It’s the world’s best country (again) according to Telegraph Travel readers. They’re quite good at Rugby, and Charles and Camilla are big fans, but there are many more reasons to start planning a trip to New Zealand. Check out the stunning slideshow of images and reasons why New Zealand is a contender for the most beautiful and liveable country. We think it could be a much longer list!

1. “The landscapes make you want to applaud”

First and most importantly, it looks amazing. Douglas Adams, the author of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, probably sums up its appeal best in his book, Last Chance to See. “Fjordland, a vast tract of mountainous terrain that occupies the south-west corner of South Island New Zealand, is one of the most astounding pieces of land anywhere on God’s earth, and one’s first impulse, standing on a cliff top surveying it all, is simply to burst into spontaneous applause. It is magnificent.”

Read the whole article and watch the slideshow at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/oceania/new-zealand/galleries/26-reasons-why-New-Zealand-is-the-worlds-best-country/

More and more people are enjoying the benefits of inner-city living and it is a trend which is growing. Wellington City Council estimates another 15,000 people will be living in or near  the Wellington CBD by 2045.  Its Urban Growth Plan notes that the central city is a key location for high quality living and a primary residential growth area.

Alan Duff talked to the children at Maraeroa School at the Duffy Books in Homes assembly.

Safest, easiest to do Business, favourite destination – this is New Zealand!

Auckland and Wellington are the Australasian region’s safest cities for personal safety and security.

The Wall Street Journal ranked NZ as 3rd in the world for economic freedom behind Hong Kong and Singapore.

This is reinforced by the World Bank Washington declaring NZ as the easiest country in the world to do business, ahead of 154 other countries.

Travellers voted NZ their favourite worldwide destination 2007.  Wanderlust Magazine
25,000 readers of The Telegraph in Britain voted NZ their top holiday destination, for 2  years in a row.  NZ beat South Africa and Australia as ‘favourite place on earth’.

Auckland was ranked by Mercer, fourth in the world amongst 215 cities for Lifestyle & Living Standards.  Ahead of New York, London, Paris.