Why don't you and your wife consider coming down to the South Pacific, namely New Zealand. With the exchange rate the way it is at the moment, 1US = 2NZ, it is very affordable. You can stay in B &B right throughout the country and meet many genuine New Zealanders. We have national parks, with absolutely beautiful mountain and lake scenery, which you can wander around and hardly ever see anyone. Sure we have some tourist spots which get crowded, but these can be avoided. The west coast of the South Island has, as yet, not yet really been developed, and some of the best bush walking in the world can be had. My country is made up of two main islands, the north and south, with the majority of the population in the North Island. New Zealand is approx. the size of Great Britain, with a population of only 4 million. The best time to come is in the spring time, October/November, before the main tourist season, when all the spring flowers are out. A lot of people come, especially from the States, for the fishing, which I understand is amongst the best in the world. I am sorry to rave on, but I do love my country.

Regards, Richard (Christchurch,New Zealand)