Postcards from Aotearoa (or: how we flew 30 hours to watch a penguin take a nap)

Some places feel oddly familiar even before you get there. Like you’ve dreamt them, or maybe just seen too many tourism ads. For me, New Zealand was that place. I’d seen the mountains in National Geographic , the rivers in slow-motion drone shots, and the landscapes doubling as Middle-earth on screen. I assumed the real thing would be a slight letdown — like most things that get hyped to oblivion.…