Christina Hegele's Page

When you’re driving along the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island and you have just enough time to do one big thing, make it a guided glacier tour.

 

The Franz Josef Glacier is also known as Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere in Maori and is situated in the Westland National Park. You can take guided tours of varying lengths on the glacier and get to see crevasses, waterfalls, stunning views and the occasional alpine parrot, the…

The world’s coolest little capital, as it brands itself, Wellington won’t disappoint – more cafes per capita than New York City, centre of Aotearoa’s film industry, Wellywood, thriving arts and culture scene and it’s home to New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa.

Wellington is also known for its unpredictable weather. When it rains it pours, and the wind can be fierce. On a day like that, head straight to Wellington’s number one indoor activity destination: the Te Papa…

It's quite a drive to go up to Paihia, Waitangi and further north, but you'll have lots of opportunity for very scenic and curious sightseeing breaks.

The top 10 things to see in Northland, according to my guidebook, included something I had to read twice to believe it: the Hundertwasser toilets in Kawakawa. Yep, public toilets as a tourist attraction. BUT, constructed by a star architect. I had no idea what to expect due to the lack of pictures in my book,…