Without a doubt NZ offers the good life but more importantly New Zealand as a county reflects my personal values I deeply regard – the freshness permeated in people’s thinking, an open and honest approach to life, and the organisation, efficiency and tidiness ingrained in Kiwi culture. Soon I’d welcome the opportunity to become a naturalised Kiwi. The Philippines, however, will always be home.

As I moved to the next aisle, I’m offered with more alternative choices such as shade grown coffee beans, fair-trade chocolates, traceable whole milk, free-range pork, cruel-free chooks, cage-free eggs, local beef, green watermelon (no, they’re not necessarily green but they’re the ones which spent the least time on the road which equates to lesser carbon footprint), or organic asparagus. The list goes on, and these of course come at a price.

While I taking a university paper in technology and society a few years back, I was completely convinced that organic food is not necessarily healthy and risk-free. My views however were largely influenced by my Cornell-graduate professor who is a strong advocate of inorganic farming and genetic engineering. When I moved to New Zealand a year later, I’m seduced by the idea of green revolution and like those idealist wannabes, I embraced organics with full enthusiasm.

My scepticism, however, is resurrected as our supermarkets are flooded with these so-called organic and ethical products. Are these organic products really better, or simply a neuromarketing ploy of supermarket giants for consumers to spend a fortune without real benefits? When I buy ethical bananas from the Philippines, will it really financially reward the poor farmers back home, or simply make the multimillion companies behind these ethical brands even richer?

Without a doubt we are navigating through the complex psychological landscape of the supermarket these days. With the bananas, I chose the feijoas instead and continued my grocery shopping with utter bewilderment and fascination.

My travel style There’s no such thing as a Libran backpacker. They like their creature comforts and love to be surrounded by beautiful things. Anything less than four-star accommodation gives them a rash.

Dream destination Vietnam All those markets filled with beautiful homewares – place mats! lacquerware! paintings! – and all so cheap.

Hotel heaven The Sofitel Bora Bora Marara Beach. Waking up every morning to the world’s most beautiful lagoon? Now that’s the Libran idea of a good start to the day.

Ultimate experience Deep down, every Libran likes to imagine they’re a princess (or a prince). Spoil them at an ultra-luxurious retreat such as Qualia on Hamilton Island and you’ll have them eating out of your hand.

Travel hell Anywhere in the Middle East. Librans just want people to get on. They’ll think they can solve the Arab-Israeli conflict in a day and be deeply wounded if people won’t listen to their sensible advice.

(Travel horoscope is taken from www.stuff.co.nz, one of my favourite local news and lifestyle websites.)

This year is a mix of ebullience and madness in terms of geopolitics, finance, travel and interpersonal relations. We’ve felt the brunt of global financial crisis and witnessed the havoc of the Canterbury quake, to name a few, but at the same time we are also on a rediscovery of sheer pleasure of circulating throughout the globe with sophistication and the resurgence of new age travel. On a personal note, I’ve seen myself on bold attempts to find intellectual fulfillment, balance and sense of self.

I’d love to curb my hedonist cravings for the coming year. But with the Air New Zealand Business Class Lounge as my first stop on the first day of 2011 (where there’s free-flowing drinks and food), I prefer not to lay down any resolution for myself. I’ll eat and drink to my heart’s content as long as I’ll be conscious of the ethical considerations when eating foie gras, indulging in chocolates or drinking coffee.

Next year, the emerging trend is experimental travel which simply means visiting an unfamiliar destination. While I have my personal favourites which I constantly visit (like Sydney), I’ll try to be as imaginative as I dare to be in my future travels. At this stage I’ve shortlisted Zagreb, Montpellier and Langkawi – places I wish to visit while bearing in mind three lessons learned from previous travels: never fly with British Airways, never estimate your baggage weight, and never drink too much wine inflight.

Five years in New Zealand and counting, I’m happy to finally call this country my home. To those who will be traveling like me, have a safe journey and to those who will be staying home, have a great time with your loved ones. Happy New Year to all!

SATURDAY

9.00 am  My flight  descended to what most pilots consider as the most difficult yet spectacular approaches in the world. My noise-canceling headphone was on full blast as we flew over magnificent vistas of mountain, lake and forest. The plane was hanging low over the Crown Ranges and even lower over the Remarkables before performing a 360° turn to do what they call a white-knuckle landing, with the plane banking on two sides of the Southern Alps over the gleaming Lake Wakatipu to land.

9.30 am  Spied some private jets in Queenstown Airport. High profile personalities like Bill Gates often holiday in Queenstown, so I always look forward to spotting jets on the tarmac. I saw a Gulfstream Aerospace whose owner I couldn’t confirm but my further research showed the plane was registered in Connecticut, USA.

10.00 am  Arrived at Hotel Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, a stylish hotel in a central yet quiet waterfront spot. I’m way too early to check-in but the gracious reception staff offered my room – a comfortable, modern space that opens up to a garden. I quickly checked my emails at the hotel’s Mac station before proceeding to my bedroom for a power nap.

11.00 am  Grabbed a grande Dark Cherry Mocha at Starbucks for a much-needed caffeine fix. I took a leisurely stroll down the swanky shopping streets in town and found myself drooling over the noir Damier Dégradé tie at Louis Vuitton. I briskly headed to Country Road to abandon any reckless spending but the temptation got even worse.

12.00 nn  Headed back to The Gallery Café & Bar at my hotel for drinks and a quick bite before an action-packed afternoon. I’ve signed up to do some serious whitewater rafting on the untamed waters of Shotover River.

1.00 pm  Adrenaline surged as soon as I joined the coach that will take us to the rafting base. It was a group of adventure junkies who rafted through wild rivers around the world – from the violent rapids of Zambezi in Africa to the freezing waters of Scandinavia and the more scenic Snake River in Wyoming. I’m a total newbie, though a couple from Britain declared they only rafted on artificial rapids with an emergency stop. The confession boosted a little confidence.

2.00 pm  Adrenaline level reached upper limits before we even started rafting as we drove on sheer cliff edges and narrow corners of the Skippers Canyon. At one point there was nothing between our bus and the precarious ridge except air and sky. It seemed to be a road to perceived certain death. We were travelling on one of two roads in New Zealand where vehicles cannot be insured.

3.00 pm  Rafting commenced from Deep Creek in a convoy of six rafts and a kayaker. I was in a group of eight from New Zealand, Australia and former Yugoslavia. Rafters grade rivers on a scale of one to six, where six is “unraftable”. Shotover is grade five so I knew I’m in hot water. We lost one Aussie after our first bump. He was however rescued with ease.

4.00 pm  Paddled harder as we went through the “Rock Garden”. There was good teamwork except for the Australians who often got confused between paddling left or right, front or back. Bloody Aussies. Then we came across the “Shark Fin” rapid which needed more grueling effort. Adrenaline kept pumping.

4.15 pm  Drama unfolded as our raft flipped while making our way through the “Toilet”. All submerged, we managed to swim out from under our capsized raft, and all I can see was waters churning like a washing machine and rocks fast approaching. I swam against the power of the ongoing flow and finally saved myself. Then I burped. I must have swallowed half the river.

5.30 pm Gone through more rapids – Pinball, Jaws, Mother, and the Aftershock, a rapid created after the recent big Canterbury earthquake. Finally we headed to the 170-metre Oxenbridge Tunnel before shooting through the Cascade Rapid, our final challenge.

6.00 pm Headed back to Queenstown Rafting Cavells base with my body in one piece, thankfully.  I headed to the bar for a cold beer as I checked myself for bruises.

8.00 pm  Pigged out at My Thai restaurant opposite the Earnslaw Park overlooking Lake Wakatipu. Exotic menu and warm hospitality.

9.00 pm  Treated myself for guilty pleasure at Chocolates Patagonia which offers classic Patagonian handmade chocolates and 30 flavours of gelato. I joined the long queue of customers and came out grinning like a kid after receiving generous scoops of ice cream.

10.00 pm  Watched the sunset over the calm waters of Lake Wakatipu – just what I needed to regain my sanity after my rafting experience and going through a watery grave.

SUNDAY

9.00 am  All set for another day after oversleeping on my luxurious Novotel bed. I wasn’t tempted for a full breakfast from the hotel’s Elements restaurant. Instead I went to Vudu Café and Larder for a substantial wedge of carrot cake and a bowl (yes, a bowl) of latte. Then I headed once more to Chocolates Patagonia for a few servings of gelato. And then even a few more ice cream scoops as I reminded myself life is too short to be deprived from (crazy and) sweet treats.

The ePass is an intelligent, passive chip technology that holds my travel details and serves as my permanent boarding pass for my domestic travels. Not totally new as this leading-edge innovation was introduced by Air New Zealand way back in 2008, it is only now that I fully appreciate the benefits of the ePass as I take short holidays more frequently. Using this microchip is even quicker and more convenient than my iPone-based electronic boarding pass I’ve been using in the past.

Goodbye to nightmarish queues and pedantic scrutiny of check-in agents. My ePass takes me to the express path.

My guest room boasts a contemporary design but nothing in the interior makes it distinctly Hilton except for the several H logo annoyingly etched on the room’s floor-to-ceiling window. There’s the usual walk-out balcony, big screen TV, crisp linens, extensive pillow menu, ultra comfy oversized bed and luxurious bathrobe. But what truly impressed me is the extra large marble bathroom with walk-in showers and surround sound speakers. Sophistication.

It was easy for me to get transfixed on incredible views over Waitemata Harbour  at the hotel’s Bellini Cocktail Bar. I was awestruck by the screensaver view of passing sail boats, ferries and ships while taking pleasure in a glass of  Cottage Block 2009 Chardonnay and sizeable serving of tapas. Definitely a highlight of my stay.

The hotel has the most extraordinary lap pool I’ve ever seen. Located on the 4th floor of the hotel, it is sort of an infinity pool with a see-through glass end overhanging the wharf below. I’m very overwhelmed by the idea while doing some laps and putting my new speedo swimming togs and googles to the test. I’d say though it is certainly not suitable for those with acrophobia.

The hotel has also offers top notch gym facilities with all equipment by Precor. With iPod on and energy drink handy, I found myself fired with enthusiasm working out and burning some calories gained during this purely lazy, guilty pleasure trip to Auckland.

All in all, the hotel is an excellent escape for a city break on a long weekend. But when you are luxuriating in a place like Hilton, long weekends are never too long.

(Photos taken from www.hilton.com)

A lot. I’ve accrued so much air mileage that I’ve stopped counting. I slept in countless boutique hotels, dined in chic restaurants, transited through a number of business class lounges and holidayed in fascinating cities while leaving immeasurable carbon footprint all over.

Interestingly this is a year of contrasts: I’ve hit highs and lows, lived a high life yet reached rock bottom existence, and found solitude in the most frantic places. In between: I screwed up, became a shenanigan, gained weight, overdosed coffee, shopped like a madman, got captivated, lost focus, and found inspiration.

Most memorable time of the year so far is visiting my brother in Canada with my Mum and Dad who also flew over from the Philippines. The holiday was made extra special by our relations from US who also came over to meet us, thus making it a mini-North American family reunion. Spending time with my family under the Canadian summer sunshine was certainly wicked – with lots of driving, sight-seeing, soul-searching and simply forgetting the bitter winter down under.

In my travel notes few destinations are worth jotting, though not surprisingly they’re all in New Zealand.

Five-star The Langham Auckland is a pick among hotels for its classic charm, elegance and refined indulgence. An added treat will be having access to The Langham Club for all-day home-made treats, drinks, canapés and dessert buffet. You’ll get a butler too to pack/unpack your bags, press your garment and shine your shoes!

On the gastronomic front, the Riverstone Kitchen in Oamaru, South Island makes it to the list. This is not your typical Michelin-starred restaurant, but I love Riverstone Kitchen for its super-gourmet grub, remarkable customer service, and cutting-edge take on local ingredients. It is one of those places that I don’t mind revisiting often notwithstanding the long drive just to get brunch (like the crayfish risotto with fennel, lemon plus parmesan – or spiced, slow-cooked Okaahu lamb with cous cous plus harissa), or to simply get an afternoon sugar fix (chocolate sour cream cake with berry compote plus vanilla ice cream – or passionfruit soufflé with passionfruit curd plus passionfruit ice cream – followed by a double shot latte).

For guilty pleasure, the Bordeaux-like Marlborough Wine Region in northeast South Island is a top pick. With a few thousand vineyards and over a hundred wineries in Marlborough, this premier wine region is swarmed with cellar doors to explore as well as cafés and restaurants for leisurely wine tasting or wine matching. You can take a full swing by following the wine trail over few days for a more gratifying degustation, though I emphasize right timing is important. I visited Marlborough during the Holy Week (Easter Holidays) which just intensified the guilt and turned the experience more sinful!

At this stage that’s my update. In the months ahead, more travel is on the cards. More delayed flights to deal with, pressurized cabin air to breathe and jetlag to endure. More friends to visit, cities to see, cultures to absorb. With three months left until the year ends, its going to be more thin line and wild time. I’ll keep you posted. Meantime, back to the daily routine of hard work.

Photos from top to bottom: Me – reflecting on the highs and lows of 2010 at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada; the grand lobby of The Langham Auckland, New Zealand; and a snapshot of the vineyards of Marlborough – NZ’s largest winemaking region with around 110 wineries, 450 grape growers and over 12,000 hectares planted in grapes.

Between now and my last blog entry, I have been doing countless things, thus a brief hiatus in blogging. I have been trying to skilfully juggle work, travel and leisure. It may sound taxing, I assure you it was lots of fun though.

In the past season – in between my banking job and home springtime-sort-out – I managed to fly a few thousand miles, relaxed on a cruise, tried new coffee shops, tasted new wines, travelled to few new intrepid places, and discovered new degustation destinations. The list goes on.

Few highlights make the past few months memorable. Back in September, I was thrilled to meet my family in Singapore and fly with them for a holiday in Thailand. It was an extremely good time with my family, but 10 days is too short for the limitless items in our to-do-list: temples and cultural excursions, day and night shopping, theme parks, safari tours, animal shows and so on. Almost sleepless during the entire vacation, I am finally able to get a snooze on my return flight, and upon landing in Christchurch I just wanted to scream for another holiday. Back to reality of course, with no choice.

A month later, I found myself turning 26 and my fourth anniversary living in New Zealand. I treated myself for a weekend flight to Wellington and a bottle of classic Bordeaux style Church Road Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 vintage. Lovely weekend but coming back to work, I braved the pressure of preparing a birthday tea shout for my workmates. I served club sandwiches, apricot rolls and profiteroles. Thankfully the food passed their high standards and the tea was well appreciated.

With nothing yet planned for Christmas, I can finally take life on a slow lane. It’s so cool to just switch off, chill out and enjoy the longer days, warmer season, beaches, barbies, bangers and beers under the summer sunshine. Bring it on!

Photo: Mum and Dad with my sister and niece paddling through Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Thailand.

Going to Rotorua means the usual soak-in-the-spa with a glass of Brut Cuvee in one hand and fresh strawberries in the other. This time though, I wanted to go to a hangi (earth-oven feast) and watch a Maori song-and-dance performance to add a little spice to the pamper moments. Rotorua is also known as the heartland of New Zealand’s Maori culture, so there’s no better place to experience the Maori cultural attractions than here – something I’ve wanted yet never done before.

My enthusiasm to experience Maori culture, however, was short-lived. After I dozed off and dipped in my in-room jacuzzi, I decided to go to a smorgasbord dinner instead then popped in to the nearby Polynesian Spa and be a hedonist for the rest of the night.

Following day I woke up from my usual sunday sleep-in just in time for me to eat my brekkie and catch my flight back to Christchurch. Without a doubt, it was a lazy weekend.

Photo: Me – watching the Air New Zealand ATR72 aircraft that will take me back to Christchurch after spoiling myself in Rotorua.

Frommer’s (Travel & Leisure) says: You’ll smell Rotorua long before you see it. The sulfuric aroma in the air is an unmistakable prelude to geothermal things to come. This natural wonderland and the 11 major lakes in the area are the draw for visitors. In fact, Travel & Leisure readers voted Rotorua 10th in the 1996 poll of the Top 10 Cities in the World.