The first time I arrived in Darfield, I drove straight on through. I think I muttered “Hicksville” under my breath and my partner showed no signs of wanting to stop and explore.

Eighteen months later we bought a property 10km from Darfield and it’s now my local town – and I love it!

New Zealand may be famed for its fabulous weather, but you’ve got to expect a few cruddy days on which the low-hung grey skies obliterate the view and the rain precludes tramping.

When in Wanaka, on New Zealand’s South Island, you may well want to pray for just one damp day. Why? Because it’s a jolly good excuse to snub the outdoors and head to a few of the area’s indoor attractions.

Have A Shot

The tranquil township of Oxford sits on the Inland Scenic Route, Route 72, in the Waimakariri District of Canterbury. Not so long ago it housed simply the basics required to service the surrounding rural outposts. Nowadays it’s a major ‘foodie’ destination.

Everywhere you look in Oxford there’s food.

The road through New Zealand's Fiordland National Park wilderness to Milford Sound sure is remote, but boy is it busy. It must surely rank among the busiest remote roads in the world. And there are no short-cuts or express routes unless you take to the air or sea.

However, there are ways to ensure you remain calm and collected on the journey and arrive fresh for your tour of the sereneness of the Sounds.

Beat the crowds

Unless you want to hit the slopes a bag of nerves I recommend taking the shuttle bus to the ski resort of Mount Hutt on New Zealand’s South Island. While your car or campervan rental company may well have placed a set of snow chains in the trunk, it doesn’t mean you’re obliged to scale every slippery slope encountered.

I’m truly sorry.  I hate to dash people’s perceptions.  But I have found somewhere in rural New Zealand that can be crowded and, at times, deafeningly noisy.

Don’t panic.   Because here nature provides the soundtrack and the crowds ebb and flow with the tides, for I have discovered Punakaiki, or pancake rocks as it’s more commonly known, on the jagged west  coast of New Zealand’s South Island.