I bet you remember where you fell in love. Maybe not just with a person, but with a place!
I remember when I first visited the fishing port of Villefranche sur Mer in the south of France. I was speechless, and promised that I would bring my future spouse for our honeymoon here – and I did.
Easy to fall in love here!
I remember when I saw Chartres Cathedral in France for the first time. In fact after seeing it, my outlook on life changed. I had never before experienced the magnificence of this story-book of stone.
I remember a family holiday in New Zealand visiting Doubtful Sounds. We travelled through the Sounds on a boat, completely isolated, completely alone, completely silent – there was a silence and a beauty that I had never experienced. A deep greeny blue mirror-like sea was only interrupted by the wake of our boat. “Look Dad at the penguins” my daughter excitedly exclaimed!
I remember where I fell in love!
I share my life with my family between New Zealand and France. I was brought up in Christchurch, and my family has been living here for over 150 years. On 21 February you will have read of the earthquake that changed our lives in Christchurch.
The effects of this disaster in Christchurch will be felt for years ahead. Homes and lives need to be rebuilt, buildings and businesses need to rise again.
Amidst this disaster we need to all reflect on the situation we find us in. Our struggle here in Christchurch and New Zealand is to ensure that internationally people do not see a beaten and damaged country.
In June 2010 there were major floods in the Var district in the south of France centred on the town of Draguignan. They had over 25 deaths caused by these floods. This disaster was broadcast internationally through the internet and television. As a specialist in travel planning in France I was inundated by clients wanting to cancel their travel due to these floods. The reality was that the disaster in Draguignan covered an area of only about 10 square kilometres – it didn’t affect the whole of the south of France, nor the entire country of France. Only the people wanting to holiday in Draguignan were affected, and nearby was the glorious Cote d’Azur for them to enjoy, which would hardly have been too off-putting for holiday makers!!
New Zealand
The same can be said for Christchurch. The centre of Christchurch is inaccessible and for the moment a holiday in our city isn’t the greatest idea, but outside the immediate centre it’s almost business as usual! But even in this area within an hour from Christchurch you can savour the pleasures of the French settled village of Akaroa or go trout fishing in the Rakaia River or some of the nearby fishing lakes, or go walking in the Southern Alps.
New Zealand can make you fall in love! It may be the golden sandy beaches of the Abel Tasman National Park, the pristine wilderness of the McKenzie country or the West Coast, the beauty and excitement of Queenstown and its adventure tourism, or you too could visit Doubtful Sounds or the nearby Milford Sounds.
So please don’t let an earthquake change your travel plans. We’d all like to look after you and help show you our country – the New Zealand Way!
Come and fall in love here!
Your help is easy:
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Need help to Travel to New Zealand then contact:
Phil Keoghan of The Amazing Race
Read Earthquake Stories from Christchurch
Jim McIntosh of Holes in My Soles
France – The French Way Travel Blog
Read Tourist Stories of Travel in NZ
Fundraising Assistance Please
Christchurch Earthquake Appeal launched by the NZ Prime Minister John Key
Marvellous positive post John, and yes, New Zealand has a lot to offer in all other places.
Thanks John – well said – yes the rest of NZ is standing but we feel your pain. Kia Kaha
Well said. We live in Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands it’s a beautiful place for a holiday, just had visitors from the UK and they couldn’t believe the beauty of New Zealand.
I have only just found your web-site and am enjoying it very much.
Janet.
Janet thanks very much for your comment. Bay of Islands would be a perfect destination for anyone, especially anyone in Christchurch!
Wonderful post John. New Zealand relies on tourism as a key export earner. We look forward to the support of travelers over the months and years ahead, coming to experience all that is great about our wonderful country.
This is an important message that should get out because we were told that tourism is New Zealand’s number one industry. A couple of tour operators in Rotorua were discussing that some people think that Christchurch is all of New Zealand. While the hearts and minds of every Kiwi are surely with the residents of Christchurch, the rest of the country is still very much open for business. Hope no one changes their plans – we’ve really enjoyed our time here.
Posts like this are so important. As soon as something happens in one part of a country, people abroad assume that whole country is at a standstill. Media has a big part to play in this. I hope anyone intending to visit New Zealand continues with their travel plans.
Julia
Travelling in New Zealand in our Autumn is just lovely,
still lots of good weather, slighter cooler in the mornings,
but sunny warm days – and evenings that last until 8pm.
North Island – having beautiful weather – lots of visitors at the moment in the North.
South Island – Autumn will be at its best, especially south of
Christchurch. Wonderful colour, and bush walks. everywhere in the South, right from where you step off the Ferry at Picton.
So come and enjoy easy travel, with plenty of space, friendly people, and even though our country is rather sad with the Earthquake in Christchurch, we want you to come and travel, we will look after you, and I would say that this is one of the best Autumns we have had for many years – Funny that, the positive outweighs the minus.
Take the map of New Zealand in your hands, and come and enjoy the warm Autumn weather.
[…] Comments « New Zealand – Sharing the Love […]
Our thoughts thoughts are with the people of Christchurch. It’s important remind people why they should travel to certain places. Sometime at least here in the U.S. people get engulfed by news and forget all of that is good in a place. They just hear disaster chaos suffering. We need more good posts like this help us remember to remember the beauty.
Thanks Scott – it appears we are on the same page here. Yes there’s chaos around but we mustn’t forget the good around us or we’ll drown!