Kia Ora Aotearoa!

Thank you for joining The Flag¡¯s New Zealand tour here on the site, as always it is greatly appreciated and I look forward to sharing with you news and views of the best New Zealand has to offer as we travel the North and South Islands for the one day series, back South for the first test in Christchurch, up to Wellington for the 2nd test, and then further north to end the series in Auckland.

Thank you for joining The Flag¡¯s New Zealand tour here on the site, as always it is greatly appreciated and I look forward to sharing with you news and views of the best New Zealand has to offer as we travel the North and South Islands for the one day series, back South for the first test in Christchurch, up to Wellington for the 2nd test, and then further north to end the series in Auckland.

I¡¯ve never shied from the fact this tour will be low-key, with my emphasis more on having a great time away from the game more than making all Flaggers know the bus routes or way around each city. New Zealand is so well geared to tourism, much of the whys and wherefores are answered from the moment you arrive.

All NZ cities are small by Australia comparison. Christchurch¡¯s well-mapped city, centred on Cathedral Square, makes walking to and from the hotel, bars, pubs, and restaurants, galleries, River Avon, and parks of this delightful city one of the cricket world¡¯s more pleasant destinations. In fact the longest walk you¡¯d want to do in ChCh is to the cricket, so you will surely walk up a thirst after a casual day¡¯s play in Jade Stadium.

Although Wellington is frightfully windy, remarkably hilly, and the Basin Reserve is devastatingly cold, it is still fabulous city (yes, it really is!) to enjoy cricket and later celebrate ¡¦ a win? Most likely, but let¡¯s not count the chickens, just the eggs, all in one brilliant Wellington basket. The Flag¡¯s living not far off Courtenay Place where it all happens with more than 100 different restaurants and cafes, bars and sports pubs along this strip, and with the wind cutting through you during the heat of the day, Wellington is a great place to spend life indoors! Conversely there are more self guided walking tours than any other city in New Zealand, so when showing yourself around, the Flag Fleece to keep warm is imperative! (Below: Viaduct Quay in Auckland!)

Auckland too is a great indoor place, but getting onto the streets and waters is what it¡¯s about. Queen Street runs from the famed ¡®K¡¯ Rd at the top of the city down to the Quay, and is lined with hotels, malls, restaurants, internet cafes, souvenir stores and everything a traveler needs before reaching the Quay where the Loaded Hog (a firm Flag favourite), the Ice Bar or Minus 5, and of course the America¡¯s Cup Yacht Racing HQ is assembled.

Massive cinema complexes, a sky scraping tower, and a sublime going out funkiness puts Auckland well on the entertainment map, but also well placed for touring the best of the north island, and is why we will do a Wilderness Adventure Tour the day before the Test.

I¡¯ve been looking forward to this tour from the time I left in April 2000, and now it¡¯s here. I can¡¯t wait for this to start, and will be ever so disappointed when it ends, but that keeps me well voiced and keen for the next tour to this most underrated cricket destination. Enjoy New Zealand with The Flag!

Below: The Basin Reserve in Wellington is likely to be wet, at least very cold at some stage during the Test Match.

Luke Gillian 16/02/2005 05:54:52