The great Kiwi outdoors

THE Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies have long stopped screening in theatres, but New Zealand, where the movies were shot, are still drawing visitors.

According to data from Tourism New Zealand, Singaporeans have been flocking to the country in record numbers. Nearly 48,000 Singaporeans headed there over a 12-month period from August 2014 to 2015.

Steven Dixon, Tourism New Zealand's regional manager for South and South-east Asia, says that the country's appeal lies in its wide variety of activities. Top that with plenty of open spaces, fresh clean air, and friendly and helpful Kiwis and it is easy to see why nearly half of the holiday makers from Singapore are repeat visitors.

"The New Zealand experience offers culture, food and wine, and adventure," he says. And while the country is many times bigger than Singapore, Mr Dixon sees it as fairly compact. In fact, it is only one hour and 50 minutes by plane from Auckland in the North Island to Dunedin in the…