This is a belated posting of our first impressions of New Zealand. Here are a few photos of ours along with a succinct and brilliantly written introduction to New Zealand that I found in a 1994 Insight Guide to New Zealand, published by APA Publications (HK) Ltd., edited by Gordon Mclauchlan.

I quote:

This is New Zealand. Haere mai. Welcome.
This is a land of majestic snow-capped peaks and unexplored rain forests, of pristine lakes swarming with trout and turquoise ocean bays speckled with wooded isles, of glaciers and fiords, geysers and volcanoes. It is a land of kauri forests and kiwifruit plantations, of modern cosmopolitan cities and backcountry sheep stations, of the flightless kiwi, the prehistoric tuatara, ...and Sir Edmund Hillary. Perhaps most important of all, it is the land of the Maori, the indigenous Polynesian inhabitants who have made these islands their home for at least 12 centuries...
Today, it is not hard to understand why New Zealanders have such a strong attachment to their native land...a recreational wonderland perhaps unrivalled on Mother Earth. The unique flora and fauna are only part of the staggering variety of attractions. Enter these pages and discover them.

End of quote.

We have only seen a tiny bit of New Zealand, and are already enchanted. Even more majestic and awe inspiring sights are yet to come.
See the gallery album titled NZ North Island for some of our photos.