Oprah Winfrey, Liv Lo and Henry Golding, Meghan Markle … New Zealand Holidays does pack a punch when it comes to attracting the attention of celebrities onto its shores. Join us as we explore where they went and what they did on their visits to Aotearoa. This might give you some ideas where to head to for your year-end trip!
New Zealand Holidays – Living it up
Liv Lo and her handsome husband Henry Golding (star of rom-com Crazy Rich Asians) visited New Zealand in 2015, with Queenstown being the starring attraction. Partaking in many adventure activities – including the Shotover Canyon Swing – Liv documented the entire trip on her blog. Not for the faint of heart, the Shotover Canyon Swing starts with a 60-metre freefall, before swinging for 200m, high above the beautiful river.
Travel tip: Queenstown is accessible by air from the main centres. You can catch a connecting flight straight from Auckland International Airport and find yourself in the middle of an alpine wonderland.
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New Zealand Holidays – Capturing the castle
Celebrity besties Rui En and Dennis Chew had a ball in New Zealand when she shouted him a trip for his 43rd birthday in 2016. One of their highlights was a visit to Castle Hill in Canterbury, the location of a battle scene in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, one of Chew’s fave films.
Travel tip: The Kura Tawhiti Conversation Area, where Castle Hill is located, is best accessed by car from Christchurch. Head west on SH73 for 80 minutes through spectacular landscapes.
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New Zealand Holidays – Honeymoon heaven
Andie Chen and Kate Pang visited New Zealand for their honeymoon in 2015, and they got more than they bargained for – a positive pregnancy test. They had been planning on taking a bungy jump, but that was called off after they realised they were expecting. Bungy jumping is often associated with Queenstown, but you can take the leap of faith in many other parts of New Zealand, including Auckland’s Sky Tower.
Travel tip: Auckland is New Zealand’s biggest city, and SkyCity is located in the centre of town.
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New Zealand Holidays – Fit for a princess
When Meghan Markle visited New Zealand in 2014, she posted a “love letter” to the country on her now-defunct blog The Tig. Travelling in a campervan throughout South Island, she visited Queenstown, Marlborough, Franz Josef Glacier, Kaikoura and Akaroa, before chilling out on Waiheke Island, just beyond Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour. On Waiheke, she rented a bach (beach house) and soaked up the sun for four glorious days.
Travel tip: Waiheke Island is a “must-visit” destination for celebs. Just half-an-hour by boat from Auckland, it feels a million miles away from anywhere.
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New Zealand Holidays – Oprah does Aotearoa
Oprah Winfrey shared her “I love New Zealand” post on Instagram, and her millions of followers had the majesty of Central Otago delivered straight to their devices. Oprah and fellow actors Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling were filming A Wrinkle in Time here in 2017; her photo of Lake Hawea received 75,000 likes in just two hours.
Travel tip: On the South Island, Lake Hawea is three-and-a-half hours’ drive from Dunedin and 90 minutes’ from Queenstown.
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