No two ways about it – New Zealand is magical. We stayed in a tiny rural town north of Hobbiton called Walton, NZ, and we stopped many times to take photos as we drove the rural roads around it. Our B&B was called Villa Walton, but we booked Walton Cottage there, a free-standing accommodation adjacent to the main house. Our hosts were Sue and Neil. It had a living room, full kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom – and all quite stylish and newly remodeled. It is one of our most favorite places that we stayed, as we had privacy and could cook our meals, yet the main house was the meeting point for Sue’s cooked-to-order breakfast, while the large living room was great for sitting and enjoying the extensive gardens. There are flowers everywhere! The first photos are from alongside the country roads and of Walton Cottage.
We also stopped in the city of Tirau, as we were driving through, when large building-size animals caught our eye. Walking around, we found that the theme of the retail stores was – corrugated metal! Signs and various animals are made of the stuff, and corrugated everything (mostly animals) can be found sitting on the roofs of the buildings on the main street. It was an experience!
So, yeah, you would say we are loving New Zealand! But….it is the driving around the country that makes it so enjoyable, for all the greenery and scenery. Auckland and Wellington are fine, as cities go, but just being in the cities isn’t a true taste of the glories of the country.
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