The most beautiful place in the world (Sorry, San Francisco... Lot Valley... Brecon Beacons... Banff national park... Zermatt... Goat Tarn... etc, etc) is unimaginatively labelled Port Underwood Sound on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. No competition, I'm afraid. Imagine a fiord defined by tree-covered cliffs, a sea surface broken into a dozen colours, a tendency towards violently pink dawns, huge skies, smooth lichen-covered rocks that predate time and the type of silence that can only be bought from real remoteness.Access is via 25 km of unsealed roads and a notice discourages those towing caravans. Caravans! How about anything other than four-wheel-drive?
It also proved to be a dream destination for this techie enthusiast. Our B&B hosts were former Americans, now naturalised Kiwis, who'd built their own beautiful - and beautifully functioning - house overlooking the Sound. He now sculpted animals in pewter but before that had designed Formula One and Indy cars for Mario Andretti, Mark Donohoe and others.
Pan-fried terahiki was accompanied by Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc. Then we stepped on to the balcony and inspected Saturn through his powerful telescope. Gradually the earth's rotation caused the planet's image to ease itself out of the viewfinder. Hmmm.
