Snowbird's Adventure in Wonderland

Just another winter's day in the "best country in the world"…

International Living Postcards-- your daily escape

Friday, July 28, 2006

Pop quiz for you...

Which country:

-- Offers you an escape to glaciers, rainforests, vineyards, rolling green hills, and loooong stretches of deserted sandy beaches...all in an area slightly larger than the United Kingdom?

a) New Zealand
b) Argentina
c) Thailand

-- Is home to the rare yellow-eyed penguin, the blue duck, and the world's largest parrot, the kakapo...and was named by Condé Nast Traveler as "The Best Country In The World" in 2005?

a) Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
b) Fiji
c) New Zealand

-- Produces smooth local wines, the freshest seafood, the most tender lamb, and hiking and camping trails as a regular feature of life...all within 12 hours of LAX?

a) Chile
b) New Zealand
c) Panama

If you guessed New Zealand to all three questions...congratulations.

Before Lord of the Rings brought New Zealand into the limelight, visitors to this distant land kept the secret to themselves. But now word is getting out.

These English-speaking islands are not as distant as you might think--a 12-hour direct flight from Los Angeles gets you "Down Under," as an increasing number of travelers are discovering.

Not only can you go from the beach to the mountains...sea swimming to snow skiing...tropical forests to snowy mountains...in the same day...but when it's winter in the U.S., it's summer in New Zealand. Divide your time between the two countries, and you could enjoy an endless summer. (Christmas barbie on the beach, anyone?)

By way of full disclosure, I should mention that I'm from the Bay of Plenty (named by Captain Cook), a region on New Zealand's North Island. But I've no need to lay on the hype--this country sells itself, with a plethora of activities to please even the most jaded traveler.

Gourmets are catered to with innovative cuisine...thrill-seekers enjoy bungee jumping, skydiving, and white-water rafting (and that's just for starters)...if you're a nature lover, you're spoilt for choice with national parks, bird sanctuaries, and stunning natural phenomena, from geysers to snowfields to primeval forests.

In this uncrowded, unspoiled Pacific-island paradise, you can live amongst some of the most pristine, awe-inspiring outdoor scenery on earth: towering, snow-capped peaks...fern-filled rainforests...black-sand beaches...healing hot springs...and just about everything in between.

Not only that, but you can retire here in style. In New Zealand, you'll find some of the best real estate opportunities in the world, you'll pay no capital gains taxes on real estate, and you'll enjoy a cost of living that's less than half that in the United States.

If you'd like the chance to see all this for yourself, I've got some good news (but it's a bit of a secret).

Next year, International Living is holding its first ever Live and Prosper in New Zealand Seminar. We're not officially promoting this event yet, but I can tell you the dates (March 7-9, 2007) and location (Auckland) are confirmed. So, too, is an optional add-on 10-day real estate tour, taking in the whole country.

Our list of speakers is growing every day. I've just received confirmation that Kim Saull, a well-traveled fellow Kiwi with over 10 years' experience of immigration issues under his belt, has agreed to come and talk to us in Auckland about opportunities in New Zealand.

Once the full-scale promotion of this event starts, I don't expect the limited seats to last long. You should contact the IL events team now to find out more, or to be put on an advance-notice list. E-mail Events@InternationalLiving.com or call 1-866-381-8466 toll-free.

Grant Perry
The Untourist, International Living

P.S. You should give yourself at least two weeks in the country following the Live and Prosper in New Zealand Seminar, to follow-up on the contacts and opportunities you'll learn about in March.