Todd Roughton (55), originally of Auckland, and wife Riety (52), of Holland, have lived in the North Island since settling in New Zealand in 1989, two years after meeting and marrying in Belgium.
Most recently, they have settled in Whangarei, but apart from the occasional business trip to Christchurch by Mr Roughton, the family - including four children aged 14 to 21 - have never ventured south.
That was despite repeated questions from Mrs Roughton's Dutch family and relatives in Europe, who wanted to know more about the scenic wonders of southern New Zealand.
So, this summer, they finally travelled south.
The Roughtons and three of their four children - daughters Amy (18), Anna (16) and son Thijs (14) - borrowed a caravan from a Nelson friend and set off.
Speaking during a stop-over in Dunedin on Tuesday, they said they have been stunned at what they have found - beginning with the scenery, but including the sheer scale of the South Island's tourist industry.
"There are so many tourists. There are so many caravans on the road. It's unreal. The majority of people we have met are not Kiwis - they are French and other Europeans.
"It's unbelievable the languages you hear. In Queenstown someone would have to tell you you were in New Zealand."
Since crossing Cook Strait, the family had visited Nelson before heading down the South Island's West Coast, stopping in Greymouth, Hokitika and Fox Glacier.
Their trip had also taken them inland to Wanaka and Queenstown, then on to Te Anau and Milford Sound.
Highlights had included Milford Sound, the view of Queenstown from the top of the resort's Skyline Gondola, and the beauty and ambience of Arrowtown.
"It's just gorgeous. You really live in a beautiful, beautiful place," Mr Roughton said. "It's prettier than people say."
The worst experience came when encountering seemingly inflated petrol prices at Fox Glacier.
Service station staff justified the prices, saying they were because of the township's remote location, Mr Roughton said.
"It felt like they were fleecing you. If I were a tourist, I would feel a little bit cold-hearted towards those people.
"It's not the Kiwi way, to do that," Mr Roughton said.
The Otago Daily Times met the family as they sat down for lunch inside the caravan at the Leith Valley Touring Park in Dunedin on Tuesday.
They had only arrived the day before, but still had time to marvel at the Dunedin's mix of central city architecture and Otago Peninsula wildlife - including sightings of a sea lion and several gliding albatrosses.
They planned to travel to Oamaru, before visiting Hanmer Springs and Christchurch, and then back to Nelson, where their journey would end on January 17, Mr Roughton said.
