RU  UK  EN
Статьи  >  Visit  >  The Land of blooming lakes and developed feminism. Welcome to New Zealand

The Land of blooming lakes and developed feminism. Welcome to New Zealand

Автор: 12.09.2021 | nature, New Zealand
Another world that is always sunny and green. The world, where it never snows; and it seems like there are no problems. And it is so distant – even mapwise. This is how I picture New Zealand. My long-distance acquaintance with the country began some five years ago. Back then a prominent ENT expert tried and failed to cure me from an allergy that was bugging me every spring.

When the Aesculapius realized that all the efforts, including folk remedies, were unavailing, he thought and told: “Well, save me from that. You’d rather go to New Zealand. Climate there is nice.”

Through lakes cascade in Canterbury to Takapuna coast. We travel around the country of lupines and clumsy kiwi birds. Indeed сlimate is perfect there – there is no exhausting heat or rapid temperature changes year around. In warm season (and in New Zealand it comes when in Ukraine winter is in full swing – in January-February) it is 23 degrees Celsius above zero with indicator on a thermometer never getting lower than +13. But no doubt this is not the main thing.

It is hard to believe but it was New Zealand that gave women a ticket to big-league politics. There is a good reason for the isles to be called a country of ‘developed feminism’ – here in 1893 for the first time in the world gentle sex representatives gained equal voting rights with men. And as recently as several years ago all high offices, from the one of the state’s leader and Governor General to Chief Justice, were occupied by ladies.868.jpg
Photo freepik.com

Rightful place is devoted to women on national currency notes: on exactly a half of them there are faces of female heroes of New Zealand. Often local money is almost tenderly called ‘kiwi’ in honor of the namesake bird. Lack of wings and, respectively, inability to fly doesn’t prevent it from being a symbol of the country. To meet a clumsy bird, that looks like a fluffy chicken, in the wild is a dream of every New Zealander. For both locals and tourists it is better to make it come true in one of three reserves: Trounson Kauri Park, Okarito Lagoon or Stewart Island.

Read also: Under the South Cross. Queenstown

And if visiting national parks won’t feel enough for unity with nature, it is worth heading to Canterbury region (by the northernmost tip of Mackenzie River) to South Island. It is primarily famous for its cascade of blue lakes, so clear that its bottom can be seen. In mid-November outline of Tekapo water basin is covered with multicolored meadow of oblong lupine flower heads: white, orange, purple, pink and blue. The image is so amazing that many globetrotters spent hours unable to take their eyes off of the lake and miss their trains as a result. This mélange carpet is in blossom for over a month – as long as till Catholic Christmas.515.jpgPhoto freepik.com

In New Zealand it is better to spend cold season in Auckland Bay. In this period sun is especially gentle in the area of Takapuna – central part of North Shore. Local beaches are citizen’s favorite place to rest despite the fact that the district successfully performs a function of the city’s business centre. However, here one cannot find skyscrapers customary for such locations – on the contrary, buildings are short in height and without extravagance. A view on the whole bay greets eyes from a beach and almost on the horizon there is an outlook of the top of Rangitoto volcano, covered in greenery; it seems like it is resurfacing from the ocean.

Read also: If stepper, it would be a wall

To live in this part of Auckland is fairly expensive for an average New Zealander (sometimes price of a house exceeds one million dollars) therefore locals are reluctant to settle here. So Takapuna is gradually transforming into a tourist nook that gleams with signboards of hotels, bars and restaurants. Cuisine in New Zealand is almost no different from European one and should we be absolutely frank, former United Kingdom colony inherited British gastronomic traditions. The majority of national dishes are cooked from fish and seafood – that is favored by geographical location.181.jpgPhoto freepik.com

If you happen to be in this part of the coast, you should definitely wait for a flow. Its amplitude is so huge that ocean covers almost entire beach leaving only a thin stripe of sand that tourists walk on.

Standing in a mountain ravine and looking into an expanse of the lake where rays of an evening sun play, get a lungful of crystal air with a scent of herbs and flowers… And forget that somewhere metropolises, fuss and winter exist.

Cover photo freepik.com

Вам это будет интересно:
Departure: Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan is called Middle Asian Switzerland. Mountains, rivers, waterfalls, caves, cols and green meadows aren’t a speck inferior in terms of aesthetics to European ones yet travelers haven't duly appreciated this country so far. Across-the-board exploration of the land by the state’s guests has only just begun. And alongside hotels that are being swiftly erected, ordinary yurts are still offered for residence to feel local natural.
Cities in Rrocks: Spanish Edition
To build a settlement on flatland - is this such a hard trick to pull off? A completely different story is when land is self-willed and rock-ribbed both directly and metaphorically speaking. People have been trying to master land and have own say in in-rock urban development for centuries. But only those who succeded in finding common ground with Earth managed to create true novels in stone.
Art of topiary
When I, as a little girl, for the first time passed my hand over trimmed bush, my palm got scratched with sharp edges of twigs and lasting arborvitae fragrance hit my nose. Mesmerized, I was not able to take my eyes away from the cones, balls and squares that surrounded me in the park of a small resort town. I felt like being inside a fairy tale, where behind the leaves I could notice a smile of the Cheshire Cat.
Ålesund: Where Norwegian fairy tale begins
The Times newspaper edition recognized Ålesund as the most beautiful town in Norway. It is not without reason: wayward sea, mesmerizing northern nature, famous fjords, fabulous multi-coloured houses in the Art Nouveau style and the legendary Trolls' Path, beckon those wishing to see the stunning wild landscapes.
Where stars are “set glowing”
There’s hardly anything that compares to bright-starred sky and silence. It is the stars that OUTLOOK want to tell you about or more precisely about the places with the best view on them. In Europe it is recommended to go stargazing not to some place but to… Slovenia. Point is, this small country is one of the cleanest in the world and consequently isn’t that polluted with smog.
World most beautiful lighthouses
Lighthouse - this word evokes beautiful associations: sea adventures, storms, huge ships. And we do not want to dispel these thoughts, but rather to add fuel to the fire. There is a great amount of them in the world, they are striking by their beauty and inimitable. Today we are sharing with you the quintet of amazing lighthouses!
Between Heaven And... Water: World’s 5 smallest inhabited islands
Each of us wants to escape rush of a city from time to time and lie low somewhere far from everything and anything. And it better be a place where one can listen to whisper of waves, feel light breeze and forever make friends with inimitably loud silence that muffles every disturbing thought…
They need warmith. Where birds stay for winter
As a child I could spend hours gazing at the sky and spying majestic flocks of birds winging their way south. For a kid this movement was a real magic. Today my bookshelf hosts almost no books about magic, though I am still excited about feathered tribes travelling in hope to land on their winter grounds.
Super-chilled: Best festivals of ice and snow art
Ice and snow has long been used by artists to create different figures and objects, and only 1960, this age-old skill became a new trend of a land art! The largest number of winter artworks is created during special festivals about which we will tell our readers.
Snow-covered peaks. Best winter resorts
The cold season brings not only such important things as wrapping into a reindeer sweater, drinking hot chocolate and once again reviewing Christmas comedies. Thus, sport has not been canceled yet, so OUTLLOK compiled top five ski resort bucket list for you to cheer up and get out of your winter sleep.
Wild, wild Africa... Part 2
We are continuing our narration about the most breath-taking national reservations in Africa! There are five more primordial world areas where time hardly slowed down its running being afraid of worrying the natural harmony…
Greenland: must see attractions
Icy island of Greenland was first discovered by the Norwegian Vikings. This fact is surprising since this nomadic tribe had enough courage to penetrate into the harsh Arctic climate. We will not delve into searching for reasons which led warlike people to edge of the earth, but supply the modern traveller with the list of core Arctic attractions with a unique Greenlandic touch.
Wild, wild Africa. Famous national parks of the continent. Part 1
Insanely beautiful, raw and refined Africa is exactly the place where one should plunge into a whirlpool of wild nature, taking over an unusual role of a guest in the abode of animals, not vice versa... Here you can free your mind from all artificial and imaginary stuff, feeling like a tiny speck in the vast and exciting world...
Karakol. What is worth to know
Nature and heritage are above and beyond temporary drawbacks in infrastructure and services of Kyrgyzstan, which in terms of tourism is approaching to Georgia and Armenia. Let's consider this through the example of the cosy city of Karakol.
Chile: Land That Breathes with Fire
A thing that for tourists is a reason to click photo cameras in amazement, for local citizens is a source for constant concern and even grave danger. A chain of fire-breathing volcanoes, banded with salt lakes and thermal geysers, is believed to be one of the most astonishing spots on the planet. But one thing is to have a look and leave and completely another – to constantly ‘sit on a powderkeg’.
Canyons: Deep and long
When, if not now to conquer summits, overcome seas and climb on the rocks? People often make great efforts to enjoy the comfort through the whole lifetime. But sometimes our soul needs some romance, so OUTLOOK presents seven unique canyons.
"In vino veritas": world’s 5 most unusual vineyards
It has been known since olden times that wine-making process is a true art that is within the power only of the ones sincerely in love with their trade. Let alone beauty of masterpieces created by skillful hands – grape gardens, scattered in various nooks of the world, that impress with grandeur and adorn this planet, ornamenting it with bright juicy colors.
Lakes that are changing the idea of the power of the nature
At the bare mention of the word lake, our imagination pictures soothing, nostalgia-laden images of quite pond cosily embraced by the grassy hills. OUTLOOK prepared a selection of the most spectacular lakes, which will change your understanding of this work of nature. Each of them has something to surprise, whether it is unusual water shade, or frightening ability to petrify living creatures.
Coffee: A drink from mountain peaks
Ordering coffee, we usually refer to it just as Americano, Espresso or Latte... However, good coffee shops that offer really high-quality coffee, would ask you to specify a type of coffee beans and the country of origin. And at this point many visitors usually feel at deadlock.
African beauty. Botswana
Facet of Botswana diamonds shine brightly. But aside from gemstones every woman in the world dreams about, there are many other treasures in this African nook. Today let us have a look at this country for ourselves...
Закрыть
Outlook facebook page