Though it may take almost 24 hours to reach Christchurch in New Zealand from Thailand, it is worth using the city as a stepping stone to the sights the country's South Island has to offer.
Known for its English heritage and the Avon River which meanders through the city centre, it is easy to see why Christchurch is known as the "Garden City". A quick stroll around town reveals Priory Church, riverside paths, historic streets and cobbled paths.
Christchurch has a thriving food scene and now is home to two Michelin-starred restaurants, though it is best explored with Amiki Tours, who have guided food and culture programmes.
Inati features an interactive chef's table concept centred around a shared-plate menu using local Canterbury produce, while Tussock Hill overlooks organic vines and offers pairings designed specifically to complement the estate-grown organic wines.
Do not leave Christchurch without a stop at Rollickin Gelato and to watch the food tram go by. Forget Vietnam, this is a whole new way to do that "train on toes" thing.
Though it is what's outside the city that should get you buzzing, and it is best to do this with Alpine Luxury Tours if you want to concentrate on the scenery and not the driving.
Flockhill Lodge
A 90-minute drive from Christchurch will lead you to one of the most stunning places on Earth. Though you better keep your eyes open along the ride as it offers the first views of the Southern Alps, with their snow-capped mountains.
Listed as one of Time magazine's "World's Greatest Places of 2026", Flockhill Lodge brings new meaning to the words "farm stay".
Located between the Waimakariri River and Craigieburn Range, not far from Arthur's Pass, Flockhill Station is a one-stop shop for mountains, lakes, glacier-carved valleys, waterfalls, caves and a limestone boulder-strewn landscape. Fun fact: It was even featured in the 2005 film The Chronicles Of Naria: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe.
Here, nature sets the stage on 14,569 hectares of sprawling landscapes. It boasts seven standalone villas set against the backdrop of the alps and at the centre of it all is Sugarloaf, the property's restaurant.
Driven by a desire to showcase the best of New Zealand, most of the produce is grown in the Flockhill Garden and foraged from the land. The garden is designed around companion planting; pairing crops that support one another to enrich the soil, deter pests and enhance flavour, creating a thriving, chemical-free ecosystem.
There is also a tunnel house that allows the growing season to go well beyond the natural limits of the high country climate, ensuring a steady supply of vibrant, seasonal produce.
At the helm of Sugarloaf is chef Taylor Cullen, who offers an intimate chef's table where one gets up close and personal with the chefs, kitchen, open-fire cooking and dishes that add to the environment you're in.
Expect seasonal flavours highlighted by the best of the Canterbury region; Flockhill lamb, beef from the neighbours, spear-caught fish, pasture-raised chicken, quail, duck, venison and pork regularly feature on the menu, which offers a taste of modern New Zealand cuisine. This is Flockhill at its most delicious.
Flockhill has been a working sheep station since 1857 and is home to about 10,500 Merino-Romney sheep and 400 cattle (and counting). No matter where you look, be prepared to have your breath taken away -- even the animals are cute!
The signature farm tour includes a lay of the land, getting close to the sheep, experiencing a muster and ends with a visit to the woolshed, a quintessential element of any high country farm.
Kaikoura
Head four hours north from Christchurch and it will lead you straight to wine country, via one of the most scenic routes along the coast.
There are few places in the world where you can drive with the ocean on your right and snow-capped mountains on your left, and Kaikoura is one of them.
The towering snow-clad mountains, known as the Seaward Kaikoura, provide a stunning backdrop over the town centre, which extends out to the Kaikoura Peninsula, where the waves of the Pacific Ocean roll in.
The mountains rise to heights of 2,600m and the undersea canyon plunges to depths of more than 1,200m very close to shore. The small coastal village is good for a break if only to admire the views it offers.
It wouldn't be a visit to Kaikoura without driving further up the coast to a secluded rocky beach for a stop at Nins Bin. The famous "food truck", if one can call it that, was opened in 1977 by Ronald Clark and is still a family-run business.
Nins Bin serves sustainably wild-caught seafood and is known for its crayfish cooked fresh in a roadside caravan. The seafood is cooked with mineral water and all it needs is a squeeze of lemon or a dab of garlic butter and Bob's your uncle! Though you have to watch out for the cheeky seagulls.
Blenheim
Marlborough, perhaps, needs no introduction to wine lovers and Blenheim is situated in the heart of wine-growing Marlborough. One of the sunniest towns in New Zealand, mountains frame the area, while vineyards dot the landscape.
There are more than 30 wineries within driving distance of the town and most of them welcome visitors for sampling sessions and cellar door sales. The best way to go vineyard-hopping is with Sounds Connections, a tour service.
The world-famous Cloudy Bay has a vineyard in Blenheim and it is where you should head for a sampling, tasting and tour. Cloudy Bay's legacy began in Marlborough with Sauvignon Blanc and now includes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pelorus méthode traditionnelle.
The adventure continues with Te Koko, a barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc, and Te Wāhi, a sophisticated Central Otago Pinot Noir from two special southern vineyards, all on offer for sampling.
Another vineyard not to be missed, if only for its tasting "room", is the Clos Henri vineyard. The tasting room building was the Sainte Solange Chapel, originally built in the 1920s as a Presbyterian country church in Ward.
It was moved intact to the Clos Henri Vineyard estate in Marlborough in 2003 and adds a certain charm to the estate, which specialises in organic Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. There is a certain je ne sais quoi about sampling wine in a former church, or perhaps, it is just the Catholic in me.
The Marlborough is a boutique hotel on a 6.5 hectare working vineyard. Originally built in 1901 for the Sisters of Mercy, the historic Victorian convent has been preserved to retain its timeless elegance and is also home to Harvest restaurant.
Harvest offers fresh produce from the estate's organic gardens, alongside ingredients sourced from Marlborough's finest local growers, farmers and artisans. Dinner here is quite the treat, especially with the interiors.
Marlborough Sounds
A short drive from Blenheim is access to the wonderful Marlborough Sounds through the town of Picton. The Sounds are a collection of ancient sunken river valleys filled with the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Forested hills rise steeply from the sea around an intricate coastline of sheltered inlets and sandy bays. The area has three main bodies of water -- Queen Charlotte, Kenepuru and Pelorus Sounds.
According to Maori tradition, the South Island is the canoe of Aoraki. Its sunken prow forms Queen Charlotte Sound/Totaranui and Pelorus Sound/Te Hoiere. In earlier times, the sounds provided shelter and food for the Maori. Fun fact: Captain James Cook also used the sounds for shelter and food. He made Ship Cove his base in the 1770s and discovered a plant (Cook's scurvy grass) that is high in vitamin C to keep scurvy at bay.
The best way to explore the sounds is to get on the Seafood Odyssea Cruise, which is a luxury catamaran and operates between the Picton marina and through the sheltered waters of Queen Charlotte Sound.
Not only do you get a view of 1,500km of unspoiled coastline, hidden beaches, charming bays and lush forests (and not mentioning the houses that dot the hills around), you also get a sampling of freshly-steamed greenshell mussels and freshly-grilled Regal Salmon.
If you're lucky, you may also catch a glimpse of dolphins and fur seals in their natural habitat, making it a wildlife lover's dream. There is also a stop for a fun nature hike, completely unstrenuous, to see the bounty of the land. It's a bird lover's paradise, too!
This is the perfect ending before getting on a plane from the tiny airport in Blenheim to Auckland. The small Air New Zealand planes tend to fly low offering spectacular aerial views of the vineyards below and the ocean as you enter Auckland airspace. The world from above has never been more prominent.
