New Zealand is calling

By Naomi Koppel

updated 2:26 p.m. ET Aug. 27, 2007

WAINUI, New Zealand - Something keeps drawing me back to New Zealand. I suspect something always will.

Part of it is how easy it is to vacation here for a woman traveling alone. It's safe, tourist-friendly and comparatively cheap for anyone coming from North America or Western Europe.

But mostly it's for moments like these: watching the bright turquoise sea wash up on the pure sand beach that fringes dark green rainforest. The soundtrack is the insistent chirping of crickets. I'm alone in the world, and I'm only 20 minutes' walk from where I left my car.

It's no overstatement: The coast of the Abel Tasman National Park has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Then again, New Zealand's South Island is one breathtaking vista after another, and in southern hemisphere summer — winter in the northern hemisphere — it's a mecca for walking, or "tramping" as it's known round here. The warm weather season begins there in late November and early December, but you'll want to plan way ahead for your trip. (I visited in February, and the cheap airfares were gone by October).

Though there were plenty of serious hikers around, loaded down with tents and sleeping bags, I chose a few creature comforts — I mostly stuck to walks I could complete in a day, and I had a rental car and motel accommodation. Every motel unit in New Zealand comes with a kitchen, so I cooked for myself.

Water taxis take day-trippers to points along the Abel Tasman coast, where they can walk part of the coastal track or simply relax on the beach. For a one-day taste of paradise, park in Marahau and take a water taxi to Anchorage Beach; the walk back will take about 3 1/2 hours, leaving plenty of time for swimming, sunbathing and lots of photography along the way.

If you go New Zealand; 866-639-9325. Getting there: Some airlines, including Qantas and Emirates, fly direct to Christchurch. Air New Zealand's major international routes are to Auckland, on the North Island, with connections to Christchurch. Other South Island locations are also served from Auckland. Getting around: Major international car rental companies operate from Christchurch Airport. Local companies, mostly based downtown, offer cheaper options on slightly older vehicles. Numerous companies also offer motorhome rentals, an increasingly popular alternative to motels. (Note that many lesser-used roads are unpaved.) Regular bus services crisscross the country. Views from the rail lines from Christchurch up the Pacific coast to Picton and across the country to Greymouth through the Southern Alps make the journeys highlights of any visit. Lodging: Almost all New Zealand motel units have full kitchens; many will accommodate an entire family. Holiday parks usually offer camping, RV parking and motel units. Especially on the west coast, travelers are advised to book accommodations ahead during the peak Christmas-March season. Outdoors: The Department of Conservation visitors centers offer information on walking, mountain biking, fishing and other activities in national parks and forests, and can help plan itineraries and book huts and campsites. Preregistration is required for some popular multi-day walks. Indoors: The official network of visitors centers, known as i-Sites, provide information on activities, accommodation and transport across the South Island. Christchurch and Dunedin are centers for art galleries and museums. Check out in particular the Otago Museum in Dunedin. Museums are free, although some strongly encourage donations. For shopping: Christchurch, Dunedin, Nelson and Queenstown.

New Zealand conservation authorities are visitor-conscious. Paths, from 20-minute nature walks to multi-day slogs, are well-marked and well-maintained.

Driving in New Zealand is easy. It's hard to get lost and there's no danger of traffic jams. But distances are deceptive, as roads can be twisty and steep. To get to all corners of the South Island, allow three to four weeks, but the main sights can easily be seen in a week or 10 days.

High on most travelers' lists is Queenstown, "Lord of the Rings" territory and the winter skiing center. It's a lakeside town surrounded by stunning mountains, with a host of activities for both the intrepid and the less adventurous, and plenty of souvenir shopping if you happen to arrive there on one of the many rainy days.

It's also the gateway to the southwestern Fiordland region, where lush tree-covered mountains rise straight up out of the smooth waters. Author Rudyard Kipling called Milford Sound the eighth wonder of the world, and it's well worth the long detour to take a two-hour boat trip there. For a more complete experience, take a longer bus-and-boat trip to Doubtful or Dusky Sound from the regional center at Te Anau. Many companies also run kayaking trips into the sounds, and the Milford Track, one of New Zealand's great tramps, starts from nearby.

Slide show   Explore New Zealand Breathtaking and unique, New Zealand is the perfect travel destination. more photos

New Zealand's highest mountain, Mount Cook ("Aoraki" or "cloud-piercer" to indigenous Maori), is visible from locations on the west coast. But to get close to it also requires a detour, from the eastern side of the island. The South Island's central regions are continually surprising — by turns wide plateaus and river valleys, arid moonscapes and rolling green hills.

Though the village of Mount Cook itself is something of a manufactured tourist trap, the journey is worth it for the multitude of walks that start there, and for the very beautiful Lake Pukaki that reflects the peaks of the Southern Alps in its still, pale blue waters.

Less visited but no less beautiful is the Catlins region, in the south of the island, between Dunedin and Invercargill, where lush green hills and fern-filled forests rise over deserted golden beaches.

Deal of the Day Newfoundland and Labrador Explore World Heritage sites, glimpse into the life of the Vikings, more, from $1,635.

According to Maori legend, the South Island was formed from an upturned canoe. The anchor stone of that canoe became Stewart Island, an hour's ferry ride across the Fouveaux Strait from the southern tip of the mainland to Oban, the only community on the island. The rest of Stewart

Island is wilderness, a haven for wildlife and walkers. The entire island forms the Rakiura National Park.

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