One day I hope to recite a story which explains why life as a sports writer can be so rewarding.

Gun-toting Sarah Ell becomes a member of the cool crowd for a high-flying adventure.

Elizabeth Binning is pleased she mustered up the courage to visit Rotorua's Farm Show.

You're not in Auckland anymore Toto - the temperature drop was noticeable the moment we stepped out of our Jucy 4WD rental car.

The founders of this skifield still love strapping on their skis, writes Kelly Lynch.

Helen Van Berkel discovers the perfect place for Mother's Day - or any special occasion.

Travelling by ferry to Waiheke, I always thought, was as far removed from city life as I could get via a short boat ride.

He may have raved about his "sensational" holiday in New Zealand, but a US news anchor had one serious problem with our country - the toilets.

Pirongia is Maori for "like a bad smell" although Pirongia is pretty and not at all smelly.

New Zealand has been named as a popular fishing destination for millionaires.

Bring your bike because the Twin Coast Cycleway is just 40km away at Horeke.

It may be our majestic mountains and pristine lakes that tourists come for, but apparently the loos are worth a gander as well.

At Mangarara, they put the planet before money, writes Tim Roxborogh.

The entrance could be better signposted: I tried to enter via the exit and ended up dithering dangerously on a high-speed road.

Elisabeth Easther seeks out the historical and beautiful sides of this Hauraki Gulf gem.

Winston Aldworth lays down his towel at a classic Coromandel beach.

We were asked to keep our heads down, follow the path and walk single file with no talking.

Our third island offers friendly locals and an array of adventures.

Mangawhai is a great place to get away to for the weekend and also fantastic for fishing.

Formerly known as Joliffetown and Moonlight Gully, it was subsequently named for the Blackball Shipping Line, which leased land in the area to mine coal.

WATCH: Tourist told to "look up at the sky, bro", then all hell breaks loose.

After our tour of Napier's art deco riches, we fancied ourselves as experts of the features that marked this oh-so-elegant aesthetic.

Miriyana Alexander checks out a luxury lodge that's luring celebs to New Zealand.

Fresh off the boat from Auckland, Sarah Daniell discovers paradise on Waiheke.

New Zealand boasts some of the world's top multi-day tramps and wilderness adventures.

Formerly a mill town, the area was surveyed in the 1880s, in 1903 the main trunk line came through and the school was opened in 1904, the same year the phone line was brought in.

The TrailLite's turbo diesel ensured it was no slug on the road and we were through Auckland's busy Saturday morning traffic and over the harbour bridge in no time.

The interior design is a questionable combination of pea soup green and floral. And don't expect to be able to lounge around in a robe, because there aren't any.

The mosquitoes up there are as big as sparrows, they told me. They come in swarms so big they blot out the sky, they added ominously.

Take an extended break and explore this art- and culture-centric part of the North Island.