The end of our NZ sojourn

TOURING NEW ZEALAND: "When taking a holiday ourselves, we usually schedule around a week at the beginning when we don't have to talk to anybody," says Dave, who runs Misty Peaks B&B with his wife Lee. Based at Fox Glacier, a main town on the west coast of the South Island, I could see why he feels the urge to become reclusive. During summer, the guest dining area and lounge was kept pretty busy. And as skiing is available in winter, the only quiet times are a few weeks in spring and autumn.

A day in the life of a lodge or B&B owner starts early at around 7am for the first breakfasts. Unlike in the UK where it is a lot more 'hands off', in New Zealand, not interacting much with guests would be thought of as rude. Here, the proprietors not only cook up breakfast, they usually sit and talk to the guests while they eat. Then, after the dirty dishes are put away, there are maps to pore over and the guests' activities for the day to discuss. Lunch boxes might be offered and packed up to take as a picnic.

"Before we know it, it's 6.30pm and time for pre-dinner drinks," says Meg, who runs Riverrun Lodge in Wanaka with her partner John. Unlike many lodges, Meg and John employ a chef to cook an evening meal, but they are still kept busy themselves serving up the food and entertaining over dinner.

Also a sheep farmer with around 500 acres of land, most of it visible as a stunning panorama of mountains and fields through the huge windows at the back of the lodge, John easily switches from his gumboots to being a convivial host. If he or Meg ever get bored of listening to the same tales over and over from guests - where they are coming from, how long they are staying and where they are going - they never once showed it.  However, they do admit to taking off for a long walk when they can to recover from the social side of owning a lodge. And they certainly have some striking countryside to recuperate in - sometimes it's hard to know where to point the camera.

But while the lodge owners sometimes get people overkill, some of the visitors to New Zealand suffer from a different kind of fatigue, especially if they try to pack in to much on a short trip. Over pre-dinner drinks at Mountain Range Lodge, also in Wanaka, one German man summed it up aptly. "Anozer buetivol day, anozer buetivol view," he said in the weary tone of someone who was suffering from a rare condition - spectacular panorama overkill disorder.

Like the German man, and other New Zealand novices, we also tried to see too much so that at times it was hard to just sit back and enjoy the view.

As our four and a half week visit draws to a close, I'm thinking about how I'd do it differently next time. Having visited both the North and the South Islands, on a return trip, I'd do just one island if I had the same amount of time available. And to cut down on the driving, I'd also spend at least three days in each place. When at home and planning the trip, I didn't think of the down side of packing up a suitcase almost every day and spending a long time in the car.

But despite the traveling, once back in London, I'm sure there are several things I'll miss about New Zealand. For one, I'll miss those endless beautiful views around every corner, the abundance of space and the low population. There is also the variety of outdoor activities on offer practically everywhere such as hiking, fishing, kayaking, horse riding and camping. Another attraction is the UK February weather I managed to avoid - how fantastic to have summer sun in winter. After being surrounded by countryside for over a month, I'm sure to find city life difficult for a while.

As my fiancé, Adam, is a Kiwi, there is also the possibility of moving here permanently. But before I can make up my mind about that, I'd have to stay put in one area for at least a month. Only then I could really get a taste of what it really means to live in New Zealand.

* Mary Salmon has been exploring the South Island with Bridge and Wickers which can arrange tailor made itineraries in New Zealand.