Great Barrier Island
First stop, GBI. Again! đ Barrier Air seems to have upgraded to bigger planes during the pandemic, but still two wonderful scenic flights … we basically got off the 787-9 and right onto the 10-seater prop. GBI was fantastic, just like three years ago … and there is real-fruit ice cream here now! Unfortunately, there’s also less dining options, which makes it a bit difficult if you don’t want pub food every night. But still a wonderfully relaxed place! Got lucky with the weather, too – we arrived Monday and left Thursday, just before the big rain event hit … .