The goal of my recent New Zealand holiday was to venture off the well-trodden paths and explore places I hadn’t been to before. This led me to the delightful Maniototo region, which has become one of my favourite bits of NZ.

It is part of Central Otago, and although it sits between Dundedin and Queenstown, main transport routes (and tourists) skirt past its edges. Sprawling plains are separated by mountain ranges of varying sizes with interesting rock formations. Small quiet towns with friendly people punctuate lots of wide open spaces, and the uncrowded roads provide changing vistas of grazing sheep, mountains, and the odd stone building left behind by the gold rush. The climate is New Zealand’s driest, with the coldest winters and warmest summers. Many lakes freeze in winter and are used for the sport of curling.

It was winter when I visited - lots of snow and ice - yet the dry landscapes and sparse population reminded me of country Australia. Maybe thats why I felt an attachment! Though not like elsewhere in NZ, the Maniototo region is distinctly kiwi. I visited the ghost town of St Bathans (one of only three visitors that day), wandered in the forests near Naseby, hiked a section of the Otago Central Rail Trail, and enjoyed some lovely drives, including some on mud and snow covered tracks. The area may not have the major tourist drawcards of other regions, but it has a subtle charm and beautiful character that grows on you … it did on me.