Alan and I returned home yesterday at around 4:00PM.

Our flights on ANZ were excellent. Premium Economy cabin was great, spacious and comfortable. In-flight dining was the best we've experienced on any carrier. ANZ prides itself on exemplary customer service and each flight we had showed this to be just that.

Our pre-tour stay in Bay of Islands was awesome. Our driver, Alec, picked us up as planned at Kerikeri Airport with a smile on his face and the warmest of greetings. We stayed at Paihia Bay Resort, which was an ideal location, overlooing the beach. Alan and I took 2 planned excursions - Discover the Bay 4 hour cruise and a full day touring up to Cape Reinga and 90 Mile Beach. SPECTACULAR experiences! We spent our last day ferrying to the charming town of Russell. Spending 4 very quality days in Bay of Islands was tremendously enjoyable. We were happy we planned well. To miss Bay of Islands, is really to miss so much of NZ. Thrilled we didn't miss this.

On Nov. 19 we flew down to Auckland. Our Tauck driver was there to greet us. On our way to our Tauck hotel, The Langham, he showed us some of the sights of the city. The Langham is a beautiful hotel, very nicely located. Staff and service very much 5-star. The hotel offers shuttle service from the hotel to the center of the city. Alan and I took the shuttle into the city center and wandered for a few hours. Dinner Friday night with some Tauck companions. We dined at the hotel's upscale restaurant, Barolo. Sumptuous dining experience in a very warm and romantic setting. The cuisine was outstanding.

(Very brief) highlights of our Tauck trip:

Ferry to Waiheke Island
Lunch and wine tasting at beautiful Mudbrick Winery - Wonderful lunch is a beautiful setting.

Longland's Farm in Matamata
Tour dairy farm
Lunch in a magnificent setting. The most elegant farm on the planet for certain! Our hosts were marvelous, the food and setting superb.
Te Puia Thermal Reserve and Maori Cultural Center - Very spritual and gratifying experince learning about the Maori culture. Cultural performance was very well done and enjoyable.
Overnight at Okawa Bay - Heavenly location overlooking the Bay

Scenic drive to Havelock
Catamaran cruising in Pelorus Sound
Learning about mussel farming
Dining on mussels, mussels, and lots more mussels. Wine, wine, wine. BBQ salmon and lots of sides. Divine dining on-board amidst all that beauty of the sound!

Wonderful Wellington. Toured Te Papa Museum, which was tremendously interesting. Wandered the city and had a really great time in this great city.

Manapouri to Milford Sound
Breathtaking scenery on our drive and through the Sound.

Queenstown - Love Queenstown (and, of course) Crowne Plaza Queenstown! This city is spectacular!
Shotover jet boating - Thrilling and oh so exhilerating!
Wine tasting

Steam engine cruising on Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak Station - Quality time with the sheep, deer, alpaca and cattle. Tea time in a beautiful setting.

Quaint and beautiful Christchurch. So glad we extended our stay to take in the incredible Botanic Gardens and take the enthralling TranzAlpine. So happy to see that Christchurch is thriving, despite signs of some destruction from their recent earthquake.

We were eager to return to Tauck and so happy that we did. Tauck is such a class act and pulled out all the stops on this awesome trip. Hotel properties, dining options, touring, private charters via air and water, congenial and well-travelled tour companions, and an outstanding tour director were the excllent components of a trip of a lifetime for Alan and me. Seeing the pristine and jaw-dropping landscape of New Zealand didn't disappoint, far exceeding what we expected. Weather was picture-perfect, putting the finishing touches on a stellar vacation. The people of New Zealand are warm and inviting. The landscape of this country is hard to put into words. New Zealand has to be seen to be fully appreciated.

Now I fully understand the term "Pure New Zealand." Pure, pristine, magnificent, awesome are only some of the words to describe this magnificent destination! We hated to depart. However, we have a mere 700+ photos as very sweet reminders!

Thanks for wealth of info Denise - it does sound like you had a perfect trip in all ways - we flew Prem Econ at ANZ and enjoyed it very very much - welcome home!!!!!

Denise, your trip of a lifetime met all your expectations, it sounds fantastic. Welcome home !

Denise, what a wonderful trip you and Alan had. I'm so glad you enjoyed it so much. Enjoyed your review. Thanks for taking the time to tell us about it.

sounds wonderful

Soo glad it was a memorable experience!