World Cup fever in NZ
There is something deliciously decadent about having champagne for breakfast. It is part of the hot air ballooning experience in New Zealand, though. And why argue with tradition? New Zealand is a great country for doing things you have never done before. Like punting with the great Richard Hadlee while he imitates a Bollywood hero about to burst into song. But more of that later.
Catching a sunrise while floating gently — ‘effortlessly’ is the word Ballooning Canterbury uses in its brochure — in a balloon brings the clichés alive. Peace, serenity, tranquility, calm, harmony — a thesaurus of variations on the theme engulf you unbidden. Flat land below, the Southern Alps beyond: the combination threatens to make poets out of hacks.
As New Zealand prepares for cricket tourism — it co-hosts the World Cup in February-March 2015 — there is the real danger of fans flying down for the cricket, but missing the action on the field for adventures in the water, air, caves and roads, bridges and hillsides. It may have been a Polynesian voyager named Kupe who, according to myth, discovered New Zealand, but new generations from around the world are discovering the land afresh.
Things to see & do
Cricket is sports-crazy New Zealand’s national summer game and the scenic yet compact country of diverse attractions is co-hosting the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in the 40th anniversary of the event along with traditional rivals Australia, from 14 February to 29 March (schedules and fixtures here: icc-cricket.com/cricket-world-cup/fixtures). The world’s top 14 One Day International (ODI) teams, including title-holders India, will play across seven Kiwi cities — Auckland (aucklandnz. com), Hamilton (hamiltonwaikato.com), Napier (hawkesbaynz.com) and Wellington (wellingtonnz.com/ discover) in North Island, and Nelson (nelsonnz.com), Christchurch (christchurchnz.com/new-zealand) and Dunedin (dunedinnz.com/visit/home) in South Island. There’s much to be explored at leisure between the electric highs of the games.
NZ is renowned for safe adventure holidays and you might like to try hot-air ballooning with Ballooning Canterbury (from NZ$365 for adults; ballooningcanterbury.com) and jet boating (NZ$90; jetthrills.com) at Christchurch.
Black water rafting at the Waitomo Glowworm Caves (from NZ$118; waitomo.com) and a day at theHobbiton Movie Set (from NZ$75; hobbitontours.com) are very popular attractions in Hamilton; breakfast at Hamilton Gardens (entry free; hamiltongardens.co.nz) is a tranquil experience.
It’s exhilarating to SkyJump (NZ$225; skyjump.co.nz) from the tallest building in NZ and SkyWalk(NZ$145; skywalk.co.nz) 192 metres above Auckland with no railing. The winery and restaurant atElephant Hill (elephanthill.co.nz) in Hawke’s Bay is a beautiful place for unwinding.
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