New Zealand -

ong before The Lord of The Rings cast its spell across the globe, I was drawn to New Zealand by the promise of unlimited open space, great wildlife, world-class fishing, delicious food and wine and people renowned for their hospitality. After all, there's a lot to be said for a country over forty times the size of Shanghai with a population of only 3.8 million.

The inhabitants are welcoming and great fun and the landscape is both magnificent and varied. There's every kind of adventure and sporting activity on offer. And the fishing is some of the most challenging and exciting I have experienced anywhere.

With limited time we decided to restrict ourselves to South Island, arguably the more scenic of the two islands.

Pohuenui Island Sheep Station and Lodge, Marlborough Sounds

An hour-long boat journey spirited us towards the distant, hazy islands of the Sounds. At the northern end of Pelorus Sound, Pohuenui Island soared up out of the water in front of us. It's not a true island but a 6,000-acre peninsula attached to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. A sharp ridgeline runs along the spine of the 'island' from which steep slopes tumble straight down into the sea. Pohuenui has been established as a sheep station since the 1870s, but farming in this remote location has been a constant battle.