New Zealand is a stunning country described by James Michener as the "world in miniature". New Zealand is a reminder of an unspoiled quality of life that many parts of the world will never again know. It offers something for everyone. Its sheer beauty lies in the many long isolated beaches that stretch along the coastline, the kauri forests where trees take hundreds of years to reach maturity, and the intense volcanic and geothermal activity of the central North Island. The Southern Alps is one of the world's great mountain ranges with valleys that have been carved out by massive glaciers, many crystal clear lakes that shimmer an intense color of steel blue, and the rugged grandeur and awesome beauty of Milford Sound, New Zealand's most spectacular fiord. Sheep outnumber humans fifteen to one. This is the one place on earth that has alpine parrots, dinosaur lizards, the world's smallest orchid, the largest insect, the tiniest penguin, and the biggest tree fern. With remarkable ease of travel, you can marvel at a glacier and a rainforest on the same day, or you can ski in the morning and go fishing in the afternoon. For most visitors the overwhelming reaction is not how far they've come, but what took them so long to make the trip.