Charles Rawlings-Way - New Zealand

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Plucked straight from a film set or a coffee-table book of picture-perfect scenery, New Zealand is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Wow! will escape from your lips at least once a day.

Runner along ridge near the summit of Roys Peak (), Wanaka.
SCOTT DARSNEY / LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Forget New Orleans New Zealand can rightly claim the Big Easy crown for the sheer ease of travel here. It isnt a place where you encounter many on-the-road frustrations: buses and trains run on time; roads are in good nick; ATMs proliferate; pickpockets, scam merchants and bedbug-ridden hostels are few and far between; and the food is unlikely to send you running for the nearest public toilets (which are usually clean and stocked with the requisite paper). And there are no snakes, and only one poisonous spider the rare katipo sightings of which are considered lucky. This decent nation is a place where you can relax and enjoy (rather than endure) your holiday.

There are just 4.36 million New Zealanders, scattered across 268,680 sq km: bigger than the UK with one-fourteenth the population. Filling in the gaps are the sublime forests, mountains, lakes, beaches and fiords that have made NZ one of the best hiking (locals call it tramping) destinations on the planet. Tackle one of nine epic Great Walks youve probably heard of the Heaphy and Milford Tracks or just spend a few dreamy hours wandering through some easily accessible wilderness.

Kiwi food was once a bland echo of a British Sunday dinner, but these days NZ chefs find inspiration in new-world culinary oceans, especially the Pacific with its abundant seafood and encircling cuisines. And dont go home without trying some Maori faves: paua (abalone), kina (sea urchin) and kumara (sweet potato) make regular menu appearances. Thirsty? NZs cool-climate wineries have been collecting wine-award trophies for decades now, but the countrys booming craft-beer scene also deserves your serious scrutiny. And with coffee culture firmly entrenched, you can usually slake your craving for a decent double-shot.

If youre even remotely interested in rugby, youll have heard of the all-conquering All Blacks, NZs national team, who would never have become world-beaters without their awesome Maori players. But this is just one example of how Maori culture impresses itself on contemporary Kiwi life: across NZ you can hear Maori language, watch Maori TV, see main-street marae (meeting houses), join in a hangi (Maori feast) or catch a cultural performance with traditional Maori song, dance and usually a blood-curdling haka (war dance). And dont let us stop you from considering ta moko, traditional Maori tattooing (often applied to the face).

Detail of Maori carving, Tongariro National Park (), Central Plateau.
RICHARD IANSON / LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Auckland Harbour & Hauraki Gulf

The island-studded Hauraki Gulf () is Aucklands aquatic playground, sheltering its harbour and east-coast bays and providing ample excuse for the City of Sails pleasure fleet to breeze into action. Despite the maritime traffic, the gulf has resident pods of whales and dolphins. Rangitoto is an icon of the city, its near-perfect volcanic cone the backdrop for many a tourist snapshot. Yet its Waiheke, with beautiful beaches, acclaimed wineries and upmarket eateries, that is Aucklands most popular island escape.

Waiheke Island ()
OLIVER STREWE / LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Urban Auckland

Held in the embrace of two harbours and built on the remnants of long-extinct volcanoes, Auckland () isnt your average metropolis. Its regularly rated one of the worlds most liveable cities, and while its never going to challenge NYC or London in the excitement stakes, its blessed with good beaches, is flanked by wine regions and has a large enough population to support a thriving dining, drinking and live-music scene. Cultural festivals are celebrated with gusto in this ethnically diverse city, which has the distinction of having the worlds largest Pacific Island population.

AMOS CHAPPLE / LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Geothermal Rotorua

The first thing youll notice about Rotorua () is the sulphur smell this geothermal hot spot whiffs like old socks. But as the locals point out, volcanic by-products are what everyone is here to see: gushing geysers, bubbling mud, steaming cracks in the ground, boiling pools of mineral-rich water Rotorua is unique, a fact exploited by some fairly commercial local businesses. But you dont have to spend a fortune there are plenty of affordable (and free) volcanic encounters to be had in parks, Maori villages or just along the roadside.

Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland ()
HOLGER LEUE / LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Wellington

Voted the coolest little capital in the world by Lonely Planet in 2011, windy Wellington () lives up to the mantle by keeping things fresh and dynamic. Its long famed for a vibrant arts and music scene, fuelled by excellent espresso and more restaurants per head than New York, but a host of craft-beer bars have now elbowed in on the action. Edgy yet sociable, colourful yet often dressed in black, Wellington is big on the unexpected and unconventional. Erratic weather only adds to the excitement.

OLIVER STREWE / LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Kaikoura

First settled by Maori with their keen nose for seafood, Kaikoura () is now NZs best spot for both consuming and communing with marine life. When it comes to seafood and eat it, crayfish is still king, but on fishing tours you can hook into other edible wonders of the unique Kaikoura deep. Whales are definitely off the menu, but youre almost guaranteed a good gander at Mobys mates on a whale-watching tour, or theres swimming with seals and dolphins, or spotting some of the many birds including albatross that wheel around the shore.