New Zealand

Fjords & alpine drama

What you notice in the first 24 hours: kiwi pace, Māori, sheep and the southern sky

Four seasons in one day — pack in layers; boots and SPF are non-negotiable

A month-by-month breakdown — and why March and April are the secret favourites

Car, campervan, the inter-island ferry and three legendary trains

Green-lipped mussels, hāngī, pavlova, flat white and Marlborough wine

Hobbiton, Oamaru penguins, Waitomo glow-worms and a hot-water beach you dig yourself

Three field-tested routes across the country, none of them rushed