Imagine winning $25,000 from a scratch-off ticket and getting to plan the vacation of a lifetime.
You could literally go anywhere in the world, so you Google “best places to visit so I can post pictures on Instagram and make my friends jealous”.
Well, forget about your Google search. We can already tell you the best place to go—and it’s sure to be envied by all.
Seriously, who cares about the Eiffel Tower.
And does Instagram really need another cliché picture of someone pretending to hold up the Leaning Tower of Pisa?
So boring.
Sure, you could visit the most beautiful beach in the world instead, dig your toes in the sand and watch an insanely gorgeous sunset.
But that’s so boring and predictable.
Going to the beach isn’t going to impress any of your family or friends, no matter how much you brag about it on social media.
So if you really want to make people jealous, the island country of “down unda’” is where you need to go.
No, not Australia. I’m talking about the country with that slightly different take on the Aussie accent… New Zealand.
With fishing, sailing, water sports, and—you guessed it—beaches, New Zealand is one of the most extraordinary places in the world.
Bay of Islands
Bay of Islands is like Cape Cod, but a million times better. It’s a three hour car ride from Auckland.
This region is made up of 144 different islands between Cape Brett and the Purerua Peninsula.
They’re known for their water sports, especially scuba diving and snorkeling. You can even go whale watching or swim with the dolphins. No place is better than this place.
You’ll definitely want to check out the Hole in the Rock too. There are day cruises that pass right through the middle of this incredible rock formation.
Milford Sound
Seriously, this place is unbelievable. It’s reminiscent of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, but better. It’s literally the “eighth wonder of the world.”
The reason why is because massive glaciers originally formed this area during the Ice Age and the landscape still bears the resemblance of its epic creation. You’ll want to see this magical landscape, which is taken by boat.
You can also visit the Milford Discovery Centre and Underwater Observatory.
Yes, that’s right—it’s an UNDERWATER observatory. Visitors get to travel more than 30 feet below the water and see some of God’s most magnificent sea creatures and marine life.
Auckland
Auckland, New Zealand has been named one of the top ten cities in the world. With outstanding cuisine and unique art, it’s one of the coolest experiences you’ll ever have.
Don’t believe me? Well, the Auckland Art Gallery holds the largest collection of art in the world, featuring over 15,000 works. It’s incredible.
What more could you ask for?
Wine
One of the things you may—or may not—know about New Zealand is they also produce some incredible wines. In fact, this country makes some of the best sauvignon blanc in the world.
Do you find chardonnay too oakey? Are rieslings too sweet? Then sauvignon blanc is your jam.
It’s dry, fruity, and crisp. It will love you just as much as you love it back – unless you drink too much. And it pairs wonderfully with almost all seafood, so you’ll find yourself in good company in New Zealand.
There was this funny bit on HBO’s ‘Last Week Tonight’ recently where John Oliver exposed the fact that worldwide furniture store, IKEA, had been selling world maps as part of their home décor.
Only there was one embarrassing mistake IKEA made during production…
…New Zealand was completely left off IKEA’s maps! Like the country did not even exist.
No, it’s not a joke.
And it was horrible timing too, considering IKEA had just opened their very first store in New Zealand.
But apparently it’s a common occurrence. Several maps have forgotten to include this hidden gem of a country.
So it’s highly likely that you’ll be the only one in your circle of Instagram friends to have gone.
And if social media envy isn’t reason enough alone to vacation in New Zealand, then I don’t know what is!
