who flew an aircraft nine months before
the Wright brothers; Edmund Hillary – first
conqueror of the Everest; Sir Peter Jackson
– the true Lord of the Rings; A.J. Hackett –
who commercialised jumping off bridges,
and, of course, Russell Crowe, the Academy
Award-winning actor. If further evidence is
needed, don't forget our sporting super-
stars: the All Blacks and our brilliant Ameri-
ca's Cup-winning sailing team.
And the country is led by 37-year-old Ja-
cinda Ardern, the third woman among New
Zealand's last five Prime Ministers.
After the sale is over, and once you've had
a taste of Auckland, taking in the sweeping
360-degree views from the Sky Tower and
premium seafood and cocktails at Soul Bar
& Bistro on Viaduct Harbour, catch an Air
New Zealand flight south to Queenstown,
on the South Island The airport offers the
welcoming thrill of a landing between
mountains and rivers, a suitably spectacular
introduction to the heart of Central Otago,
a region located in the lower third of New
Zealand's South Island, which would stretch
from North Carolina to northern Florida if
superimposed on the U.S.'s Eastern sea-
board.
Draped around the
shores of Lake Wakatipu,
Queenstown is
the vibrant centre
of the region.
