Million dollar sailboats competing for a shot at the America's Cup glide through Viaduct Harbor like high-tech phantoms, retuning from a day of racing on the breezy Hauraki Gulf. I have a front row seat from the terrace of my room at the Hotel Sebel, perched on the harbor side above the busy promenade of cafes, restaurants and bars that teems with visitors from far corners of the globe. The buzz around this international scene is major league, not unlike an Olympic Games, and one has the sense of being at the center of things despite being deep down under.

I'm finally back in cosmopolitan Auckland-the Big Smoke-after three weeks of hiking on both islands of this easy, friendly country. And even though the city has more than a million people, it reflects the laid-back Kiwi way. There's a lot to do here, so choosing a final afternoon's activity isn't easy.

I could join some of the tourists and head up to Sky Tower-think the Space Needle on steroids-the highest building in the Southern hemisphere. There, those so inclined can suit up and take the ride of their lives from the observation deck to the ground on a couple of cables strung right down to the sidewalk. "Easy on the body, hard on the mind," they say, and they've got that right: I notice many of the people who sign up seem to chicken out as the actual plunge comes near.

But right now I'll head down to a table on the waterfront, order up a Speight's Ale, and finish up my notes before the long ride back home. Air New Zealand Flight 6 leaves for LA tomorrow, and reluctantly, I'll be on it. The time has gone quickly, but good journeys are like that.

	Photo Gallery: Sir Edmund Hillary

I knew this would be a lucky trip from the beginning, when I ran into Sir Edmund Hillary-cutting an Everest shaped cake at the Auckland Museum--on my first day in the country. It just got better from there. And the hiking-they call it "tramping" down here-measures up to any world-class standard for variety of terrain and pure scenic pay-off.

I've put in backcountry miles in a lot of places but found New Zealand among the richest, yet easiest international adventures I've done. The experience is enhanced by the friendly Kiwis and a pervasive sense of light-hearted fun that has been sorely missing in North America the past few years. Here's how to get started.

» Next: South Island

— Peter Potterfield, MountainZone.com Staff