When we started planning our round-the-world trip, we had no doubt whatsoever about where to begin: we had wanted to visit New Zealand for years and even touched down in Auckland last summer on our way back from the Cook Islands. As we embark on the next leg of our journey, we've been looking back on our adventures during the past three weeks we’ve spent in New Zealand. Here are the top ten things that made an impression on us and that we'd recommend:

• Rent a campervan! We hired a Fiat with a Bürstner chassis from Wilderness Motorhomes and spent two weeks bobbing and weaving around the islands. When we first climbed on board the vehicle, we were surprised and delighted that the vehicle was practically new, with only 3,000 kilometers on the odometer (we managed to put an additional 3,230 kilometers on it over 14 days). In fact, it was so nice, we spent the first couple of days in fear of crashing it. While it was difficult to drive such a big RV around narrow country roads and roundabouts, we soon got used to the pace and managed to cover a lot of ground very quickly. We stayed mainly in campgrounds, “glamping” all the way. We would highly recommend traveling around the country in a campervan. Wilderness is a fantastic company with excellent customer service. It was so nice to have a little cocoon that we could call home for a couple of weeks.

• Lake Wanaka (South Island) was an unexpected surprise. We had left the Franz Joseph and Fox glaciers early that morning and were, frankly, a little underwhelmed by the experience. By the time we reached the lakes and their blue-glass reflections, we started to feel awed by our surroundings again. Then we rolled into the town of Wanaka which sits comfortably by the lake. The vibrant ski scene was just winding down, with young people celebrating in the many bars, restaurants and cafés. At one point, we spotted a unicorn… Interesting crowd! We liked the area so much that we ended up staying a couple of days, even driving back from the town's larger nearby rival, Queenstown, because we preferred the more relaxed and serene scene in Wanaka. Extra points for the nicest little cinema we've been to in a while, Cinema Paradiso, with its intimate rooms and sofas and homemade cookies during intermission.

• It takes a lot to make us speechless. A lot. When we arrived in Oamaru, with its Victorian buildings and Steampunk references throughout the city, we walked around for the first 30 minutes without saying much more than “Whoa.” New Zealand has the best parks that we've have seen in any country--they are full of childhood book- and fairy-tale-themed play areas. The seaside park in Oamaru is constructed of old metal pieces, transforming the play area into a Steampunk Wonderland. It was fun to see so many kids and families out during the afternoon playing on all of the park pieces. A super funky Steampunk HQ museum houses fantastical pieces by local artists. You can visit “the Portal,” which will take you to another world, play an organ with a bunch of wacky sounds, and finish by visiting the garden, which has a cool train car and a huge motorcycle--all great for playing in. Oamaru is also home to the Blue Penguin Colony. This is a MUST if you are visiting the South Island. We went to an evening viewing, sitting out in the open air for 90 minutes in arena-style seating. We saw 127 blue penguins return to their colony that evening. They leave at 5:30 in the morning and make a 50 kilometer return swim every day. Buy yourself an evening ticket, dress warm and bring some binoculars. One of our favorite things to do in NZ!

• A private room on a ferry?! Jona had to indulge us. For $30 USD, we sailed the three-and-a-half hour journey across the Cook Strait in our own room with twin beds, a toilet and a shower. Marc was able to sleep and Jona was able to read and have some quiet time (the ferry is quite busy with families, workers and livestock making the journey). Well worth the extra money! What a fantastic entry point to our Southern Island adventure.

• By the time we reached Wellington, the capital of New Zealand and our favorite city there, we were ready to experience the South Island. When we arrived by ferry in the port town of Picton, we decided to take a chance and head to a campsite off the beaten path. This was one of the best decisions we made on this trip. Upon our arrival at the Smith Family Farm, we were greeted with a warm muffin each and a bag of food for the animals on the paddock in the rear of the farm. We had a lot of fun feeding the sheep and goats, while watching lambs frolicking in their pen. These city kids were in heaven. That night, we followed the Smiths' recommendation and hiked up the hill, along a river, to the base of a waterfall. At this point, we were navigating by the moonlight and trying not to end up in the water. The trek was well worth it, as we were soon rewarded with the sight of dozens of tiny blinking lights along the way: glow worms, which neither of us had seen before. We smiled all the way back to the farm, talking excitedly all the way in the pitch black.

• New Zealand is in the southern hemisphere, which means that September and October are Springtime: we were delighted to see hundreds, if not thousands of little lambs, calves and other baby animals in the fields along the way. It was a rare treat to see nature at work and to get close to these animals in their natural habitat. We also visited Kiwi North in the North Island. It houses two kiwi birds. The staff have set up a nocturnal environment for their birds so that we’re able to catch a glimpse of them during the day. We arrived first thing in the morning and were able to spend about 30 minutes alone with two cute little kiwi birds.

• We loved New Zealanders, aka “Kiwis.” They're nice, quiet, polite (even the kids thank the bus drivers) and they have a quirky sense of humor. They're also very proud of their country and like to welcome visitors. We were fortunate to arrive during one of the most heated political elections in recent memory. The country was in the grip of “Jacinda Fever,” as the locals dubbed NZ’s fascination with the young progressive politician, Jacinda Ardern [Update: Jacinda Ardern became Prime Minister, shortly after I wrote this post]. Much of the country is rural and traditional; yet, some values seem to transcend parties, such as healthcare and a social safety net for all citizens. The quality of life here is very good.

• After a few days perusing grocery stores (one of our favorite things to do in a new country), we kept seeing “Hokey Pokey”-flavored everything: ice cream, coffee, candy, chocolate, etc. What on earth is Hokey Pokey?? We finally had to try. We bought a bag of little chocolate candies with pieces of hokey pokey. Immediately we recognized the flavor as honeycomb. Delicious little treats that make you want to do the Hokey Pokey as you eat them! The Kiwis also have a huge upper hand when it comes to instant coffee: cappuccinos, lattes, caramel macchiatos and endless more choices all come in a single packet. Just add boiling water and you have got yourself a very tasty little cup of coffee.

• New Zealand takes hot springs to the next level. We visited Rotorua which is home to the Polynesian Spa. Our plan was to visit, as Condé Nast voted it one of the top ten spas in the world. We went to check it out and it was predictably busy! Our idea of a spa is a quiet serene atmosphere, so the Polynesian Spa wasn’t going to cut it. We did some research and found a local place about an hour out of town called Waikite Valley Thermal Pools. We arrived a few minutes after they opened in the morning and there were only a handful of other people there. We had six different pools practically to ourselves. Being out in the open air, lounging in hot springs that are fueled by local hot waters is a great way to start any day. We loved it and were happy to have chosen the path less traveled.

• Public transport. Our unofficial theme for this trip has been: “Planes, trains, automobiles, RVs, buses and ferries.” [Update: we later added camels to the list after our adventures in Egypt} Buses were definitely an eye-opener here in New Zealand. Easy, fast, clean and cheap. Christchurch has one of the best systems, with a MetroCard that charges you a maximum of $4.60 ($3.75 USD) per day. We rode all over town by bus and even decided against renting a car, because it wasn't worth it. Hats off, New Zealand!

We will always remember our time here with fondness and awe. New Zealand is well worth a visit, primarily for the beauty of the land. While you might be tempted to go bungee jumping or diving from great heights, or even to see Hobbiton, the biggest thrill of them all is the scenery that surrounds you. The sheer scale of the mountains and skies is a powerful reminder that a country is more than a flag or its borders. It's even more than its people. The lands that we inhabit are living ecosystems that deserve our love and respect.