New Zealand; one could be forgiven for thinking that Mother Nature decided to take her best features and exhibit them all in this South Pacific island nation. All the classics are here, awe-inspiring Alps, plunging fjords, expanses of pristine beach, dense rainforests, active volcanoes - but what makes this such a stellar performance is the sheer concentration of it all. Top it off with lively indigenous culture, cosmopolitan cities and a people with a distinctly Kiwi lust for life and you know this is one special country.

Best time to visit

November to April, when the weather is warmest.

Essential experiences

Traversing the south island on the TranzAlpine train; throwing yourself off something high - bungee jumping is as compulsory here as seeing the Eiffel Tower in Paris; the marine life off the coast of Kaikoura; spending a culture filled weekend in one of the cities; the Polynesian bustle of Auckland; the creative current of Wellington; the European feel of Christchurch.

In a few words, New Zealand is

Sheep, the All Blacks, extreme sports, the end of the earth, Middle Earth and Neil Finn.

Did you know?

In New Zealand not everyone plays rugby, they also play cricket. There is a thriving food and wine culture and New Zealand consists of more than just two islands.