Summary of the trip

The first question that is always asked: how did our grandson handle the flights? Better than us, Leo remained very relaxed throughout the entire journey.

Would we do the trip with our grandchild again? Definitely!

New Zealanders are said to be very child-friendly, we always hoped for special treatment, but it never came. Having a child with you is completely normal there, maybe that's what makes the difference. No one sees the child as a burden, Leo was always included even though he hardly understood anything, consideration was always given to him without giving him a special position. We found that very pleasant.

What stands out are the many playgrounds everywhere in the country, the many schools even in the smallest town, and the free fruit in the supermarket for children.

Does it make sense to travel there in the cold season? From our point of view: yes! All 'hot spots' are almost tourist-free, the campsites, museums, roads, beaches, and shops are all very relaxed. The weather itself is naturally colder, but with an average of 15°C during the day, it is not really cold. At least that's how we experienced it on the North Island.

The only thing we wouldn't do again is the 17-hour flight via Dubai, a flight via Bangkok with 2x 11 hours each seems better to us.

We have definitely fallen in love with this country and would always be ready to visit again. Who knows, maybe it will work out again.