Four reasons that make you dying to visit the New Zealand islands

An inexplicable feeling of zeal is experienced by visitors as they explore the sharp-peaked mountains, braided rivers, primeval forests, volcanic mud-pots and plump, emerald hills dotted with snowy sheep in New Zealand.

“This is Middle Earth,” says Robin Murphy, who works for Film New Zealand and served as the locations manager for the entire “Lord of the Rings” trilogy of Hollywood. No wonder why, New Zealand has been a location for the ever classic world movies like Avatar, Planet of the Apes and the (new) King Kong.

These four factors stand as the top reasons for why New Zealand has been a Paradise for the world travellers:

1. Scenery

Everywhere you look, it’s beautiful. Even amateur photographers can capture it – the sheer, snowy mountain peaks, the rolling luminescent green hills, the mile-long beaches and more. The forests are primitive and lush with ferns. Cabbage trees (which look like palm trees) sprout up everywhere. The Scotch broom (considered a weed) glows yellow on the cliffsides.

2. Cleanliness

You won’t find a cleaner country on earth. There’s no litter, no trash on the roadsides or on city streets. Public restrooms are tidy and clean. And hotel rooms and restaurants are immaculate. You can drink the water without fear.

3. The Food

Yes, everything is expensive here, because most things have to be imported from quite a distance. But try the local stuff.  You’ve never had more succulent lamb, more tender beef (they raise a Kobi-like strain called the Speckled Park), and the fresh-caught fish and seafood. Their fish and chips are so wonderful, the English could take a lesson! Seasonally, they have lovely vegetables, too.

4. Elegant people

You’ll not find more gracious and accommodating folk anywhere on the planet. Their hospitality and helping mentality are praiseworthy. Even a businessman walking down a street in Wellington will stop to make sure we weren’t lost when we pause and look at a street sign. Their genuine warmth and easy sense of humor make any trip to New Zealand memorable.

The reason that many top listed movies were shot on this island can be clearly understood if you really happen to see the landscape there. Many scenes were filmed around Queenstown, and the village of Glenorchy, just north of the city, on the South Island. Here, the nation’s signature “braided rivers” (exactly what they sound like) and the steep, sharp peaks that surround the city of Queenstown fit right into Tolkier’s Middle Earth.