I've been there twice, fair while ago now, and while not wishing to promote an opposition tourist destination it's well worth a look.
Only place you can 'do' all the continents in a week. They have a little bit of everywhere there, even a little tiny desert if I remember correctly but can't recall just where.
Maybe Africa not so much, except around Cape Town, but the European Alps, Rockies, Andes are done in fair facsimile. Not as high but just as picturesque. Even a few glaciers. They 'do' a little Yellowstone quite well too.
[
A touring tip: if you like breathing in then don't overstay in Rotorua. It's great to look at but the air there is redolent of a huge fart. No, not the population, just the sulphur fumes.
It's steaming up everywhere, even from cracks in the road, they have to 'bury' people above ground in concrete boxes as the steam pops the coffins out.]
They have primeval rainforests, different to most, full of huge ferns and cycads and still in 'Jurassic' mode.
Fiords to rival Norway's, and quaint little villages from bygone times, although last time I was there it was still about 1930 local time anyway. (bein' cheeky.)
They've missed out on 'doing' OZ though, other than some sheep country, and a bigger possum population than we have, although Auckland looks/looked as though it would fit in okay here.
The 2 main islands are a bit different, North more 'European', and 'Yellowstone', South more 'Sth American Jurassic'. The SFX are quite interesting too, they do earthquakes quite well but the ground shakes under your feet most of the time anyway so that sensation can be excitement central when you aren't used to it.
They call it Aotearoa (Land of the long white cloud), we just call it the 'Shaky Isles'.
It's like a naturally occurring theme park, all the exhibits packed nicely into an easily accessible area.
We should have planned OZ a bit better and squeezed all the best bits into one place.
Enough of boosting the competition. Say thank you Fern.
