It was already getting dark, the sky was long, but the majestic Aoraki still appeared! He showed up for about ten minutes and again disappeared behind a thick layer of clouds.
Not far from Lake Tekapo is the Mount John observatory. Due to the lack of urban illumination and the uniqueness of the terrain, the observatory is considered one of the best in the world for observing the night sky and Magellanic Clouds in the Southern Hemisphere. But even without telescopes, while in New Zealand, you can always observe the Southern Cross in all its glory at night.
If you are fond of gliding, or gliding, New Zealand is the perfect place for this sport. The most famous and climate-friendly schools for gliding are located in France, Argentina and here, in the Southern Alps, in the town of Omarama. The world gliding championships are also held here.
I remembered the glider exclusively from the film "Thomas Crown Scam", but I was not aware that the glider did not have an engine, and it was just floating on air currents. A single-engine plane lifts it from the ground, then the cable is released, and then you plan as much as you like. The record is 15 hours, that is, if you wish, you can fly to neighboring Australia.
Of course, behind me was a pilot, a charming New Zealander Gabriel, who, however, offered me three times to make a "dead loop", saying that this is the biggest "glitch" feature. But I politely refused. Then, to my indescribable joy, he simply left me to fly the glider myself. Although without the "dead loops", the flight brought me a lot of new impressions.
In general, New Zealanders are simple, friendly, and sympathetic people. They truly love their country and take care of it, care about the environment and live in harmony with nature. But New Zealanders have their own passion - retro cars. And on their well-groomed roads, they like to drive around the “Cadillacs” and “triumphs” of the 60s. Well, the inhabitants of a beautiful country have their own special beautiful hobbies!
A must-see point in the excursion program on the South Island - the famous Milford Sound fjord. A two-hour tour towards the Tasman Sea will plunge into the atmosphere of the first part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. By the way, the height of the surrounding rocks reaches a kilometer, so against their background you feel very small.
Well, after that you can safely go to Queenstown, which is considered to be the capital of extreme sports. It is located in the gorge of mountains, on the picturesque lake of Wakatipu. And life is in full swing here!
Exactly here fans of extreme sports can try all the most original forms of entertainment: skydiving, bungee riding on the edge of the canyon, tandem flights on a paraglider or hang glider, giant swings, hot air balloon rides, speedboat safaris in wild corners of nature, off-road quad safaris, rafting and sledging on mountain rivers, in winter - heli-skiing and heli-boarding - there are entertainment for every taste and budget. But even if you don’t jump from nowhere and ride nothing, there’s still something to do. Queenstown is also just a fabulously beautiful city, which is full of viewing platforms, clubs and cozy restaurants. You can finally go shopping, buy things from excellent merino wool and healing New Zealand cosmetics.
The final point of my trip was a cruise in the Pacific Ocean and whale watching in the town of Kaikura. Cold and warm currents occur in a deep-water canyon at this place, forming favorable conditions for the growth of a huge amount of plankton. This attracts sperm whales, who live here all year round. The cruise is interesting and truly exciting, but be prepared for a decent pitching - it is an open ocean. But when you first see a whale striking its tail in the water, a very bright and warm feeling is born in your heart. Seeing so close to whales is an indescribable feeling!
In conclusion, I will say that New Zealand is a beautiful and harsh country, distant and free, original and independent. If you love nature, fresh air and an active lifestyle, if you are ready for pleasant surprises surrounded by stunning landscapes, this trip will forever remain in your heart.
