The sacred summit
of Ishizuchi-san, otherwise
known as ‘the roof of Shikoku’3
BAY OF ISLANDS &
NORTHLAND, NEW
ZEALAND
Endless extraordinary surf
beaches, myriad islands and
forests of giant trees are the
hallmarks of the northernmost part of New Zealand
(Aotearoa) – but that’s only part of the story.
Northland is the cradle of the country’s culture and
history – both for the indigenous Maori people and
for the European settlers who followed them.
The two formally came together with the signing
of the Treaty of Waitangi in the Bay of Islands,
and 2020 sees the 180th anniversary of that key
nation-building event. Expect extra gusto at the
annual festivities at Waitangi on February 6 –
New Zealand’s national day – including the
opening of a brand-new museum devoted to the
Maori Battalion who fought in the World Wars.
2
SHIKOKU, JAPAN
‘88 Sacred Temples of Shikoku’
pilgrims might have been
journeying around Japan’s fourth
largest island for 1,200 years,
but this somewhat off-the-beaten-
path haven is finally being discovered by non-
Japanese visitors, with an increasing number of
international flights winging into the main cities of
Takamatsu and Matsuyama.
The popular island of Naoshima in the Inland Sea,
along with 11 other blossoming art-focused islands,
is hosting its Setouchi Triennale Arts Festival through
November 2019, and the magnetism of Naoshima
is rubbing off on mainland Shikoku, too. Visitors
are exploring attractions such as the ‘hidden’ Iya
Valley, the Naruto whirlpools, Kochi City’s castle
and Hirome markets, Matsuyama’s Dogo Onsen
and also climbing the holy Shinto peak of Ishizuchi-
san. Some are even walking the 1,400km 88-temple
Buddhist pilgrimage.