New Zealand 2026 - all photos
South Island
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Route map, clockwise from Christchurch, then north.
Christchurch
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The emergency ambulance service in this country.
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The pub across the road from our hotel.
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View from Mt Cavendish (via gondola).
Lake Tekapo
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Blueweed on the shores of Lake Taupo.
Mount Cook National Park
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On the road to Mount Cook NP.
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Hooker Valley Trail - Mueller Lake lookout.
Omarama
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Omarama - clouds reminiscent of Table Mountain?
Oamaru
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Home of the blue penguin colony.
Katiki reserve
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Seals on the beach at Katiki reserve.
Dunedin
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Allans Beach, Otago, Dunedin - our way is barred!
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Baldwin Street: the steepest in the world.
South Otago & Southland
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Bluff: the southernmost town in NZ.
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Many middle-aged men on bikes, possibly here for the Burt Munro challenge?
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Tower Lodge Motel, Invercargill.
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Plenty of quiet roads, this one is near Otautau.
Doubtful Sound cruise from Manapouri
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Not our boat to Doubtful Sound from Manapouri ...
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West Arm of Lake Manapouri.
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Transfer coach stop, Wilmot Pass.
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The German couple whose proposal on the trip I was asked to film!
Milford Sound cruise from Te Anau, courtesy of Cheeky Kiwi Travel
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En route to Milford. A battle scene in Return of the King was filmed here.
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On the Milford Sound Highway.
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Queueing at the dock; this is our boat on pier 4.
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A waterfall of glacial melt water.
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A kea (parrot) hitching a lift.
In and around Te Anau
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Te Anau was beautifully manicured.
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Takahē at the bird sanctuary.
Queenstown
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The luge carts were fun, especially if you won.
Arrowtown
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Typical historic building in Arrowtown.
Heading up the west coast
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Haast River (not as wide as it used to be).
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Lake Matheson: view of Mount Cook.
Helicopter landing on Franz Josef glacier
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Flying up to the Franz Josef glacier.
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I was actually quite warm in that jumper.
Further up the west coast
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Crossing Arthur's Pass back to Christchurch.
Quad biking at Hanmer Springs
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Concentration on a quad bike at Hanmer Springs.
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A jet boat from the same company.
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Decorative facilities at Gove Bay.
Kaikōura
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Our boat for the whale watching cruise.
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Sperm whale (captured still from my video).
On to Marlborough and Tasman regions
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Live music with our evening grub at Pōhara, near Tākaka.
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Orion - but not as we're used to seeing it.
Walk to Whariwharangi beach, Abel Tasman NP
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Gateway to the walk in Abel Tasman NP.
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Made it to Whariwharangi beach!
Ferry crossing to Wellington
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Ferry coming the other way from Wellington to Picton.
North Island
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Route map: from Wellington all the way up, back to Auckland.
Wellington by bike
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Our tour of Wellington started on the waterfront.
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Several cliff-top properties had their own lifts.
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St Gerard's church and monastery.
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Statue to the first Polynesian settlers to sight NZ.
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Funky sundial, botanic gardens.
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The "beehive" parliament building.
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Long-serving PM Richard Sneddon.
Charles Plimmer park, overlooking Wellington
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Airport from Mount Victoria.
Zealandia wildlife sanctuary
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Many trees at the Zealandia eco-sanctuary.
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An omnipresent cicada, heard everywhere.
Rivendell, as in Fellowship of the Ring
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Rivendell entrance arch (half size).
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Heights of various characters.
Palmerston North
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Palmerston North at sunset.
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Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.
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Yet another beautifully-kept park.
Heading towards Napier
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The longest place name in the world.
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Te Mata Park - hang-gliding ramp.
Napier, famous for its Art Deco architecture
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Typical Art Deco building from the reconstruction of Napier after the 1931 earthquake.
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Sunken Gardens, Marine Parade.
Drive to our exploration base at the Pink House, Tokoroa
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Emergency alert received post-deluge.
Hobbiton Movie Studio tour
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Matt & I pretending to be Hobbits.
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Board game inside a Hobbit residence.
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Pūkeko, or Australasian Swamphen.
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Available for your wedding ...
Waiotapu Scenic Reserve
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Sulphurous crater at Waiotapu.
Okere Falls area
Rorotua
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Mitai Maori village, Rotorua.
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Whakarewarewa forest - these are Mountain Ash.
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Aerial walkway (when open).
Tongariro National Park
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Shorts day at Tongariro NP? No, 10C and raining!
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Wairere stream on the Round the Mountain track.
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Golden Rapids (rusty water).
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Not a great day for the Tongariro Crossing! Next year maybe?
West of Rotorua
Karangahake Gorge
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Disused bridge support pillar, Karangahake Gorge.
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Looks like a silver fern to me.
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Gold used to be mined here.
Coromandel Peninsula
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Coromandel peninsula typical view.
Boat trip from Whitianga
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Striking geology out of Whitianga by boat.
Kaipara Coast Plant Centre & Sculpture Gardens, Kaukapakapa
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Trail of quirky sculptures, changed every year.
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Kaipara Harbour, one of the largest in the world.
Onwards up North ...
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Waitangi Waterfall, Kaukapakapa
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A Fantail that we couldn't chase out of our lodgings!
Bay of Islands whale & dolphin cruise, Paihia
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Striped Marlin statue, Paihia.
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Motuarohia Island - walk up to the viewpoint.
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The eponymous Hole in the Rock.
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Can you make out a woman's profile?
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Urupukapuka Island (?) - walk up the hill.
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Route taken (until my battery ran out!)
Waitangi river and treaty grounds
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Kayaking up the Waitangi river to the Haruru Falls.
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Largest ceremonial war canoe in the world.
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Flagstaff with the three historic flags of New Zealand.
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Maori cultural performance.
Cape Reinga - most northerly accessible point
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View towards Cape Maria van Diemen, en route to Cape Reinga.
Pukenui
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Near Te Kao, en route to Pukenui.
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Houhora Heads (near where we stayed).
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Ninety Mile beach - actually 55 miles long (or 90km), and used as a highway.
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George Harrison's off-road unicycle.
Drive south to Opononi
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Ahipara, another access point to the Ninety Mile beach.
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Broadwood - nice picnic stop.
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Ōmāpere - Signal Station track
Long drive back down to Auckland
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Kauri, Waipoua sanctuary (disinfected our boots to see it).
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Torbay, just north of Auckland (not Devon).
Auckland Zoo
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This cheetah came and posed for Matt!
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Emu and Forester kangaroos.
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Red-tailed black cockatoos named Kylie and Jason.
Around Auckland
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Endeavour Live at The Domain, headlined by Good Charlotte (we didn't know it was on).
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Auckland museum and cenotaph.
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Up the Sky Tower for sunset.
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St Andrews First Presbyterian Church (near our hotel).
E-bike hire on Waiheke Island
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Route planning on Waiheke Island.
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Approaching the city by ferry.
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47km with over 1,100m ascent!
And finally ...
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Transvision Vamp, Powerstation - we heard about this gig on the radio.
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Flight path from Hong Kong to London, avoiding all the war zones.
