New Zealand

To find Tolkien’s Middle Earth, walk the cone of Ngauruhoe in Tongariro National Park or trek around Mount Sunday on the South Island. The famed Milford Track and the even more stunning Doubtful Sound are great options for exploring dramatic landscapes on foot. Or we’ll fly you by helicopter for a mountain picnic, complete with a vintage gramophone for romantic serenades.

The sea, of course, is never far away. Watch for whales in Kaikoura, greet seals from your kayak in Abel Tasman National Park or try wreck diving at one of Jacques Cousteau’s favourite sites. Then keep an eye out for dolphins as your yacht cruises the lagoons of the Bay of Islands. Afternoon options? Spotting kiwi (of the feathered variety) in Trounson Kauri Park or swimming at a secluded warm-water beach.

New Zealand also has plenty for the culturally curious: Maybe a tasting with the vintner at an acclaimed winery near Marlborough, arriving in chauffeured antique cars. Then treat yourself to a hangi, where our hosts will explain the rituals of this Maori feast. Set out from Auckland aboard an America’s Cup yacht, either crewing or just taking care not to spill your mimosa. An All Blacks rugby match is another must – complete with an eye-bulging, tongue-poking haka dance to get pumped beforehand. And we’ll even teach you which body parts to rub together in a traditional hongi. Then, after all this exertion, head back to an award-winning lodge or a working ranch in spectacular surroundings.

For a few adrenaline-fuelled days, choose any activity that begins with the favourite local prefix: heli-skiing in the Southern Alps (the best runs in the hemisphere), heli-hiking on the Franz Josef Glacier, heli-rafting along the wild Landsborough River or heli-biking almost anywhere. Plus bungee jumping and jet-boating, two Kiwi passions that make us question the sanity of people who otherwise seem quite reasonable. But that’s the thing about New Zealanders: they speak our language (more or less) but otherwise seem to live in an entirely different world. Small wonder.