Best Places You've Never Heard Of: Havelock, New Zealand

 
Best Places You've Never Heard Of: Havelock, New Zealand
The Traveler: Leon Logothetis, a London broker who jumped ship at the chance to work for the Discovery Channel show Destination Future. The experience inspired his own show, Amazing Adventures of a Nobody, which cataloged his super-frugal adventures from New York to L.A. and from Paris to Moscow.

The Place: Havelock — with less than 500 residents — sits at the head of the wide, startlingly clear Pelorus Sound, and a boat or kayak boarded at the marina leads to winding waterways where dolphins jump from the water and dark-green mountains jut steeply into the air around every turn. First populated by gold miners and timber workers, Havelock's tiny downtown is chockablock with cute two-story colonial buildings that now house galleries and restaurants. "Both the North and South Islands of New Zealand are filled with dreamlike scenery and picturesque little towns," says Logothetis. "But of all of them, Havelock is my favorite. It's just this little slice of heaven, with great food, super-friendly people, and an amazing setting."