Perfectly Picturesque

New Zealand’s “countryside is stunning (no wonder The Lord of the Rings was filmed there); the people are charming — like happy Britons; and the food and drink can be memorable,” writes Oxford University chancellor Lord Patten in an article for the Financial Times. Patten, “on a lecture tour of New Zealand attempting to explain the often puzzling role of the EU”, and his wife arrive in Christchurch “in time for the rhododendrons and the azaleas” at the Botanic Gardens in Hagley Park. “In Nelson, we stayed at Warwick House, a delightful Victorian gothic mansion 10 minutes’ walk — much of it along the banks of the river — from the city centre. The owners of this small hotel, retired from commercial adventures in Asia, are perfect guides to the area and, if you like a walk, you can take their Labrador with you.”