Seniors Head South to Te Wai Pounamu

To where? Te Wai Pounamou. The South Island or Te Wai Pounamu is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. South Island is known by the Maoris as Te Wai Pounamu or Water of Greenstone.

Been to New Zealand yet, seniors? It is a hot spot for tourists today. When I quizzed my travel agent, who has traveled the world, on where she would choose to live – her response was New Zealand.

I know from my research that there are more sheep on that island than people. I was so envious when a couple from our hometown in Iowa spent a full month in New Zealand just soaking up the culture and magnificent scenery. It’s on this senior’s bucket list. Perhaps it is on yours as well.

Seniors Find Sheep, Fiords, Glaciers and Amazing Landscapes

The island  has with everything from snow to sheep, mountains to rugged coastlines. Venture to the South Island and senior visitors will be met with lofty mountains, fiords and glaciers – the landscapes are famous the world over. ‘Lord of the Rings’ rings a bell with me… much of the movie was filmed on location in the mountains of South Island. Several other classic movies have been filmed there as well.

Travel & Leisure notes that “a drive on New Zealand’s South Island, with its Lord of the Rings landscapes, superb local wines, and glass-and-timber lodges, is like a visit to another, more perfect world.” The South Island has truly diverse and magnificent landscapes and the perfect place for an epic road trip.

 Seniors Discover Adventure Capital of the World

National Geographic calls South Island Adventure County. They further note that seventy percent of New Zealanders, aka Kiwis, live on the more urban North Island, but South Island is full of more places to explore. Renting a camper van and driving around is an authentic way to experience the Island and its awesome scenery. Fiordland National Park with its rock walls towering 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) in the air, is a well known ‘must see’.

November is the ideal time for a springtime tour of the South Island’s secluded fjords, wild seascapes, and remote luxury lodges. You will want to begin in Queenstown, New Zealand’s premier year-round alpine resort, a little like Aspen. Queenstown is known as the Adventure Capital of the World for offering a plethora of adrenaline-fueled activities.

Enveloped by breathtaking mountains and based near the dramatic shores of Lake Wakatipu, senior visitors find that Queenstown is the most appealing city in all of New Zealand. South Island has it all…native forests and abundant birdlife, primeval rock formations and quaint, small towns just waiting for you to discover.  jeb