Ah, New Zilland, Land of the Long White Cloud and the Fluffy White Sheep. (Enough with the sheep jokes, already – Ed.). Okay, I’ll admit that my knowledge of all things New Zealand only stretches about as far as cricket and rugby (‘cause we’re better at them), and the obvious tourist crap such as kiwis, Tikis and the haka. I began to figure that there can’t be a lot over there to see and do if the number of ex-pats now living in Australia is anything to go by, but after 78 minutes of this Getaway DVD I can tell you that plans are already afoot to get over there for holidays – what a place!

Those with an interest in travel will know of Channel Nine’s travel program, Getaway, which has been running for a few seasons now. Reporters travel to all parts of the globe sampling everything from local cuisine to local customs, experiencing all the best that holiday destinations have to offer in an attempt to lure us off our couches and down to our local travel agency. If watching this DVD doesn’t make you want to just go there tomorrow, then nothing will.

The stories come from several seasons of Getaway, but each is breathtakingly stunning, adventurous and scenic. Even their cities seem somehow groovy and beautiful.

The team will show you the following popular and less accessible areas from the north to the south of both main islands, and if you take their suggested visiting times to heart, you’ll need about six months to truly experience everything to its fullest. Just all about all passions are accounted for from trekking, fishing, hiking, thrill seeking, biking and camping, to bungee jumping and horse riding. Travel with the Getaway team to such fantastic locations as the Milford Track, Fox Glacier, Coromandel Peninsula, Matauri Bay, Mount Cook, Rotorua, Mount Hutt, Queenstown, Waiheke Island, Whangaroa Harbour, Milford Sound, Auckland, Rakaia Gorge, Great Barrier Islands and Napier. All segments are individually selectable.

Activities include those listed above and many more. Accommodation options are explored, though costing has largely been left out for obvious reasons. There are some travel tips thrown in and some 'do’s and don’ts' littered throughout. All of the presenters seem to have way too much fun in their job, and their enthusiasm and excitement is mostly obvious and understandable. This would be a great DVD to check out if New Zealand has ever sparked holiday inclinations, or as a present for those feeling a little homesick, maybe.

This is a wonderfully colourful, sharp and detailed presentation that looks even better on DVD than it does on television. The aspect ratio is divided between some 1.78:1 clips and some totally bordered segments (black bars on the bottom, top and sides if you don’t have a widescreen set) but all are 16:9 enhanced. The colours are beautifully presented which scenic views such as this demand. There is great detail and clarity. There is no evidence of grain or dirt, or any other glitches, and things such as aliasing and shimmer are so insignificant that only the most pedantic will even notice. There are no problems with black levels, and shadow detail is largely irrelevant.

Generally speaking, the Dolby Digital stereo track is great. It is very clear and all dialogue and voiceovers are loud and clear, plus there are no issues with synchronisation, hiss, dropouts or volume variance. The low-level sounds are deep and rich when they appear, and the music for the stories is perfectly suited and sounds great. There is little more to add. The audio is a very good stereo track and is more than adequate for this type of presentation.

What initially appear to be some interesting extras turn out to be very quick and a little disappointing to be honest. There is an interview with veteran presenter, the testosterone-fueled Ben Dark, and some bloopers from other Getaway episodes. These two extras combined last less than six minutes, so don’t be expecting anything too special.

This is a wonderful introduction to the wonders of New Zealand, and will simply whet your appetite to get there and experience it for yourself. The majestic scenery must be on par with anything you will find anywhere else in the world, and the best thing is that it is so close to Australia and relatively cheap. And yes, there are some sheep in at least one of the stories, but they are not particularly attractive, sorry.