It began over a couple of beers after work one Friday: where would we most like to live?

With the team here being mad keen on the outdoors, we know there are better places to live the outdoor life than Auckland. Wouldn’t it be great if instead of our offices being based in Pakuranga we were somewhere else, somewhere more mountainous. Somewhere like Wanaka.

But what if there was somewhere better than Wanaka? To find out, we decided to get your opinion on where you would up-sticks to if given the chance. So began our quest to find New Zealand’s top tramping town.

More than 1000 of you voted and this issue we publish the results, along with an expose of the top three towns, outlining just why living in these places is so good for your tramping soul.

Our pick, Wanaka, made the top three, but the number one spot went to a town further south, on the border of Fiordland National Park.

I visited Te Anau to meet the locals and find out why it’s such a great spot to live if you love the outdoors. One look at the lake and the mountains opposite and I had my answer, but I stayed for three days anyway and sampled just a few of the tramping opportunities in the town. It really is a cracking outdoor playground and the best thing is, the residents know it and celebrate it.

I’m now working on the publisher, trying to convince him that next year we do the exercise again, but make it a binding referendum: wherever you vote as the best outdoors town, we’ll shift the offices to.

– Alistair Hall