10 Things We Love about New Zealand

Ten reasons why we love New Zealand (And you should too)

1. Fish and Chips - Fish and chips have to be one of the greatest meals of all time. Period. NZ is an island nation surrounded by water and given their english heritage they have amazing meal dialed. It could easily be eaten at least once a day for your entire trip. The real deal comes wrapped in some form of newspaper.  A great spot for fish and chips is the Cray Pot in Jackson Bay. It’s off the beaten path but worth the trip
   
2. The People and the Culture - NZ is a truly magical place. But places are only things and things don’t last. The heart of people are what make it special. After over 10 years of visiting and working abroad it’s really the friends you make that keep you coming back. The small town nature of the South Island and an adventurous spirit epitomize the Kiwi mentality and quickly rub off on any traveler. Over the years we’ve been lucky enough to call Wanaka a second home.
   
3. The Surfing -  From 90 Mile Beach to Taranaki, Raglan to Gisborne there are waves for the adventurous everywhere. Spend some time, respect the locals, pay your dues and you’ll be sure to find some hidden gems. Chasing waves around both islands will focus your weather and wind forecasting tools too. Oh yeah - be sure to bring some rubber and shark repellent (if there was such a thing)!
   
4. The Skiing - Our first draw to NZ was the pursuit of an endless winter and in this department the country delivers. The mountain ranges are endless and diverse leaving nothing to be desired. There are a multitude of heli-skiing, resorts, ski areas, club fields and access to huts that allow the backcountry searcher a lifetime of exploring and powder.
   
5. The Kiting - Snow, water and wind abound leaving a ton of options to throw up a kite. It’s always nice to have this option in your back pocket when you need an activity to get you fired up.
   
6. Helicopters - Helicopters are cool no matter where you are but put a basket on the outside and a skilled pilot up front and you can get into just about any terrain you want. We’ve flown with a lot of great pilots over the years and some of the best have hailed from down under. Oh yeah there seems to be helicopters everywhere and they are the best way to access the backcountry and high alpine peaks.
   
7. Vegemite - It took a while to adapt to this southern delicacy but overtime it has grown on us. How can you go wrong with a little salt added to your diet as long as you get used to the taste.
   
8. No snakes - No venomous or dangerous large mammals for that matter (Short of red deer which we’ve had a few run ins with). So no need to fear while you’re out and about in the backcountry. Watch out for the sand flies though which are the worst and rival the mosquitoes of Alaska.
   
9. The scenery -  There’s a reason Peter Jackson filmed Lord of the Rings in NZ. Pictures don’t do it justice and neither can words. Sometimes you just have pinch yourself driving around and exploring cause it all seems surreal.
   
10. The Solitude - Getting away from it all is big part of why we travel. Wild places seem to be shrinking but it’s still possible to get off the map in NZ. With a population of 4.5 million and upwards of 90% of those living in urban centers in a country similar to the size of California there’s still room to explore. For a little perspective the bay area alone has 7 million people.
    

So get out there and explore. We can’t wait to be there August and hope you can join us. Contact us with questions or inquires @ info@triplepointexpeditions.com.