Destinations

Taranaki photographer James Heremaia combines two lifelong passions in the Manawatu Gorge, landscape photography and steam trains.
All too often we have left the ferry at Picton and headed straight for Kaikoura or Nelson, but this time we decided to spend some time in Marlborough. We were lucky and struck a perfect day for exploring the Wairau (or Vernon) Lagoons, just down the road from our park spot at Riverlands Roadhouse. The lagoons are part of an extensive wetlands area, sheltered behind a boulder bank at the south end of Cloudy Bay.
Taranaki photographer James Heremaia revisits Pa Harakeke, a remarkable tourism venture where nature, culture and adventure collide.
New Zealand’s very own Stonehenge, in the heart of rural Wairarapa, stands on a knoll above river flats with the grey-blue of the Tararua Ranges on the western horizon.
Julie and Doug Batt own and run Mountain Valley Adventure Lodge, a popular place for horse trekking, river rafting, kayaking, fishing, claybird shooting, paintball and mountain biking. Accommodation includes chalets, cottages and camping and caravan sites. There is also a bar and restaurant on site. Vivienne Haldane shares her experience...
A trip down the eastern seaboard of the South Island, taking in the ever-changing landscapes from inland Kaikoura to Dunedin, reveals even more reasons to return to Te Wai Pounamu, finds Peta Stavelli...