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he Kiwis (what New Zealanders call themselves) are a happy lot, and no wonder. Their tidy little country offers something for everyone: gurgling volcanoes, geothermal regions, undulating green hills, and some of earth's oldest rain forests. Bustling cities with lively arts and quaint Victorian towns just a little sleepy. One can swim with dolphins or fish for trout, cruise on remote fjords among penguins and seals or hike along a glacier face. And there are the wine producers, the artists, the beachcombers...

And the long Maori history here adds depth and richness to every aspect of life.

Hard to imagine? Come see for yourself on R. Crusoe's 12-day journey by private aircraft to New Zealand's North and South islands.

Begin in Auckland, glorious City of Sails and home to the America's Cup. While we're here, we hop over to Waiheke Island, home to some of the nation's smaller and most prestigious wine producers.

Our private aircraft wings us now to Cape Reinga, which holds special meaning for the Maori. It is here that spirits of the dead descend into the underworld and reunite with their elders in mythological Hawaiiki, the homeland.

The Bay of Islands impresses with its vast assortment of marine life — marlins, whales, penguins, dolphins, seabirds, and the white-capped yachtsmen, who cruise here for the crystal waters and innumerable hidden bays.

Rotorua is hot stuff — literally. This is the center of the country's geothermal region. Expect bubbling mud pools, erupting geysers, and steaming lakes. No wonder the Maori chose this as their spiritual home.

Unexpected though it may seem, the historic town of Napier contains one of the world's finest collections of art deco architecture. Keep an eye out for zigzags, rising suns, and geometric flourishes around town.

Gannets, once on the edge of extinction, have chosen Cape Kidnappers as their breeding ground, and the results have been startling. More than 2,200 pairs of them now call this home. Watch these beauties sail through the air as they plunge 90 feet straight down into the ocean for a bite to eat. Then we're off to Wellington, New Zealand's capital city set on a pretty harbor.

Though the Maori settled what is now called Nelson, the town is known best as the center of New Zealand's burgeoning wine country. While we're here, sample the local Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Pinot Noir with lunch. Nelson is also a magnet for artists, and there's time to wander through some of the galleries.

Land for a bit in Fiordland National park, New Zealand's most remote — and gorgeous — corner.

At the foot of the Remarkable Mountains and beside Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown became a boomtown with the onset of the gold rush in 1862. Today it's a perfect base from which to explore.

Peter Jackson filmed the much-touted "Lord of the Rings" trilogy in the Dart River Valley, our next destination. Welcome to Middle Earth — untouched, unspoiled, unsurpassed in its beauty. In Victorian-era Dunedin, you'd swear you were in old Scotland.

We wind up in Christchurch, settled by the English as a bit of Merrye Olde in the South Seas. The gardens? Captivating. The architecture? Gothic. While here, we board a hot-air balloon for a spin over Canterbury.

Back home again, an honorary Kiwi for evermore.

Private Air: Classic New Zealand Aircruise. 12 Days.