Holidaying in New Zealand is better than going overseas.

I've recently returned from a couple of weeks going around a few spots in the South Island, and I'm convinced it's a better way to travel than taking holidays overseas.

Here's why:

1) There are so many good spots here. People overseas know it, so they come here and check it out. Kiwis, on the other hand, take off to Fiji, Australia or South-East Asia. Lonely Planet named New Zealand its 5th top place to travel in 2018, so we've got this great tourist destination handed to us on a plate. All we need to do it tiki tour around a bit to enjoy it. Places like Coromandel, Tutukaka, New Plymouth, Castlepoint, Marlborough Sounds, Milford Sound, Wanaka. Don't die wondering, they're awesome.

2) You waste less. You already know how to spend money efficiently in New Zealand, so you don't overspend on things like food, laundry and other basics. And when you have leftovers at the end of the trip, you can just take it home. Not to mention avoiding overpriced big ticket tourist traps (it costs $NZ137 just to get into Disneyland...come on) . You know what things are worth and when you're getting ripped off. It's also far too easy to miscalculate a foreign currency and think you're getting a decently priced taxi only to find out later that you didn't pay $3, you paid $30.

3) Transport is easier. You don't have to fly internationally, so there's no checking in to airports two hours before your flight - never mind endless hours on a plane or in transit. You can take your own car, so you can pack and unpack yourself. You just get around the same way you always do. No foreign road rules, no driving on the right hand side of the road and it's all in English!

4) A combination of the previous three points. You waste less time, because it's easy to get between good places - and get variety as well. You can go from the mountain to the beach in a couple of hours in some places. Wherever you are, there's a good spot a short drive away.

5) The people. It's easier to deal with your hosts when they're your countrymen and women, and we have some excellent people in our hospitality industry who actually really like having kiwi guests. You can also holiday near friends who live in a different town and catch up with them while you're away. Who doesn't have an old friend or two who you haven't seen in too long?

6) You're investing in kiwis and in New Zealand. Going overseas means taking New Zealand dollars and giving them to another country. Places like Kaikoura and Christchurch need as much money as they can get right now, and they're no less beautiful because they're dealing with earthquake clean ups. You can't help but feel good for giving your business to kiwi retailers who've been shafted by Mother Nature, and they're so grateful when you do.

7) Local food. Cheese rolls aren't the same if you're not in Southland. You can only get Fergburger in Queenstown. Hawke's Bay fruit, Marlborough salmon, West Coast whitebait...everywhere has a specialty. And if you're in a small town, seek out a bakery. You'll find old school people making old school food like lamingtons and jam doughnuts the way they should be made.

8) Local drink. Wine from Marlborough, Central Otago and Hawke's Bay tastes better when you're actually there. If you prefer beer, there's always a good quality local drop within cooee. Wellingtonians bang on about having the best coffee...whether that's true or not, at least every kiwi cafe knows what a flat white is. And have you triedFoxton Fizz???

9) Beaches. Yes, there are great beaches overseas, but we have loads too - and beaches that offer something different. Black sand beaches, golden beaches, sand dune beaches, surf beaches, calm beaches, beaches for swimming, swinging or open spaces. Seek and you shall find. There's loads more than just these, but it's a good start.

10) You can travel any time. There's no rainy season to avoid - yes, there's winter but it's hardly monsoons - and winter offers just as many activities as summer (skiing anyone?). The Southern Alps are just as spectacular in summer, and in winter there's snow. Milford Sound can actually be better in winter, because more rain means more waterfalls. You can often get cheaper accommodation in winter too - places like this, where winter rates are over $100 cheaper per night than summer, are fairly typical in the South Island in particular.

11) Driving is often enough. The road into Milford Sound is arguably more beautiful than the Sound itself. McKenzie country is great to drive through, coast roads anywhere can be stunning and on a clear day in the central North Island you can see from Mt Taranaki to Mt Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro.

12) You come away proud of your own country and what we have. You can meet all sorts of different kiwis and it actually matters because they're your countrymen and women. You don't feel the stress to get out and doeverything, because if you miss something it's easy to go back another time.

Travelling overseas is fun and it’s novel. I’m not knocking it. But we’re often too quick to ignore what we have available in our own backyard, and it’s well worth your time.

-Nick Walker is the exectuive producer for Wellington Mornings with Heather du Plessis-Allan