My knowledge of New Zealand was pretty thin before visiting, the greatest rugby union team ever namely the All Blacks, lots of sheep, cricket, Maori, two main islands, Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit, Kiwi birds, rain, oh and did I mention sheep. Upon landing the first sound I heard at Christchurch Airport was, wait for it……sheep bleating over the welcome message!

How was I to know that this land would amaze me so much with its spectacular scenery, I think since landing and every day until typing this blog, I have witnessed an amazing sight.

The South Island is just majestical with snowcapped mountains that you can drive so close to, quaint villages that take all but a few minutes to drive through on their single roads, lakes that shimmer and glisten in the sunlight, volcanoes, the odd earthquake hear and there.

The North Island meanwhile, appears to be greener, meandering hills that simply roll over and into each other like a timeless green carpet. volcanoes galore, even the lakes are really volcanoes! The scenery is just breathtaking.

Now, my knowledge of Aotearoa New Zealand, extends to the pride they have with their Maori heritage and culture, the role and sacrifices NZ troops and families played in various conflicts and peacekeeping efforts around the world, the truly amazing scenery, friendliness towards visitors, how the islands are under constant tectonic forces twisting and stretching the landmasses apart, not just the Kiwi bird but the extinct Mao bird that once lived here and grew three metres high! Steaming hot water springs all over the place, mud bubbling in “ponds” like a bowl of hot soup on a cold winters day, adrenalin adventure sports galore, white water rapids…I think I am missing a lot but you get the idea….my expectations were definitely exceeded. What a gem New Zealand really is and if you like sheep, well this is your place!

I will rather just let some photos do the talking about the scenery.