echo from Sarawak

This sounded more like an Amazing Race than a self-drive holiday; that was a comparable comment given by the Apex staff in Auckland when we returned the Rav4.  I would say that it was more like an exploratory trip! Partly, maybe I had used to travel in the past 10 years in our notorious Borneo Highways, driving alone most of the time, covering 2000km in a week!  South Island Loop - Christchurch/ Dunedin/ Invercargill/ Mt Cook North Island Loop - Christchurch/ Wellington/ Rotorua/ Auckland Here, we were with a comfortable Rav4 travelling in first class motorways most of the time; however, many roads were narrow, hilly and windy, with plenty of sharp corners, as NZ's geographical features were some of the most diverse in the world! Rav4, comfortably for 3 pax with luggage, for a 3000km journey! It was quite an experience; like driving North with the Pacific Ocean on your right from Kaikoura, waterfalls falling all over left & right out of the windows at Milford Sound, extrem...

Lupin by the Lake side, Tekapo The idea of going to New Zealand was quite a sudden and unusual; NZ is far from most parts of the World including Borneo Island, and airfare is high. We had travelled to few parts of Europe with travel agents, and this is our first out of the country self-planned holidays. Lily and I still preferred cooler climate; we decided on NZ partly of its self-drive popularity, safer environment and familiar commonwealth background; and particularly beautiful landscape for older people like us. Dairy milking cows, Tirau, Waikato As we were planning the trip in early 2019, the cheaper AirAsia X had just cancelled its direct route to Auckland from Kuala Lumpur! We finally booked the usual Malaysian Airline as we could get easier connecting flight from Borneo, Kuching; our luggage was checked in from Kuching direct to Auckland! Malaysian Airline ticket - Kuala Lumpur/ Auckland This proved a little convenience when the MH changed its whole KL Auckland December sche...