Nya Zeeland

Welcome to a vibrant city in transition, coping creatively with the aftermath of NZ’s second-worst natural disaster. Traditionally the most English of NZ cities, Christchurch's heritage heart was all but hollowed out following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes that left 186 people dead.

Verdant rolling hills line New Zealand’s mighty Waikato River, and adrenaline junkies can surf at Raglan, or undertake extreme underground pursuits in the extraordinary Waitomo Caves.

När pandemin slog till med lockdowns och inställda flyg var det tiotusentals svenskar som blev fast på sina destinationer. Ellinor Guldstrand var en av dem. I Nya Zeeland upplevde hon hur inställningen till ryggsäcksresenärer ändrades från att ses som en välkommen tillgång till att betraktas som något icke önskvärt och hotfullt. Det blev en lärdom för livet.

Det finns mängder av vackra platser över hela Nya Zeeland. Vagabonds webbredaktör har dock en hemlig favorit på sydön som många missar – Punakaiki. Platsens mest kända sevärdhet är en rökridå för den mäktiga natur som bokstavligt talat finns på andra sidan vägen.

Trucking on along the SH1 through Timaru, travellers could be forgiven for thinking that this small port city is merely a handy place for food and fuel halfway between Christchurch and Dunedin. Drop the anchors, people! Straying into the CBD reveals a remarkably intact Edwardian precinct boasting some good dining and interesting shopping, not to mention a clutch of cultural attractions and lovely parks, all of which sustain at least a day's stopover.

Coastal Abel Tasman National Park blankets the northern end of a range of marble and limestone hills that extend from Kahurangi National Park. Various tracks in the park include an inland route, although the Coast Track is what everyone is here for – it's New Zealand's most popular Great Walk.

Stretching between Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula, the Hauraki Gulf is dotted with motu (islands), and is as equally stunning as Northland's Bay of Islands. Some islands are only minutes from the city and make excellent day trips. Wine-soaked Waiheke and volcanic Rangitoto really shouldn’t be missed. Great Barrier requires more effort (and cash) to get to, but provides an idyllic escape from modern life.

Packing in cosmopolitan cities, authentic opportunities to experience Māori culture, and the country’s bubbling volcanic heart, the North Island is an exceedingly versatile destination.

Here’s your chance to get off the beaten track, even if that sometimes means onto unsealed roads. The far-flung Far North always plays second fiddle to the Bay of Islands for attention and funding, yet the subtropical tip of the North Island has more breathtaking coastline per square kilometre than anywhere apart from the offshore islands. While the ‘winterless north’ may be a popular misnomer, summers here are long and leisurely. Note that parts of the Far North are noticeably economically depressed and in places could best be described as gritty.

Forest and coast unite in dramatic form in the Buller Region. This northwesterly expanse of the South Island is a promised land for trampers. Trails wend riverside through primeval forest, some accessing geological marvels like the Oparara Arch.