Markle fell in love with New Zealand before she met Harry

NZ Herald

22 May, 2018 05:29 AM2 mins to read

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are tipped to be heading to New Zealand later this year.

Newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to head to New Zealand later this year, but the Duchess of Sussex already fell in love with the country well before she met her prince.

Markle hired a campervan, on the advice of fellow Suits star Gabriel Macht, and spent 10 days touring the South Island with a friend before renting a holiday home and relaxing four days on Waiheke Island in 2014.

But her next trip to New Zealand promises to be quite different, with talks of the couple visiting New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Tonga in October.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry kiss on the steps of St George's Chapel. Photo / AP

Markle shared details of her trip on lifestyle website The Tig called "My love letter to all things Kiwi", which was deactivated early last year after she began dating the prince.

In the blog, she talked about having a "gravitational pull towards what is said to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world" and spoke of its stunning lakes, welcoming wine country, glaciers, forest, farmland and beaches.

"New Zealand is undoubtedly spectacular," she added.

Markle started her campervan trip in Queenstown where she instantly recognised the "kindness and beauty of the land" and become acquainted with some of its popular dining haunts, standout restaurants Botswana Butchery, Vudu Restaurant and Larder.

From then she went fly fishing and went to a quirky theatre in Wanaka, hiked Franz Josef glacier and snapped photos of seals before tasting wines in Marlborough and enjoying large green-lipped mussels. Near the end of her South Island leg she whale-watched in Kaikoura before feasting on cassoulet and indulging in more wine.