As difficult as it was to leave Sydney and the Australian continent, what we discovered in New Zealand was a country, a people and a way of life that soon had us enjoying and savoring every minute of our visit there. We traded the flatness of Australia for the mountainous and awe-inspiring landscapes of New Zealand, whose entire population is about the same as Sydney, alone.
Our love affair with New Zealand began in Queenstown, a small town that is often referred to as the "jewel in New Zealand's tourism crown." Our hotel, the Copthorne, sits atop a hill on the shores of Lake Wakatipu with the Remarkable Mountains (a very fitting name) as a backdrop. Unparalleled beauty, great food and an endless list of things to do, make this town a tourist's delight and a location that we definitely plan to revisit.
To view a slideshow of our visit to Queenstown, click here. The musical accompaniment is taken from the Lord of the Rings movies (most of which was filmed in New Zealand) and features Celtic Woman.
