-I'm in a destination where the environment is sensational, where remote beaches and far-flung lands are commonplace, yet jaw-droppingly exceptional.

Its history goes back 800 years and, yet, a movie debut made it one of the most sought-after destinations to visit.

But, even in its most remote corners, there's community, where people come together to create something, not just for themselves, but for all to enjoy and benefit from.

It's a destination known as a place of belonging.

I'm exploring the top of the South Island in New Zealand.

[ Upbeat tune plays ] I'm Samantha Brown and I've traveled all over this world.

And I'm always looking to find the destinations, the experiences, and, most importantly, the people who make us feel like we're really a part of a place.

That's why I have a love of travel and why these are my places to love.

Samantha Brown's "Places to Love" is made possible by... -We believe watching the world go by isn't enough.

That's why we climb... ♪♪ ...pedal... and journey beyond the beaten path, on storied rivers, with a goal of making sure that every mile traveled turns into another memory.

You can find out more at amawaterways.com.

-To travel is to live, and at AAA, we've been passionate about travel for over 100 years.

That's why we created AAA Vacations, member travel experiences around the world.

Learn more at AAA.com/LiveTV.

♪♪ -All the untamed beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, experienced on a journey by rail.

♪♪ Rocky Mountaineer, proud sponsor of "Places to Love."

-There are two main islands making up the country of New Zealand, and I'm exploring the top of its South Island.

It's famous for its national parks, astonishing mountains, friendly cities, incredible coastlines, and one very famous wine region.

That's where I'm beginning.

♪♪ Marlborough is just stunning country.

You've got these beautiful, verdant hills, and behind those hills are these jagged mountains and then it comes into this... [ Sheep bleating ] ...pastoral sheep farms.

Then, you enter into the vineyards, and you realize where you are.

And right now, we're here amongst the Sauvignon Blanc vineyards, the vines.

So, Sauvignon Blanc really gave New Zealand a national identity.

I mean, for the first time, the world knew what this country was about by its taste.

-Yeah.

I was eight years old when they first planted these vines and I remember my father saying to me, "What are they doing?

They're crazy.

They're crazy.

Grapes don't grow in Marlborough, no.

This is farming land."

And look at us now: 40 years down the track, and we're making these beautiful wines.

-What happened to New Zealand that made this such a phenomenal industry?

-I guess it was a bit of good luck.

-Uh-huh.

-I mean, they did a little bit of research.

They knew kind of what they were doing.

We share our knowledge.

We share our experiences.

We get together a lot.

As people, as a community, we're all kind of moving together, so... And there's younger people coming through.

I mean, I've been in the industry now 20-, 30-odd years, so, I'm one of the older ones, so we've got new people coming here, another generation of winemaker coming through.

It's really exciting because they're bringing another dimension to our winemaking.

♪♪ -I'm Haysley MacDonald.

I come from a long line of farmers.

I'm a proud Maori owner of these vineyards.

We named this place Te Pa after our home, our village, our people.

-This is your family's land that goes back how far?

-Over 800 years.

-800 years, your family has [laughing] had this land?

-Mm, mm.

-So what was it used before then?

-Sheep and beef, dairy, potato crops, cereal crops.

-Is there anything similar between the two, of raising sheep and raising grapes?

-Not really, not really.

-[Laughing] -These ones don't kick ya.

-[Laughing] The seaside vineyards of Te Pa lead directly to Cloudy Bay, giving the winery a unique confluence of bounty and beauty.

Alright, Haysley, what should I pour ya, here?

-Since we're down here near the beach, the Te Pa Sauvignon Blanc Reserve.

-And this is 2019.

-Hot off the press.

-[Laughs] -Both: Cheers.

[ Clink ] -Wow!

Robust like the sea.

A good, briny taste.

I love that.

-We should try the Cloudy Bay clams.

-Okay.

-These go well with Sauvignon Blanc.

So they're really lovely.

Quite a sort of a salty flavor.

-Little bit of this.

-With a little Chardonnay vinaigrette.

-Oh!

♪♪ -Oh, gosh.

I just feel like, with your Sauvignon Blanc and these clams, I've got a front row to the ocean.

Not to mention a front row ticket to history.

-This is Cook Strait, which leads into the Pacific Ocean, and we're here at the Wairau Bar, the first landing of my people that arrived here some 800-odd years ago.

Such a big food basket here from the little river that runs out, the lagoons in behind it, the fish life, the shellfish.

-It must be amazing to be someone like you and have this as a reminder of where and who you're from.

-This is always home.

-Mm-hmm.

-It's a sense of belonging to know your history is here.

-This is Pa. -This is the Pa. [ Waves crashing ] ♪♪ -One of the joys of travel is spending time with people in their everyday lives.

Here, in the Marlborough Sound, the simple act of delivering mail has you meeting extraordinary people and landscapes.

♪♪ People all around the world get their mail delivered every single day... but not quite like this.

How many stops, on, say, a busy, a busy day, summer day?

-Maybe 20, 25 stops.

-So, who are we, or what are we, delivering to?

-So a lot of people are out here on their own.

-Wow!

-A lot of people are out here, so there are families that have been brought up out here.

-Oh, my goodness.

So this happens every time, the people come out and meet you on the dock?

-That's right, yeah.

-The dogs.

-The dogs tell them.

-Mm-hmm.

[ Dog barking ] Oh, you got your dog biscuits.

That's so good!

-I have, indeed.

-Hello!

-Hi!

-You've got mail!

[laughing] -Ah, thank you!

-Hello!

And you must be Beck.

-Yes, I am.

-Nice to meet you, Beck.

-You, too!

-I'm Sam.

[Laughing] -[Barking] -Alright.

We've got two dogs, two biscuits.

Oh, my gosh, this biscuit is bigger than you.

Oh, oh.

[ Laughter ] So, Fern was telling me that you have one of the oldest homesteads in all of Marlborough Sound.

-Yes, that's the house -- look at the state of it -- over there.

-[Laughing] -Oh, that's where you live.

-Yes.

-What is it like living so remotely?

-We don't feel like it's remote 'cause it's not far... -Right?

And you get the mail boat.

-...back to town.

Yeah, exactly.

-What made you make the decision?

-Him.

[ Laughter ] -I've always lived remote.

-Okay.

-So this is not remote for me.

-Now, I would ask you if there's a road, but, judging from your backyard, no way, right?

-There's a track.

I wouldn't call it a road.

Yeah.

-And the only way in and out is by boat?

-Yeah.

-Well, lovely meeting you.

Thank you so much for your time.

♪♪ How often do you go out to deliver mail?

-Three times a week in the winter and six days a week in the summer.

-You must know a lot of these people personally.

-Yes, well, it takes you about a year to get to know everybody personally... -Mm-hmm.

-...so that makes the job really special.

-The mail boat is a reminder that, even in remoteness... Hello!

How are you?!

...there is ritual.

Now, that's a mail delivery!

You got that?

People get their mail, give their mail, and recycle.

-You can recycle, as well?

-Sure can.

-Wow!

Good for you!

-And that's the return there.

-Excellent.

Have a good day!

-See ya.

-Thank you.

Bye!

-This is so amazing.

Do you ever get to see their homes?

-Yes.

-Yes.

Are you invited over for tea, that kind of thing?

-Yes.

-I would hope so.

-And some of them are a little bit more... like to keep to themselves.

-Well, you would imagine that this would inspire both types of people... -Sure.

-...those who never really wanna see anybody and those who are really happy to see someone.

-Sure, exactly.

-Our last stop before heading back to base... Hello!

...is Nydia Bay.

How are you?

Do you have three biscuits?

-I do.

-Ohhh!

[ Laughing ] -That's your one.

-Thank you.

-Nice to see you all!

Wow!

Hey, Fern was telling me that -- that some people invite everyone over onto the dock and kinda check things out.

Are you some of those people?

-Climb up here, and I'll show you the Nydia Track.

-How long have you lived on Nydia Bay?

-For about 3.5 years, now.

-Not that long.

-No!

-How do you like it?

-Oh, I love it.

-Yes.

-We have four children and we walked in here one day and we saw the lodge that we own now and thought, "Wow!

Does this exist in this amazing, remote place?"

-How many people live here year-round?

-Probably eight.

-[laughing] Wow.

[ Laughter ] Oh, my God.

♪♪ I still can't comprehend that it's winter.

It's gorgeous.

-Ah.

-It feels about 65 degrees.

Is this what this area looks like all the time?

-In the summer, it's usually glass in the mornings, and then, it chops up more in the afternoons because of the temperature difference.

-And, in the summer, does it fill in with boats?

I see just a few of them moored.

-Sometimes you might have a day that people organize a party or something, but I think 350 days of the year, it's just quiet.

We wanted something different, something that we had different business opportunities with the children and that they could all be involved, and that's how we ended up here.

-Helen's business opportunity is back where the mail boat initially departs, in the town of Havelock, on Mills Bay.

-Hey, Mom!

-How are you, darling?

-Good!

-Both: Hello.

-Wow!

This is wonderful!

These are your kids?

-Yes!

My daughter Maegan and my daughter Emma.

-Oh, my gosh.

So you have two girls?

-Two girls; and then, here's Art.

-A boy!

Oh!

-My younger son.

-Hi, Art.

-Mussels.

-Oh, fantastic.

-The family-owned-and-run tasting room serves only one thing: world-famous New Zealand mussels.

Whenever I see them on a menu, say, in the States... -Yes?

-...just New Zealand mussels, so I don't even know what type of mussel that is.

-So it's a native mussel with a green shell.

-It's massive, compared... -Yes.

-...to the mussels that we're used to in Europe and in the United States.

-Yes, and the meat inside is also a lot bigger.

It fills up the whole shell.

I'm Maegan Blom, and I help out with the operation of our family business.

We grow mussels in the Marlborough Sounds, and then we bring them here, grade them, pack them, and send them out to restaurants and supermarkets throughout New Zealand.

-It's interesting you call it a tasting room because I realized that's exactly what this is, but we're only tasting one type of mussel.

-Yes.

-So how are we -- how is it a tasting room?

-You can eat them raw with, like, a vinaigrette, but you can also cook with them, so we'll compare it to an egg.

You can fry the egg.

You can bake it with a cake, or you can do so many things.

So we say the same thing with mussels.

-Can I learn how to shuck a... -Sure thing.

-...shuck a mussel?

-And Arty's the best person to teach you, I think.

-So you wanna -- you want to hold it... [ Whimsical tune plays ] ...like that.

This is a lip that creates here.

-Yeah?

-So your knife can just easily slip in.

-[Giggling] -[Chuckle] -Are you sure?

-I'm going to be the first person to really hurt myself with a butter knife.

-[chuckling] Yeah.

-I think I'm gonna take my gloves off.

Alright.

Let me try.

-So your knife just slips in.

-Oh, look at that.

Yep, ooh!

-Yeah?

-I think I got it.

-You just slide to the top, like that.

And then we take... -Wow.

-...this top shell off.

-Okay.

Oh, look at -- Look at mine.

-[Laughing] -Oh.

Table 5 is not gonna be happy with me at all.

-You can still see it's a mussel, but... [ Laughter ] -What I lack in shucking skills, I make up for in eating.

-So we have the raw-shucked and then grilled mussels here, with garlic butter.

-Mm-hmm.

-And these have been raw-shucked, then deep-fried with beer batter.

And bacon-wrapped, and then we've got smoked ones in the salad and they all go deliciously with the homemade sauce.

-Wow!

A celebration of mussels.

-Exactly, yes!

-[Laughing] And now...the tasting.

Mmm.

[ Outro plays ] But the top of the South is not all marvelous mussels, fantastic fjords, and remote residents.

In the relatively populous town of Nelson, I found some amazing examples of supernatural beautiful and creativity.

♪♪ Oh, wow!

[gasp] All in a row.

-Aren't they beautiful?

-What is this piece called?

-This is a piece that was made by a student, actually, from the Hong Kong Design Institute, but you can see the intricacy of the -- the amount of work that go into making these.

They're hand-beaded.

Every single bead that you see there has been put on by hand.

And the movement of it onstage.

I mean, we're seeing all these static, but when they're moving, they just take on a whole new life.

I'm Dame Suzie Moncrieff, the founder of the World of WearableArt.

♪♪ WearableArt is taking art off the wall and adorning the human body and world in wonderful ways.

This is made of felt, and I've seen a lot of feltwork coming through over the years in WOW, but, to me, this, the intricacy of making this material... -Oh, my gosh.

-...by hand.

-Yeah.

So the artist isn't going to the fabric shop.

-No, they're making this.

-They're creating the fabrics, as well.

-Actually created the fabric.

-And even the shoes match... -Beautiful.

Yeah, right down to the shoes.

-...which is very important in fashion -- right?

-- to have a good pair of shoes... -Yes, yes.

-...that match.

-[Laughs] -And it has to be functional as a piece of... -Yeah, absolutely.

-...clothing.

-It has to be worn.

It has to be comfortable, not dangerous.

-[Laughs] -We've had some weird stuff in the past.

I remember once, in the very early days, a costume arrived made of kelp.

-Okay.

-It had to be kept in a swimming pool.

[ Laughter ] -How unique is a museum dedicated to wearable art?

-Well, as far as I know -- I might be wrong, but as far as I know, I think we are the only museum dedicated to wearable art in the world.

What I love about wearable art is the opportunity it brings to everybody to discover their creativity.

We have people from architects, dentists, doctors, housewives, you name it.

-And all these pieces right here were in your yearly competition.

-Yes.

-And part of that competition is not simply a fashion show where models traditionally kind of walk a runway.

-No.

-It is an entire production.

-It's a huge show.

♪♪ We have over 400 people working on that show, one of the biggest stages in the country, huge lighting rigs.

We have all the music specifically composed for the show.

-Mm-hmm.

-Each year, we have around 400 or 500 people enter, and, usually, we have anything from 120, 150 designers will make it to the finals.

-Oh, my goodness!

I mean, this really shows you there is no limit to what you can do.

-Absolutely.

And this is from a section we call "Aotearoa," which celebrates our indigenous Maori culture.

-And these really are pieces of art... -Yes.

-...that you would actually hang on a wall.

-You could take off and hang up on the wall.

-Wow!

-They've come out of this designer's mind.

They're dreams that she's had, and she kept a diary of these dreams and these women that would come to her, her ancestors.

-Mm-hmm.

-And so she decided to paint the grandmothers, all her grandmothers that have gone back in the lineage.

Without creativity, where are we, what are we in the world?

-Mm-hmm.

-And WOW offers a platform for people from any background to enter.

You don't need a degree.

All you need is an idea, the passion, and give it a go.

♪♪ -We're prepared to give things a go.

We're prepared to laugh at ourselves... -[Laughing] -...I think, so, the ingenuity, the Kiwi ingenuity to do things, to make something out of not much at all.

I'm Adam Gardiner, and, in December 2015, my brother-in-law Duane and I, we hatched a plan to help New Zealand buy a beach and gift it back to the people of New Zealand so that everyone can enjoy this beautiful place for always.

-Awaroa Beach is located in Abel Tasman National Park, but, still, a small piece of it went up for sale on the international market.

-So, this part of the beach that was for sale was owned privately.

And we got kind of talking, and, "Hey, it's Christmas Day.

Wouldn't it be amazing if we actually -- Why don't we try and run a campaign and buy the beach?

And then, because it's Christmas, then we can gift it back to New Zealand as a Christmas present and say, 'Merry Christmas, New Zealand.'"

And then someone yells out from the kitchen, "Well, do something!

Or come and dry the dishes or something, but do something!"

And we said, "Alright.

We will."

-How much was the beach listed for?

-Well, we knew it was gonna be around about $2 million.

-Wow.

So, how long did it take you, then, from the beginning of launching the campaign to reaching your goal?

-Three weeks.

Yeah, yeah.

-And how much did you raise?

-$2.28 million.

-Oh!

-Yeah, [chuckle] yeah.

With the help of thousands and thousands of people, yes.

-How many pledges did you have?

-Yes.

We're guessing maybe 300,000 people, so, about 10% of the population, roughly.

-Oh, my goodness!

-Roughly.

Yes, yeah, yeah.

-[laughing] That's incredible.

-It's -- It is -- -I mean, the whole country got behind this.

-It's very humbling.

-Wow!

-It's very humbling, yeah, yeah.

-And this is all so you wouldn't have to do the dishes.

-Exactly.

-[Laughing] ♪♪ So, right now, I'm between a tremendous amount of helicopter piloting experience.

Bill, how long have you been flying helicopters?

-46 years.

-46.

So many people, when they -- when I tell them I'm coming to New Zealand, say, "Are you going to Hobbiton?"

And I tell them no, and they can't believe I'm not doing something associated with... -"Lord of the Rings."

-..."Lord of the Rings," and, yet, being with you, Bill, that's my connection to the movie now.

[ Laughter ] -Well, yes.

-Bill Reid's company provided air transportation for director Peter Jackson's cast and crew on the "Lord of the Rings" and "Hobbit" movies.

-A few months after that shot finished, I was flying down this valley early one morning, and I saw these amazing, phallic-looking rocks sticking up.

I'd never, even though I'd flown in that area for a long time, I hadn't noticed these before.

I got ahold of him and said, "Peter, you know, I've found this other place you're going to really like."

He says, "No, sorry, Bill.

We've finished it in your area.

We're not, you know, we're not doing any more."

I says, "Peter, you've gotta see this."

So he said, "Alright, then."

So let me fly him over there, and he just said, "Wow!"

And just loved it so much that he changed this, sort of this big scene around them, you know, that they had planned for somewhere else, and said, "No, we're gonna shoot it here."

So they were back and this was an even bigger shoot, oh, and much longer scene and a very sort of iconic one in the first "Lord of the Rings" movie, which everybody instantly recognizes.

-And we can actually go to that location, correct?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-And Bill's handing over the keys of the chopper to his son to get me there.

-I'm Toby Reid.

I've been flying helicopters for 17 years.

I'm a third-generation pilot in Nelson, top of the South Island, New Zealand.

♪♪ -Wow!

This mountain range over here is phenomenal.

-That is the Kahurangi National Park, where we're flying into today to land on Mount Olympus.

♪♪ -I either feel like we're at the end of the Earth or the beginning.

-[Laughs] -I'm not quite sure.

-Middle-earth.

-Middle-earth.

I don't see anywhere where you could land.

-It does appear that way from here.

-Yeah.

-But, when we get in there, there's a few little helipads that my father designed when they were filming "The Lord of the Rings," and we're gonna pick one of those little secret spots today.

♪♪ So I'm just gonna, now, pop into here.

♪♪ -[laughing] Oh, wow.

It's definitely changing my opinion of where you can land a helicopter.

♪♪ This is incredible!

-This is Mount Olympus.

This here on the right is where they filmed south of Rivendell in "The Lord of the Rings."

-Oh...my...gosh!

It does not look real.

-Mm.

-I feel like I'm -- And look at the mountains in the distance!

It just feels like that's -- like that's a greenscreen... -Yeah.

-...that they -- they put in later in post.

I mean, this is -- This is unreal!

Oh, wow!

♪♪ [ Breathes sharply ] -This is where the scene started, when they were sword fighting in the pit here.

-Uh-huh.

-Then, before long, the crows came out of the mountains behind... -Wow.

-...so they put their fire out and they all went and hid up in these rocks.

♪♪ [ Music soars ] ♪♪ -What is the real story behind these rock formations?

Because, as we flew over, there's clearly nothing like this and, yet, all of a sudden, they just pop up.

-This is the one side of just this mountain, where we've got these pinnacle rock formations that are an old seabed that have lifted up over millions of years, and the sandstone in the seabed is slowly eroding away with wind and rain.

So we're looking at the hand of God, the thumb and the three fingers, grasping up at the sky.

-Oh!

-And it's really kind of a good fit with "The Lord of the Rings," isn't it?

-Yes.

This is such a precipitous and remote location that only a helicopter can get you here.

-This is called high tea.

-[Laughing] Since I was visiting Middle-earth, I wanted to bring my own teacup along, for the special occasion.

-We always like to slow things down when we get up here, either have a cup of tea while people are still taking in the sight.

-Does this ever, dare I say, get old?

-No.

Actually, on a perfect day on top of the mountain and it starts putting everything into perspective and reminds you that you don't take it for granted.

-Both: Cheers.

[ Clink ] [ Water crashing ] What is that sound?

-That's all the waterfalls just feeding down through those valleys into the river below, the Clark Valley.

-So, right now, we're just listening to the sound of waterfalls.

[ Water crashing ] ♪♪ -The top of the South has beautiful scenery and really, really delicious food.

Nice wine and meats and lots of different products, so it's a foodie destination, for sure.

-We love to welcome travelers here to come and enjoy what we have here.

It's unique.

It's special.

The bounties of this place is unimaginable.

-As we find, sometimes, when we travel, that our heart gets pulled to certain places and that, for sure, is this beautiful place here and this beautiful beach, a place of belonging.

-The top of the South really has everything to offer, not only fabulous beaches in the most secluded and beautiful places, but fabulous galleries, its incredible restaurants, and it's all here.

-What I love about living in the top of the South Island is the diversity of the region.

Everyone's really friendly.

You walk down the street, and people will say hi.

It's a great place to get into the outdoors and just enjoy the wilderness.

We've got it all.

-When you see the effect of remarkable creativity that everyone is invited to participate in, when the union of ocean and land brings forth unforgettable tastes, when a destination connects you to remote places and what you find is community, that is when we share a love of travel and that's why the top of the South Island in New Zealand is a place to love.

-For more information about this and other episodes, destination guides, or links to follow me on social media, log on to placestolove.com.

Samantha Brown's "Places to Love" was made possible by... -We believe watching the world go by isn't enough.

That's why we climb... ♪♪ ...pedal... and journey beyond the beaten path, on storied rivers, with a goal of making sure that every mile traveled turns into another memory.

You can find out more at amawaterways.com.

-To travel is to live, and at AAA, we've been passionate about travel for over 100 years.

That's why we created AAA Vacations, member travel experiences around the world.

Learn more at AAA.com/LiveTV.

♪♪ -All the untamed beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, experienced on a journey by rail.

♪♪ Rocky Mountaineer, proud sponsor of "Places to Love."

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪