How often does one get the chance to holiday with a Bollywood star? Let me think... like never! So when those tickets landed in my inbox to fly down to New Zealand (gasp!) to be a part of GenY Bolly heart-throb Sidharth Malhotra’s vacay plans (double gasp!), I was in it before one could say... ‘Jealous!’ Over 10-odd days, here’s how Sidharth — the face of Tourism New Zealand in India — cruised through Kiwi country... with t2 taking notes!

TOUCHDOWN AUCKLAND

A butt-numbing 16-hour flight later, Sidharth touched down at Auckland airport in the late hours of November 9. Guess who the Bolly hottie bumped into at the airport? Prime Minister John Key — who the actor had met recently in India! “New Zealand has always been very welcoming, but to meet the PM just as I touched down was really special,” Sidharth later told t2. The next day, Sid took a flight to Christchurch, and was greeted by a gang of Bolly dancers. The star didn’t let jet-lag get the better of him, slipping on his glares to show off his superhit Kala chashma moves (below).

HOWZZAT!

His first trip as brand ambassador to New Zealand last year had Sidharth fly up to Isobel Glacier in Mount Aspiring National Park, Queenstown, to hit a ball around with retired Black Caps Simon Doull, Scott Styris and skipper Stephen Fleming. On this trip, the handsome hunk hopped over to Hagley Park in Christchurch for a bat at the nets. His teammates? “Big boys” Fleming and Brendon McCullum! So is Sid the cricketer as good as Sid the actor? “Well, I am a better spectator than player!”

LOL-ed Sid to t2, whose “cricket” videos on the sets of Kapoor & Sons are a huge hit on YouTube.

DATE WITH DOLPHINS

Bucket lists are made of these! Sidharth slipped on his diving suit to swim with the dolphins at Akaroa, a 90-minute drive from downtown Christchurch. Once a French colony and translating as ‘long harbour’ from the local language Maori, Akaroa is a picturesque town that draws lakhs of tourists annually. Accompanying Sidharth on his date with the dolphins  was friend Abhishek Badhwar, who the actor described to t2 as “the perfect holiday buddy”. Excited about swimming with the dolphins, Sid — who wants to bring his “Dream Team Tour” companions Katrina Kaif, Aditya Roy Kapoor and (ahem!) Alia Bhatt for the experience — was also taken in by the scenic beauty of Akaroa.

t2 travel tip: Even as your jaws drop with a peek at the dolphins, be sure to watch out for the White Flippered Blue Penguin, the smallest penguin in the world, the endangered yellow-eyed penguin, New Zealand Fur Seals and New Zealand’s native dolphin, the Hector’s dolphin, all of which call Akaroa home.

BOYS & THEIR BIKES

Sidharth owns a Harley, but the thrill of riding one on the smooth and picturesque Christchurch roads is something else. The actor got his adrenaline rush cruising on a mean machine, courtesy Bularangi Motorbikes Harley Davidson Tours. “I am very passionate when it comes to bikes. The experience of riding with the Bularangi crew was especially mesmerising because of the view it offered,” said Sidharth, who biked it with pals Fleming and McCullum and then hopped over to whip up some flat white coffee (below) with them.

t2 travel tip: Bularangi Tours offer Harley rides throughout the country with start and finish points at their motorbike depots in Auckland, Coromandel, Christchurch and Queenstown. Want to experience a Harley in NZ but don’t know how to ride one? Bularangi takes you sightseeing riding pillion on a Harley with your own
personal driver!

DDLJ in KIWILAND!

What better way to see a country than to hop on to a train and take in the view of the countryside? Well, Sidharth had his own DDLJ moment on this vacay, chugging on a TranzAlpine train to enjoy the beautiful view of the farmlands of the Canterbury Plains and the jaw-dropping Southern Alps. What’s more, he hopped into the driver’s seat for a brief while, to take over controls. “Every turn of the train threw up a breathtaking view. I am dying to shoot a film or at least a song on this train very soon,” Sidharth told t2. 

t2 travel tip: The TranzAlpine train ride is a must-do on a New Zealand holiday, making for a scenic trip through vistas and gorges. Make sure you have your camera ready to go click-click at the ice-fed Waimakariri River. 

HAVING A BALL!

The fun never stopped for Sidharth on his action-packed vacation. A rugby fan, the star got a chance to get up close and personal with game legend and former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, even playing ball with him, a beautiful view of the hills and lakes thrown in. Richie, who captained New Zealand to two World Cup wins, is now a licensed pilot with Christchurch Helicopters and he flew the Bolly boy to the high country and even treated him to a barbecue. “Playing rugby with Richie was great. I have watched him play… he’s one of the most successful rugby players in the world. He’s like the Sachin Tendulkar of rugby! We flew to the mountain top where we threw around a rugby ball and had an amazing view. That was very special,” an excited Sid told t2. 

t2 travel tip: Christchurch Helicopters offers a range of scenic flights —  winery-focused visits to flying across local rivers and landing on mountain tops. You can fly down to one of the many New Zealand lakesides and enjoy a scenic lunch. Just don’t expect Richie McCaw to pilot you there!

ON A HIGH

t2’s favourite leg of #SidNZ was when we landed up at the north Island town of Rotorua — and promptly took a Gondola ride (right) to Skyline Rotorua, an adventure park built on a mountain top that offers a range of adrenaline-pumping activities. From the heart-in-the-mouth Skyswing to super-fun Mountain Biking, there’s something at Skyline Rotorua for every kind of adventure junkie. What t2 loved the most? The Luge — a fun-filled ride down the mountain side in a light toboggan, where you feel both in control and out of control at the same time! Proud of myself for having done it once — vertigo be damned! — I found myself signing up for a second time, with Sidharth egging me on with: “Come on, you have to do it once again... with me!” Now how does one pass up on a chance like that?! “The best thing is that the activities here — the prime example being the Luge — is all action, but also completely non-scary and a whole lot of easy fun,” Sid, who plans to get his younger nephew to Skyline Rotorua (“he will go mad here!”), told t2.
t2 travel tip: Don’t strike out Skyline Rotorua from your must-do list just because you have a fear of heights... even if you don’t zip off for a ride, the view makes a trudge up worth it. And if you are opting for a Luge ride, sign up for the “Scenic Track”... and thank us later! 

ZIP, ZAP, ZOOM!

Luge and lunch later, Sidharth was off for his next adventure... ziplining! Ziplining what? A feeling of “flying” through a dense forest...  attached to a harness. Sid enjoyed ziplining at Rotorua Canopy Tours, especially since he happens to be “a nature fan”. 

“I have done ziplining before in Hrishikesh, but this is the tallest zipline I have been on. It was very, very exciting… the trees were 10-storey high and there was a deep valley below. I went ziplining right through a jungle that’s preserved and conserved by the New Zealand government. It’s extremely clean and they have about six ziplines, all at different heights and operating at different speeds. So the longest one is some 220m and you can go at a speed of 50km on it! That’s super thrilling and there’s a great view to top it all,” he told t2. 

t2 travel tip: Ziplining at Rotorua Canopy Tours could take you upwards of two hours... so sign up with some time in hand — and go zip, zap, zoom!

CHEF SID!

The next morning, we found ourselves at Te Puia, Rotorua’s top attraction that packs in all — from a showcase of Maori culture to the hub of geothermal activity. While my jaw dropped at the sight of the erupting thermal geysers (well, that’s for another travel piece!), Sid turned chef — “cooking” a crayfish in one of the many boiling pools, using a traditional Te Puia method called “Hangi” where fresh ingredients are lowered into natural pools in baskets woven from flax (above). “My mom will be happy that I actually cooked in New Zealand!” laughed Sidharth, who was spellbound by the sight of the erupting geysers. “They are magnificent to see and imagine they have been around for some 60,000 years! That’s one off my bucket list,” he said. 

t2 travel tip: Spare at least a day for Te Puia — from the Maori welcome dance to the geyser experience to Kiwi bird-spotting... there’s a lot to be seen. And don’t lower any body parts into the pools — or you will end up as the next Hangi meal!

BEING TRADITIONAL

Hangi meal cooked and eaten, Sidharth hopped over to Mitai Maori Village, a picturesque tourist attraction that gives holidaymakers an introduction to Maori culture in a bush setting. The actor not only wore a traditional Maori outfit, but also jumped on to an ancient warrior canoe called “Waka” to cruise down the Wai-o-whiro stream.

t2 travel tip: If the culture of a country interests you, then Mitai Maori is just the pick. Just don’t get surprised and pull away when you are given the traditional Maori welcome — look at Sid (above)!

MIDDLE EARTH, AHOY!

For a movie buff, a visit to Hobbiton — the sets of The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit films — is a must. Sidharth, LOTR and Hobbit fan, who “keenly follows” director Peter Jackson, was super kicked as we drove to Hobbiton, an hour from Rotorua. Hobbiton, in one word, is S.P.E.C.T.A.C.U.L.A.R. — right from that bus ride where Jackson pops up on an AV to talk you through the adventure to the excitement of peeking down Bilbo Baggins’s Hobbit hole. “This has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Ever since I met Richard Taylor (the head of New Zealand film prop and special effects company Weta Workshop), I have been dying to visit Hobbiton. When I went to the Weta Workshop last year, they dressed me up as an elf (!) with an amazing array of prosthetics,” Sid told t2. We also popped into the iconic Green Dragon inn, situated within Hobbiton, for dinner, with Sidharth bonding big time with its resident cat Pickles! “This one reminds me so much of my pet dog Oscar,” smiled Sidharth.

t2 travel tip: Make sure you buy your LOTR/ Hobbit merchandise from the resident souvenir shop before you hop onto the bus... it closes early. I had to put in another trip to Hobbiton within the next two days... just to get my hands on some coveted merchandise. But hey, I am not complaining! 

SAILOR BOY

Back in Auckland a day later, Sidharth made his way to the city’s Waitemata Harbour to try his hand at the unique America’s Cup Sailing experience. With the Auckland Harbour Bridge making for a pretty backdrop, Sid turned Popeye for the day, steering a yacht and learning all about its technical know-how.

t2 travel tip: Sign up for this if you enjoy a spot of sailing. And it’s not all fun and games — you will be called on to steer the helm, work hard on the grinders or hoist the main sail in this hands-on sailing adventure!

ALSO ON SID’S DIARY

What’s an experience if you can’t live it? Sid turned Maori for a day, donning the traditional garb, getting his face painted and posing for a series of portraits. Our verdict? The most handsome Maori... ever!

Giapo, the hole-in-the-wall ice cream place in Auckland’s Queen Street, had both Sid and t2 hooked. With every ice cream a work of art, owners Giapo Grazioli and  Annarosa Petrucci have tourists coming in droves to sample their fare. Sid not only enjoyed the mindboggling array on display, but also put on an apron to try and churn out — wait for it! — Pani Puri Ice cream!

Text: Priyanka Roy
Pictures: Tourism New Zealand & Priyanka Roy

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