My final post on my New Zealand adventure.  It really was splendid and I had a great time.  I could hardly have been more fortunate with the weather, whiich was sunny every day but one and fine on each of my hikes (not all that common in NZ- much of it is green for a reason). I drove from Te Anau to the Bay of Islands- the far south to the far north of the islands- perhaps a little under 2000 miles overall.  Timing was right as the price of gas- while probably 3x the U.S. cost- was the lowest in years.

I enjoyed all of the hikes, which each presented somewhat different scenery, particularly the 4 on the South Island-

 And even driving by Mt. Doom of Lord of the Rings fame (where Frodo and the Ring were fortunately absent that day)

And of course, just the ordinary countryside and seascapes presented wonderful scenes-

It is, I think, the extraordinary variety that, in my opinion, gives NZ the right to its claim as the worlds most beautiful country.

But like many successful trips, some of my most lasting memories were from meeting so many nice people, as friendly and as helpful  a people as I have ever met.  Traveling by yourself presents lots of challenges, particularly if you are prone to occasional bouts of stupidity like me, and I got all sorts of help froo dozens of Kiwis who kindly took the time to assist me.  As but one example, on the night when I was having trouble finding a room, the manager at one full hotel spent 15 minutes calling around to find me a place to stay.  Or the elderly lady owner at Kumeau River (a famous NZ winery) who served me all of her best wine without charge and who talked with me about NZ, her winery and family for over half an hour. 

  So, notwithstanding the quickly forgotten long flight (really only slightly more expensive than going to continental Europe), anyone who likes outdoor activities, wine tasting (so many opportunities), friendly people, beautiful scenery and one lane bridges- that is almost everyone with any sense of adventure- should consider going at least once in their life.