Despite its small size, New Zealand has a variety of different terrains. One minute you could be driving by forests, full of indigenous Cabbage Trees and Nikau palms (the southernmost member of the palm family, it is unique to New Zealand). Next, you might find yourself passing snow-capped mountains, or cruising along the coast.

With four million people living in New Zealand, it is often joked that whereas everyone in the world is separated by 7 degrees, we are only separated by 2. In fact, while in Austria in 2012, I met a woman who used to be the English teacher of my next-door neighbour.

New Zealand resides in the southwest of the Pacific Ocean and almost 2000km from any other countries. Referred to as Aotearoa by its first settlers from almost a thousand years ago, the Maori, New Zealand is a paradise. Sadly, due to its distance from the rest of the world, many people are never able to visit this partially sub-tropical beauty. A few days ago, I decided to create a short video showing off the wonders of the New Zealand landscape that are only minutes from my own front door. In the video, I have captured both the beauty and serenity of Shakespear Park, located on the tip of the Whangaparoa peninsula, which is less than an hour’s drive away from the biggest city in New Zealand. It’s amazing how close to the bustling city I live, and still have such quiet.

Quick thanks to both mum and dad for driving me to the nearby park, as well as Jade and Christina who appear in the video. Also thanks to my good friend Emily and the rest of the Ranger group I’m in, who helped me with this project. Now sit back, and let yourself be taken into a beautiful place, which I call home.

Sarah Albom is a member of the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program