Congratulations to the winner of our inaugural Travel Story Competition!

First place prize was an $8,000 Gift Card from House of Travel. This competition was run in association with NZ Herald Travel.

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Our “Public Choice Award” winner also picked up a $2,000 Gift Card from House of Travel. Thank you for everyone who took part, we look forward to running the competition again next year. 

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Winner - First Place 

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Sorrento: A dream in lemon and gold

The scent of citrus drifted through the warm Sorrento air as I wandered through the sun-drenched lemon groves. My host, Nonna Lucia, handed me a glass of freshly made limoncello, its golden hue catching the afternoon light. “Salute!” she cheered, and I sipped, tasting the perfect balance of sweetness and zest.

Mornings were spent exploring the rugged Amalfi coastline, waves crashing against ancient cliffs. Afternoons, I wandered Capri’s winding streets, where whitewashed villas clung to the hillsides. But the moment that stayed with me most? Standing in the eerie ruins of Pompeii, imagining life before the ash fell.

This was more than a holiday; it was an immersion into Italy’s soul. As I watched the sunset paint the Bay of Naples in shades of orange and rose, I knew: I wasn’t just visiting – I was living the dream.

– Shane Ogg, Auckland

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Winner - Public Choice Award 

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What Dreams Are Made Of

Was it just a dream? The memories feel so vivid – the thrill of exploring the world as a family, the laughter of our four boys as they chase each other through foreign streets, only to stop and stare at the discovery of sights they had only ever heard of. I feel the joy of hiking in the Swiss Alps together, the awe of standing before the Great Wall of China, the magic of sailing through the Mediterranean. With each new experience, our family bond strengthens, and our love for the world and its wonders deepens, creating memories that will last a lifetime. But was it real? Or just an illusion born of years of longing and planning? I glance around our quiet home, the world map on the wall a reminder of the adventures we dream of... and the hope that maybe one day they really will come true...  

- Serena Kelly, Whangarei

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​​​​Finalists 

An Amalfi Nightfall  

Those seeking the journey of a lifetime often look to some pilgrimage as an answer, and it’s hard to blame them. However, no Vernean odyssey could compare to this single moment.

I remember being regaled with stories of backpacking around cities far away. Youths would flock to get the cheapest Eurorail or Shinkansen passes and discover the world. A trip was the time to explore ancient ruins of a nation long since destroyed or dance until the sun came up to songs with words completely unknown to you; and in this, you hoped to find yourself.

But seeing the sunset in my hometown, I saw the true majesty that could be discovered; the heavens were more gorgeous than any marvel of humanity. It was then that I chased the perfect dusk, an instant more powerful than an entire journey. Looking out at the wine-dark Mediterranean I found it and sighed.

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-Connor Redding, Wellington

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Sands of Time: An Adventure of a Lifetime          

It was a hot, crisp, cloudless day in Egypt. I walked on the ground where ancient pharaohs once stood. The fine sand trickling beneath my feet as if the sands of time in an hourglass taking me back to ancient times. It seemed only yesterday that as a child, I dreamt of exploring ancient Egyptian tombs. That dream finally became a reality for me as I sift through trinkets and knick-knacks at bazaars and souqs at the famous and historic Khan el-Khalili in Cairo. The wonder and amazement I felt while wandering into a fully preserved pyramid were indescribable. The ancient Egyptians had painted the stars and moon inside these lavish tombs that made life feel fleeting and death bittersweet. The colours on the walls and ceilings were still so very strikingly vivid almost as if they had just been painted. This trip changed my life forever, and for good.

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- Leah Case, Auckland

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A van and two islands          

The old man drove a van across two islands. his dog, named Miss, an aged greyhound, perched beside him, her loyalty bound. The van, a creaking vessel of memories, carried little but essentials: a kettle, a worn blanket, and a dog-eared book of poems. They wandered, not in search of anything, but to marvel at everything—the mountains, the sea, the silence. And in that simplicity, the old man found a treasure that all things would have praised: the joy of being gloriously and unremarkably alive.

Each night, they camped beneath skies incredibly vast, On a beach, the man lit a small fire, its glow a humble friend in the dark. Amongst the stars, nary a cloud, Miss curled at his feet as the man read aloud “The world will never starve for want of wonders, but only for want of wonder.”     

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- Josijah Morehu, Auckland

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Giggling Gunshots

Our last day at the bungalow in rural Thailand was peaceful—until sudden gunshots shattered the air. My fiancée shot upright, alarmed. The sounds had echoed from the temple behind us.

Unsure, we peered out tentatively and saw the housekeeper. Sweet but limited in English, she mimed a head being cut off. “ngaan-sop,” she said.

My fiancée’s eyes widened in terror. Executions?! Her voice shook.

We grabbed our phone to translate. Battery dead. Panic set in.

Seeing our panic, the housekeeper flailed, desperately trying to explain. But with no way to communicate, tension quickly thickened.

Uneasy, we cautiously left, half-expecting to stumble upon something horrific.

Hours later, phone recharged, we learned the truth about “ngaan-sop”.

It meant funeral. The gunshots were a Thai ceremonial tradition.

Relief hit. Then uncontrollable laughter—while the poor housekeeper was likely wondering the rest of the day why foreigners were so dramatic. "             

- Sean Mascarenhas, Auckland

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At Last!    

She reads it. She moves on.

Ah, they’ve sent that competition info again. Enforced sitting still, with this new fleeting nuisance called vertigo, makes space to ponder.  So close to 77, not a milestone, but a trigger to musing on age, time, past adventures, opportunities, undone adventures.

Avoiding that dreaded expression “bucket list”, she nevertheless finds her thoughts going to Rapa Nui. Rapa Nui you say? Think Easter Island if you must. Why on earth there? Who knows? Teenage reading of Thor Hyerdahl, the history, the mystery, the spiritual, trying to better appreciate indigenous autonomy, doing the different, remembering stories told by the beloved kaumatua at work of his time there, not being able to get there easily??

“But who would I want to come with me, now there’s just me?”  A secondary issue. As you tell others, the planning will tell you. Trust the process.

- Jennifer Moor,  Auckland

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Bydand

A haunting, humming sound in the distance–veiled in a mist of fog across the sweeping highlands of Aberdeenshire–follows a high shrill from some distant bagpipes. Castles lasting the fate of time, scattered between the ruins of yesteryear. A warm scent wafts across the room, the smell of a hearty cooked haggis and all the ""neeps and tatties"" (and of course an inviting pint of ol’ Scottish Whisky). A feeling of belonging and connection, surrounded by my clan.

But alas, half a world away, this bonnie lass longs for the day when she will finally feel the flowers of Scotland beneath her feet, of the homeland of her tūpuna; Clan Gordon, my whakapapa.

Bydand.

Postscript – Bydand is the motto for Clan Gordon, showcased on their crest, meaning steadfast and resilient.

- Lala Cullen, Hamilton

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Get him to the Greek

Across the sapphire seas of the Med, kissed by the wind

We embark on a journey of love and renewal.

A husband’s dream wrapped in space and time.

White-washed buildings, blue domes - a Cycladic jewel

The sails set beneath a sun - warm, and bright

Inviting exploration across ancient ruins, a hidden cove.

Whispering secrets of Aegean myth,

And shrouded by a bougainvillea grove.

Each night we rest beneath the stars.

We taste the salt, the sweetest wine.

We drift along gentle waves beneath a vast crystal sky.

Oh how our hearts wish we could stop time.

This would be a gift, a token of love.

For my best friend, my guide

Our sailing honeymoon, neatly tied.

- Jessica Hanff, Auckland

Solo    

A cruise to the Med, Sounds great in my head.

However the cost for me is too much....you see

I travel solo...I know that's sad but I've been told I snore really bad!

My birthday was yesterday I'm now seventy five

Three quarters of a century and still alive.

I'm  fit and able and work 5 days a week.

My dream holiday is all I seek.

So the prize you are offering IS my wonderful dream

To the UK and Europe 'cause I've never been!

- Christine Hannah, Auckland

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Memories     

The news stunned my two grandchildren into unusual silence followed by such excitement! Bags were packed too early as dreams became reality.

What was I thinking?! A 14 day cruise around NZ with these beautiful girls on my own...

I attempted to explain our adventure to my dear husband now in full time care with Alzheimers showing him yet again the numerous photos of our many travels that took us all over the world these past 50 years!

Its difficult to describe the many roles I played on this amazing cruise. Nanna, Mother, Teacher.

The Staff on board, the Kidsclub, food and fun totally perfect! The curfew was stretched most nights however no alcohol under 18 plus trackers helped allay my fears.

The following letter from my girls says it all: “We will never forget dear Nanna these last 2 weeks! Thank you for the best memories forever in our hearts”

- Marguerite Sakey, North Shore City

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The Place I Want to be

One day I will return to this beautiful city of my dreams. The wonderful memories it holds of strolling hand in hand through the tree lined main Street. Dappled sun filtering through the leaves. Street stalls selling their wares, beautiful bright bouquets of flowers and tacky touristy nick-nacks.  Streetlights giving a sense of times gone by. Meandering through the warren of shaded side streets Stumbling across the most amazing  architecture, centuries old churches, Gothic buildings and balconies apartments that tell their own story in history. Perusing the many little shops and peering at the menus of the many restaurants. Delicious smells wafting through the doorways. Loosing myself in the ambience of this amazing city. The art, the history, the culture. So much more to see and the place I want to be. Barcelona!             

- Tracy McDonald, Auckland