I’m not afraid of heights, but I’ll admit that peering over the ledge into the 100-metre (about 330 feet) decent awaiting me sends me into a bit of a panic attack. I can’t see the bottom of the cave, as a thick layer of mist fills the gaping shaft. Our guide assures me that I can’t fall; that the rope attached to my waist will allow me to control the speed of my decent…but my mind is screaming at me “Are you crazy?! You’re going to die!” It takes everything in me to slide off the ledge and allow myself to hang mid-air over the void. It takes 30 minutes to reach the bottom of the cave, and once we arrive, I am surrounded by pre-historic rock formations with plants jutting through the crevices and an understanding of how very small I am in this world. Our guide leads us through various sections of the cave. Sometimes we climb, sometimes we crawl, and other times we tip-toe across small ledges, hooking ourselves to the carabineers as we go. About half way through our exploration, our guide tells us to turn off our flashlights and look up. As we do,the ceiling of the cave begins to glow, covered by hundreds of glow worms. This is truly a whole other world beneath our own. This adventure took place in the Waitomo Caves on New Zealand’s north island. We did the 'Lost World Challenge' through ‘Waitomo Adventures’ company. Their website is www.waitomo.co.nz Enjoy the rush!

Lake Tekapo is a sweet little slice of heaven, and a paradise you'll have all to your own, should you visit outside the high season. The glacial waters running out of the Southern Alps are every bit as mesmerizing as they are refreshing - which is good, since I was knee-deep in the frigid water for half on hour while working on this image. It was nice to have a distraction. I made this image with the help of a dirty black sock - I held the sock over the top half of the frame, where the sun was brightest, allowing me to capture an even exposure throughout. Cheapest piece of gear I've ever bought.

Cable cars, Victorian houses, fresh crabs on the waterfront: Wellington, New Zealand, is a Southern Hemisphere City by the Bay. With a harbor at its doorstep, farms to the north, and one of the world’s most active café scenes, this city is well fed. Photo by Alex Efimoff. This appeared in the October 2012 issue.

In mid-May I spent a day kayaking in the idyllic Milford Sound - my first day in New Zealand. The water was cool and clean and the fog gave the Sound a mysterious feel. Kayaking offered the opportunity to get up close with some playful fur seal pups, as well as get right up next to a few of the hundreds of spontaneous waterfalls that had cropped up that morning. The guides from Roscoe's Milford Kayaks were knowledgeable and their love for New Zealand's natural beauty was evident; our guide provided a constant narrative of the history of New Zealand and its people. After a grueling day of travel to just arrive in New Zealand, I couldn't have asked for a better start, and it remains the standout memory of my trip.

These days New Zealand’s landscape may be best known from scenes in The Lord of the Rings, but set aside your preconceptions of Mt. Doom: Mt. Ngaurahoe (Doom’s butt double in the films) and the craters surrounding it are gorgeous. The Tongariro Crossing is aptly known as the best one-day hike in New Zealand (certainly on the North Island) and is immensely popular. Friends tell me stories of hiking in a long line of slow strangers. The secret: sunrise. We camped at Discovery Lodge with views of Mt. Ngaurahoe and Mt. Ruapehu from our tent. Our hosts encouraged us to begin early to avoid the crowd. Before dawn, they shuttled us to a drop-off near Mangatepopo Hut. Eight hours later they got us at Ketetahi Road. Best decision ever. We were already hiking at sunrise and had the trail to ourselves. We went at our own pace, in peace and awe. We were the first ones to lay eyes on the Emerald Lakes that day. We were the only figures in our photos. Getting up before sunrise was worth it, and it turns out Discovery Lodge has the earliest shuttle to the Crossing. The Tongariro Crossing is 17km (10.5mi) one way. The hike is staggering, both physically and aesthetically. The track is often steep and sometimes requires scrambling. The pay-off is great: striking colors where you least expect them, like the algal mats thriving in crystal water amid clouds of steam venting from the volcano walls. It took us seven hard but much-loved hours that I consider one of my top life experiences.

The Te Papa museum combines New Zealand’s dramatic history with its high-tech present. Don’t miss the traditional greenstone and wood carvings or the 60-foot wall of constantly changing images, videos, and words manipulated by remote-control-wielding visitors. 55 Cable St., 64/(0) 4-381-7000. Photo by Sime/Estock Photo. This appeared in the October 2012 issue.

Long known for wine, New Zealand has a new interest in quality caffeine. Peoples Coffee serves espresso drinks such as “flat whites” (lattes) and drip coffees brewed from locally roasted beans. At Aro Café (90 Aro St.), coffee can accompany an English breakfast of potatoes, cabbage, and eggs. Photo by Dani Vernon. This appeared in the October 2012 issue.

Ginger, kola nut, lime, and other flavors star at the new Six Barrel Soda Co. Sip your soda or float with a beef and cheddar slider, served with chips. Syrups, bottled on-site, are available for purchase so you can mix fizzy drinks at home. Corner of Eva and Dixon Streets, Te Aro, 64/(0) 21-119-6257. Photo by Benjamin & Elise Photography. This appeared in the October 2012 issue.

As I turned the bend of the trail, the sight of this massive ancient tree took my breath away. Te Matua Ngahere the 'Father of the Forest', has a trunk over five metres in diameter, believed to be the widest girth of any kauri tree in New Zealand.

For the most creative cuisine in New Zealand, head to the Matakana Coast, one hour northeast of Auckland. This laid-back area is home to artisan food shops and more than 32 vineyards that produce Bordeaux-style varietals such as malbec, merlot, and pinot gris. Stop for blue cheese at Whangaripo Buffalo Cheese Company and order the lamb-and-mint sausages at Stubbs Village Butchery. Between meals, hike forest trails or hit the beach to surf, snorkel, and sail. —Amanda Jones Photo by Anna Didsbury. This appeared in the January/February 2011 issue. 

The area known as King Country on the North Island of New Zealand remains one of the island's least populated areas. Dripping in dense foliage and riddled with a network of underground cave systems, this area was the final holdout of the Māori leader King Tawhiao. Head of the Waikato tribes and the second Māori King, Tawhiao and his loyal followers put up stiff enough resistance that for years the King Country was regarded as a "no-man's land" for white settlers and farmers. Although the region was eventually integrated and settled, the King Country still remains a little-visited corner of the island where waterfalls such as this one cascade to an audience of few.

A resort on a sheep farm surrounded by pasture and water, Wharekauhau Lodge offers horseback riding, hiking, and fishing. Four-course meals are paired with local pinot noir, chardonnay, and cabernet. (And yes, lamb is on the menu.) From $525, including meals. Western Lake Road, Palliser Bay, Featherston, 64/(0) 6-307-7581. Photo by Larry Larsen/Alamy. This appeared in the October 2012 issue.

There is nothing quite so picturesque as Milford Sound on the South Island of New Zealand. I should also mention that the drive into the mystical fiordland was something out of a dream. The delirium from the 20 hour traveling nightmare probably didn't help, but I'm pretty sure this place is real. Even in its dark dreary state, Milford Sound is absolutely breathtaking. I was fortunate enough to capture this moment on our cruise when the clouds began to part to reveal the sun's rays over Bowen Falls.

Straight from the boat to your plate, it doesn't get any better than this. Fleur Sullivan's fantastic restaurant on the water in tiny Moeraki Village on the coast of North Otago (near Dunedin) is truly a destination restaurant. Plan your trip around it!

On Friday nights the basement here is a haven from the madness swirling in the main bar above. I drink a Hendrick’s martini with an olive: dry and clean, not dirty. Stirred not shaken. James Bond can take his vodka shaker elsewhere. —Nat Cheshire 27 Galway St., 64/(0) 9-551-3100. Photo by Kieran Scott. This appeared in the March/April 2013 issue. Read more about Nat Cheshire's Britomart neighborhood of Auckland.

Built amid a hillside vineyard, Takatu Lodge features seamless indoor-outdoor living entire walls slide away, and meals can be enjoyed by the patio fire. Each of the four guest rooms has a spacious terrace and a two-person bathtub with views of the mountains or the bay. —Amanda Jones From $520, 518 Whitmore Rd., 64/(0) 9-423-0299, takatulodge.co.nz. Photo courtesy of Takatu Lodge. This appeared in the January/February 2011 issue. 

Queenstown is known as the adrenaline capital of New Zealand, and it is indeed populated by speed junkies and bungie pros and mountain bikers with death wishes. However, if you sidle up the mountain that cradles the town, past the gondola, around the dirt jumps on the biking course and just past the paragliding jump off point, you'll find a scenic path to the exquisitely serene summit of Ben Lomond. The trek is perfectly grueling, providing flat, flax-lined paths after each steep jaunt. On the way up, spectacular views of the Remarkables (the south island's famous mountain range), Moke lake, Lake Wakatipu, Cecil Peak, and other gorgeous geographic wonders that surround Queenstown. The round trip is 7-8 hours, and you can save an hour either way by taking the gondola up or down the bottom leg of the hike. This was my favorite thing to do to flee the hustle, bustle and grind of downtown Queenstown, a perfect one day retreat that leaves you feeling blissfully spent, and awfully hungry.

I am a coffee-seeker. When traveling to a new area or country, I will always try the local brew. So, after tasting the typical New Zealand flat white and long black, I had to try the Thunder Thighs; a decadent and decked out mochaccinno from my favourite corner of the world at the Coffee House! Every year before and after my deployments to Antarctica, I booked time to hunker down with my journal or a friend at my favourite place to spend  time, watch the world float by, and enjoy fabulous coffee. The Coffee House has reopened in Christchurch after the unfortunate earthquakes, so be sure to stop in and support this cafe and the City as they rebuild their city.