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Traveller

From Bluff to Cape Reinga and back again. From Verona to Nullarbor, with a plenty of stops along the way. Road trips, day trips and interesting things to do - our team uncover hidden gems for you to enjoy.

Road trip - Blenheim

It doesn’t matter that the rain is whipping my face furiously. I’m determined to stand on the deck and feel the wind in my hair, to squint at the sea spray and sing The Warratahs under my breath.“Cruising on the Interislander,” I croon, attracting glances from tourists who have clearly not seen the ad.

Island show

The dance troupe go through their last-minute routines - make-up is applied and adjustments made to dazzlingly bright pink, yellow and scarlet raffia costumes studded with tropical shells and bird feather plumage, while the fragrant scent of frangipani and tiare flowers fills the humid night air.

Birds of paradise

The vast jade mass of Kapiti Island was as familiar as an old piece of furniture. From my grandmother’s house on Paraparaumu Beach I had seen it a million times, often scanning the pebbled shores through binoculars and squinting as if I might spot a kiwi. I wanted to go there, but I figured I’d have to fly across or swim. Kapiti was a place for the birds after all.

Crossing the Nullarbor

At the end of a scraggy, dusty strip of dirt was a patch of artificial grass with a yellow flag flapping in the morning wind. This was the Wombat Hole, a par 5 and, as it turned out, fairly typical of the Nullarbor Links holes.

Little love

I was probably on the bike for 30 seconds before I fell off. I’d like to say I was doing a wheelie or riding with no hands, but, in truth, I was just trying to turn a corner. Instead, I somehow hit a fence, and the bike and I toppled clumsily to the ground. It was an inelegant start to my first bike ride in 10 years but, once I had picked the gravel from my bleeding leg and lowered my seat, the rest was brilliant.

Viva Verona

Everyone is very stylish in the Italian city of Verona. They walk their pedigree dogs to piazzas to meet each other for coffee, wearing heels, crisp lines and cleverly draped fabrics.

Top Spot

Everyone has a place that is special to them. Whether it be a secret spot in New Zealand, or somewhere overseas that holds memories, our Top Spot page features people and the particular places they are fond of.

Northland road trip

The curly gravel road passes meadows white with cow parsley. Old-fashioned red roses that escaped from gardens decades ago ramble along farm fences. Skylarks, black dots high in the sky, sing for the joy of summer. Then the road threads through patches of lush bush, past nikau groves and giant puriri in shady valleys. It is an Edenesque entry to a heavenly place. Mimiwhangata.

Auckland Zoo - Te Wao Nui

New Zealand is on display in Auckland city. Te Wao Nui is the new native precinct at Auckland Zoo, and the largest habitat project the zoo has undertaken in its 88-year history. Comprising more than a fifth of Auckland Zoo’s 17ha footprint, Te Wao Nui is made up of six zones that reflect the distinctly different landscapes of New Zealand.