The land of the long white cloud

New Zealand consists of two main islands, referred to as the North- and South island. I'm pretty sure at some point in the not so distant past I thought New Zealand was part of Australia. New Zealanders, referred to as kiwi's, do not appreciate this. New Zealand is far from a little sibling of Australia.

Thanks for the cool NZ & AUS flag pic, Quora.com

I'm not sure I had a huge desire to visit New Zealand until I got to Australia. Once you're in Oz, you hear a lot about the magic of New Zealand; you realise how close you are to NZ; and you realise how far you are from most everything else in the world. Thrill seekers flock to New Zealand!

New Zealand history dates back about a thousand years when it was discovered and settled by Polynesians. These indigenous people developed a distinct Māori culture centred on kinship and land. Today Māori make up almost 15% of New Zealand's population. Aotearoa is the Māori name for New Zealand. Aotearoa commonly translates to the land of the long white cloud.

With school out for summer, Aaron's parents in tow and some public holidays, New Zealand seemed like a great place for a holiday. It did not disappoint!

Our itinerary was as follows:

     Five nights based in Auckland
     Two nights based in Christchurch
     Four nights based in Queenstown

Thanks for the map, Lonely Planet

Read more about Auckland and the rest of our New Zealand adventure in the coming blog posts!