In the winter of 2025, our friends in New Zealand invited us to visit for three weeks during their summer vacation to escape the worst of our winter weather and the inauguration of Donald Trump. We started out in Wellington at the home of Samuel, Kirsten and their daughters. They lived in the U.S., England, Italy, and China prior to buying a house in Wellington where Kirsten grew up. Samuel, born in France, is the global director of an automotive design studio and works in Shanghai three weeks a month and Kirsten is the creative producer for the Wellington National Music Centre.

Like Peter, Samuel is a classic car enthusiast and has a collection of vintage Jaguars. Peter sold his 1948 MG TC to Samuel in 2015 once he had a home and garage in Wellington. Peter was trying to cull his collection and since it was a right-hand drive, open-top classic, it made sense for it to live out its life in a country like New Zealand with mild weather and smooth roads.

We initially flew into Wellington where we visited area attractions as well as the wine country to the north. We then headed for the South Island for a week and spent our final days in Auckland before returning home to the U.S.

Arriving in Wellington

Samuel and Kirsten met us at the Wellington Airport. Samuel picked up Peter in the MG TC a real surprise for Peter while I drove with Kirsten in her Audi. Their home is in Khandallah, a hilly suburb of Wellington that overlooks Wellington Harbor. Once we settled into their home, we toured the waterfront to orient ourselves with Wellington. On the next day, we took the Cable Car, the only funicular railway still running in New Zealand, from Lambton Quay in the city center to the Kelburn Lookout perched high above the city.

Once we settled into their home, we toured the waterfront to orient ourselves with Wellington. On the next day, we took the Cable Car, the only funicular railway still running in New Zealand, from Lambton Quay in the city center to the Kelburn Lookout perched high above the city.

Wellington Botanic Garden

On another day we took the cable car again to access the top entrance to the Wellington Botanic Garden where we took the downhill walk back to the city. Encompassing 64 acres, the Wellington Botanic Garden was established in 1844 and has some of the oldest exotic trees in New Zealand.

Tour of the Weta Workshop

Founded in 1987 by New Zealanders Richard Taylor and Tania Rodger, Weta Workshop specializes in concept design and manufacture for the world's creative industries, from film and television to immersive experiences, including designing and manufacturing special effects, props, and video games. Weta Workshop has worked on many blockbusters, including The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Avatar, and Black Panther and they have won five Academy Awards and four BAFTAs. Our tour lasted about 90 minutes and our guide led us through many different rooms reflecting different aspects of the creative process.

Visit to the Te Papa Museum

The Museum of New Zealand, commonly known as Te Papa, opened in 1998 after the merging of the National Museum of New Zealand and the National Art Gallery in Wellington. A major exhibit titled Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War relates the history of the bitter World War I campaign through the eyes and words of eight ordinary New Zealanders. Joining forces with Weta Workshop, Te Papa created a very moving exhibit by depicting the figures at 2.4 times life size.

The Te Papa Museum focuses on Maori art, history, and cultural treasures, as well as Pacific cultures, and natural history.

Visiting the Wine Country

We also drove to Masterton on another day to visit a friend of Kirsten who owns a vineyard with her husband. Masterton is the largest town in the Wairarapa, a region separated from Wellington by the Remutaka range. We drove along Highway 2 through Upper Hutt, Featherston, and Greytown to Masterton where we met for lunch. Peter and Samuel drove the MG TC while Kirsten and I drove her Audi. We stopped along the way at the Cobblestone Museum in the village of Greytown. The museum is centered around the original historic Hastwell stables and existing cobblestones used by stage coaches travelling between Masterton and Wellington.

Heading for the South Island

After five days in Wellington, Samuel drove us to the South Island via the car ferry. We saw some incredible scenery during this three-hour trip to Picton which took us across the Cook Strait between Picton in the Marlborough Sounds and Wellington.

As we began the trip, we caught a glimpse of the rugged North Island coastline as we headed out through the harbour into open water through the Cook Strait separating the North and South Islands. It connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast and is 14 miles wide at its narrowest point.

The final hour of the trip took us through the Marlborough Sounds. One of the most well known is the Queen Charlotte Sound — home to wildlife such as Orca, penguins, and dolphins.

Omaka Heritage Aviation Center

After arriving in Picton, we drove south through Marlborough to the Omaka Heritage Aviation Center located at the Omaka Air Field near Blenheim. Omaka's first exhibit, Knights of the Sky, has one of the world's largest collections of World War I aircraft and rare memorabilia; the Dangerous Skies exhibit covers the Second World War.

There were many dramatic recreations of scenes displaying the vintage aircraft which were designed and executed by the Weta Workshop.

Heading to Nelson

After our visit in Omaka, we headed toward Nelson where we visited Kirsten’s parents at their home and garden overlooking a beautiful vineyard. After living in various locations around the world, they settled in New Zealand and built the house 20 years ago.

We had a lovely dinner in Nelson and checked into our hotel. The next morning, we visited the Nelson Market on Saturday morning and had lunch at a charming cafe in town.

Peter and Samuel departed for yet another car museum — the Nelson Classic Car Museum — while I stayed and explored the small town of Nelson. For dinner, we drove west to the Moutere Inn for fish and chips at the oldest pub in New Zealand. On Sunday, Samuel dropped us off at the Nelson Airport for our flight to Queenstown via Christchurch.

Queenstown

Queenstown sits on the shores of the South Island’s Lake Wakatipu, set against the dramatic Southern Alps. The harbor is a bustle of activity with many waterside cafes and restaurants. Given that this was New Zealand's summer — and peak tourist season — there were tourists from around the world. We booked a room at the Novotel Queenstown Lakeside. Our room had direct access to a central courtyard that opened up right at the lakeside. The location was convenient to everything and we could use the courtyard as our private dining area.

Although Queenstown is renowned for its adventure sports, we were not quite up for bungee jumping but we did take several hikes including the Queenstown Garden trail along the lake.

After taking the Queenstown Garden trail hike, we walked to the northwest side of town to take a ride on the Skyline Gondola after stopping for lunch. At the base of the hill, we found a quirky cafe that seemed popular with backpackers. After a nice lunch, we rode the Skyline Gondola up 1,575 feet to the top of Bob's Peak which provided a dramatic panoramic view over Lake Wakatipu.

On the next day we took the TSS Earnslaw for a cruise on Lake Wakatipu. This 1912 Edwardian twin screw steamer is one of the oldest tourist attractions in Central Otago, and the only remaining commercial passenger-carrying coal-fired steamship in the southern hemisphere. Our cruise took us to the secluded Walter Peak High Country Farm where we stopped for lunch. This area was settle by Europeans in the 1860s and has been restored as a restaurant and working farm.

On our final day in Queenstown, we booked a flight with Air Milford to tour Milford Sound, combining the stunning flight to and from Milford Sound with a cruise at our destination. We had stunning views of the famous Skippers Canyon, the Paradise region — recently made popular as film locations for Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit Trilogies — and the Donne glacier.

After landing in Milford Sound, we boarded the Spirit of Milford catamaran to explore the nooks and crannies along the edge of the fiord. Our return flight took us over Fiordland National Park where we could view many of the pristine alpine lakes and waterfalls, including the Sutherland Falls which drops 1,900 feet.

Heading Back to Wellington

After exploring Queenstown, we flew back to Wellington for a stop to see Samuel and Kirsten before flying on to Auckland. Back in Wellington, we spent a morning visiting the Southward Car Museum in Otaihanga on the Kapiti Coast. We continued south to Paraparaumu Beach on the south bank of the Waikanae River where we stopped for lunch. We then drove along the coast to Highway 1 which took us back to Wellington.

On our final day in Wellington we were invited to visit the home of another classic car enthusiast whose wife is an avid gardener. Their home had a beautiful garden as well as dramatic views from both the front porch and balcony to the rear overlooking their back yard.

Peter and Samuel took a final ride in the MG TC and I went for a walk with Kirsten and Arlo before we departed for Auckland.

Our Last Stop Auckland

We ended our trip in Auckland where we spent a few days prior to our flight back to the U.S. We stayed at the Park Hyatt Hotel in the Viaduct Harbor Marina area — in the heart of Auckland’s inner city waterfront.

Our hotel was adjacent to the pedestrian bridge that took us to the other side of the harbor with many cafes and restaurants. We enjoyed exploring the marina and also visited the nearby New Zealand Maritime Museum on our final days in New Zealand.