The Marlborough Sounds are indeed lovely. I actually really like North Island when you go up beyond Auckland, though. That's really Hobbity. I remember before the movies, when I first visited NZ, saying to my then girlfriend, "This would be the perfect setting for the shire in an LOTR movie). A year or so later, I found out it was. South Island is where the real majestic scenery is, though. I don't think I could ever live on North Island after being here. Unless here gets flattened by a rift on the Great Alpine Fault, which is somewhat likely (roughly 30% chance in the next 50 years for a Mag 8+). Although when that rupture does happen, it will actually be safe here again afterwards for a couple of hundred years at least.

Re the bugouts, you aren't wrong. I can just see a property out of my window on the next hill along which belongs to one of the owners of the Empire State Building. He spent 30 Million dollars on it, apparently. He has one hell of a rabbit fence, as well!

I'll never forget the colours of Lake Pukaki on the route to Mt Cook, the bus trip from Queenstown to astonishing Milford Sound (so many waterfalls cascading down the high cliffs of the fiord!) and the helicopter trip over the Southern Alps near Queenstown with some stops on the mountain glaciers (and with an extraordinary pilot, Alfie, one of those who brought Peter Jackson flying over in search of movie's locations).
I came back to Italy with a thought "If I ever move away from Italy, I surely would like to go to NZ".

[I'm sorry for the comment lying outside Tolkien's collecting, but Stu's post made emerge a lot of beautiful memories]

Yes the Milford trip is great, though long. I am still thoroughly confused about how one pronounces the town Te Anau because all the locals seem to say it in a very odd way that I thought couldn't be right. It was Tay - ANEE - UH

Tapuvae wrote:

Yes the Milford trip is great, though long. I am still thoroughly confused about how one pronounces the town Te Anau because all the locals seem to say it in a very odd way that I thought couldn't be right. It was Tay - ANEE - UH

TAY AH NOW.

YES, this is what I thought Stu. Maybe they were messing with us tourists?

Tapuvae wrote:

YES, this is what I thought Stu. Maybe they were messing with us tourists?

Well, if the Kiwis are anything like the Aussies and their drop bears... then they were being dead serious.

Tapuvae wrote:

YES, this is what I thought Stu. Maybe they were messing with us tourists?

Maybe. But Southlanders in general have a slightly unusual accent anyway as they are largely of Scottish descent, and some of that vocal heritage is mixed in; They tend to roll their "R"s and talk a little differently than other Kiwis. I'll keep an ear out for how they pronounce it!

Mauro D86 wrote:

I'll never forget the colours of Lake Pukaki on the route to Mt Cook, the bus trip from Queenstown to astonishing Milford Sound (so many waterfalls cascading down the high cliffs of the fiord!) and the helicopter trip over the Southern Alps near Queenstown with some stops on the mountain glaciers (and with an extraordinary pilot, Alfie, one of those who brought Peter Jackson flying over in search of movie's locations).
I came back to Italy with a thought "If I ever move away from Italy, I surely would like to go to NZ".

[I'm sorry for the comment lying outside Tolkien's collecting, but Stu's post made emerge a lot of beautiful memories]

Sounds like you did all the good stuff. Having done a Heli from QT to Milford when snow-covered, I agree it is quite the sight. Lake Pukaki/Mt. Cook is amazing also - I try to get there once a year for a walk up to the terminal end of the glacier.