New Zealand: A South Pacific Switzerland? 11 Days.

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ew Zealand is the ultimate package deal. A dozen countries in one. Utopia for man and sheep alike.

Primeval forest, native bush, fjords, pristine beaches, perfect Alpine peaks, volcanoes. Find several continents’ worth of flora and fauna on two main islands (cleverly named North and South) equal in size to an average American state in the West.

Coach potatoes stay home.

Late 18th-century European settlers knew what they were about. A little pluck and intelligence always take you further (and farther). Maoris made the trek across the Pacific much earlier and in fragile canoes. Both cultures found paradise. Who wouldn’t coexist happily here?

Auckland, first, City of Sails. Get your bearings on a city tour. Parnell Village is a step back in time — and has some of the trendiest restaurants and night spots in the city. Tamaki Drive winds along the coast, a haven for the active Aucklanders (cyclists, rollerbladers, and their ilk).

Auckland has its charms, but we’re after more than city lights. To Rotorua, heart of Maori country and a hotbed of — well, hotbeds. The earth’s crust runs thin here. Note the thermal geysers, the steaming lakes, the beckoning, bubbling mud pools. Check out the geology. Tour a village in the Whakarewarewa Valley. Spend time at Te Puia, cultural hub for all things Maori— past, present, and future. Have your first encounter with a kiwi, the national bird.

Fly to Wellington for a couple of days of the active life. Shoot clay pigeons, horseback-ride, quad-bike, jet-boat at your whim. Fly-fish in the ocean, trout fish nearby. Relax, and open yourself up to a vast expanse around you. Watch the herding dogs in action. Take a four-wheel drive along the shore to find you favorite piece of utter privacy. The quiet is delicious.

Before leaving the region, we spend a bit of time in Wellington, capital city of New Zealand. Teeming with politicians. G-men (and women), artists, film, and theater people, and members of the local cafe society. Visit a national museum, indoors and out, for a lesson in the country’s culture and environment.

Queenstown sits at the foot of the Remarkables, a range of mountains and our home base as we explore surrounding peaks and waterways. Cruise Milford Sound. Rudyard Kipling called it the Eighth Wonder of the World. Enter the Tasman Sea on a boat to get a close look at the mile-high specter of Mitre Peak. The trip to Milford Sound may be by scenic flight, if you wish. Your choice.

Day-trip to Glenorchy, remote settlement, and catch a jet-boat to play the glacier-fed Dart River. Lake Wakatipu is deep and mysterious "breathing" as it does every ten minutes or so.

Time for an adrenaline rush back in Queenstown. Care to bungee jump (it was invented here) over the Kawarau River? Or perhaps parapent, wing walk, or zorb (roll downhill in a transparent ball)?

Not your cuppa tea? Nevermind. Queenstown also has some of the best wine and food in all Kiwiland, especially in the Arrowtown neighborhood.

Then head home, or continue on to neighboring Australia. We've got just the way to add it to your New Zealand journey – seamlessly.

New Zealand: A South Pacific Switzerland? 11 Days.