27 June, 2017
Ever since I first travelled to New Zealand and Australia back in 2011, I have been desperate to return. Anyone who knows me will tell you I can wax lyrical for days, spinning travel-related yarns about my time there. Having had some of my most memorable experiences and met people who remain close friends to this day, it has stayed on the very top of my travel pile.
Although this trip followed a somewhat different path, I was quickly reminded just why I fell head over heels. In Australia, I was able to hook up with friends and family up and down the east coast, where Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney offer the perfect mix of city buzz, people watching, avo toast, fresh fish and cold drinks with old friends, hot sand under our feet.
After that I hopped the Tasman Sea and spent two weeks road tripping the South Island of New Zealand. It was amazing to explore new places that had escaped me first time around, as well as to tread familiar paths (and sample a lot of vegan Fergburgers along the way). For me, New Zealand remains one of those places that has to be seen to be believed. It's not only the sheer beauty and majesty of the natural landscape, but the respect people have for their country is on an entirely different level to anything else I've experienced. They are rightly proud of the land they call home and although this series doesn't really begin to scratch the surface, it will hopefully provide a glimpse into just how magical this part of the world is.
