The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

‘Fravelon . By Jonathan van Bilsen ie al Six Million Sheep Many people | speak with ask me if I've ever been to Australia, which is interesting, because although | enjoyed Australia immensely, the Island of New Zealand was, in my opinion, much more pictur- esque. Flying to New Zealand is not an easy task. A layover in Los Ange- les was somewhat boring, however a stop in Fiji proved to be quite interesting, as the South Pacific is everything one would dream of. To fully experience New Zealand it is important to travel to both the North and the South Island. | started in the North in the capital city of Auckland, which | found to be very similar to Vancouver. It sits on the South Pacific Ocean and features warm temperatures and many outdoor cafes. New Zealand was settled by the Polynesians in the 12th century when many of them sailed to various islands in the South Pacific. The Maori influence is still visible in countless areas and a number of inhabitants trace their roots back to that early Polynesian culture. Captain Cook mapped the island for the first time, attracting thou- sands of British, who still hold the majority. The English language is predominant, although there is now a large Asian population through- out the country, slowly changing the demographics. From Auckland | travelled to Rotorua, probably best known for its bubbling sulfur springs. There’s no question that you are nearby as your nose will forewarn you. The stench of sulphur is everywhere and the source of the bubbling mud and numerous geysers stem from the — make it ideal for many tourists and locals as volcano in the centre of the North Island. well. Flying into Queenstown is breathtak- Another area worth visiting is Lake Taupo. Its pristine waters make _ ing. | was in a DC3, flying just below the it a great place to relax, do a little shopping or just hang out and chat —_clouds and totally surrounded by snow- Beautiful Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown is the third largest lake in New Zealand. with the locals. capped mountains. From Rotorua | boarded a flight to the South Island and the city It is also an excellent location to use as of Queenstown, located inland on Lake Wakatipu. The area is very a home base for many activities such as mountainous and is generally known to be the playground of the a flight to Milford sound, a trip | will never South Pacific. From kite flying to parasailing, sailing, swimming, and _ forget. The plane | was scheduled on was. dozens of other activities, the warm temperatures and dry conditions Please turn to page 32 SL 4 AN NB) 14 NIGHT CRUISES The purest natural landscap you'll eve = {e v . marlin)“travel » Port Perry * 905-985-2268 sraInial Fenecnse marlintravel.ca FOCUS - JANUARY 2014 31