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In October 2013, I came to New Zealand's North Island, willing to travel on horseback on my own for several months. It didn't go according to the plan, it went much better than that!  The journey lasted for two years, the South Island was covered too and my boyfriend Steph joined me.

Getting started was not easy though: good horses are hard to get hold of, and private properties were standing in the way of any decent itinerary.

I finally teamed up with Yakov, a kiwi with dutch origins who had a wagon and two horses.  Together we had a wonderful time travelling around East Cape.  I discovered the maori culture, life on sheep stations and the fabulous kiwi hospitality.  Then I carried on my own with two horses (Wiki and Bo), sometimes camping, but more often hosted by locals and farmers, who generously shared their home and their lifeslyle with me.

Once on the move, it was hard to stop!  My new dream was to stay an extra year and travel the South Island, wilder and more montaneous than the North Island.  It sounded good to my boyfriend Steph too.  Together we hit the trail, this time with three horses (Wiki, Waka and Fern), and spent a whole summer exploring the South Island.

Now we're back in France.  The horses have found a new home near Queenstown, in a gorgeous station with a very nice family.

There were more people travelling New Zealand on horseback at the same time!

• Larissa and Kendall's dream was to circumnavigate the country. Their journey started in spring 2014 but their adventure had started long before, when they got their horses: the first step of their project, but also their first step in the horse world!

www.facebook.com/horsingaroundaotearoa

• Maxence (a french girl!) was also in for an equestrian adventure journey in New-Zealand. Her idea? Riding the South Island, from the bottom to the top (from November 2014 to March 2015). As we were riding in the opposite direction, we met at mid-way!

http://braidedmanesbraidedtales.jimdo.com