Top of the South Island, NZ -
samantha brown's places to love

Samantha bicycles through the sprawling Brancott Estate vineyards, which was the first to grow and bottle Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough, and then visits the te Pa Family Vineyards, where she learns of its 800-year old Maori roots. From land to sea, Samantha explores the Marlborough Sounds aboard the Pelorus Mail Boat, where she helps deliver mail to the locals who live off the beaten path. Havelock is the mussel capital of the world, here Samantha indulges at Mills Bay Mussels, which serves up tasty variations of green shell mussels. In Nelson, Samantha meets Dame Suzie Moncrieff at the World of Wearable Art (WOW), where experienced designers, students and novices from around the globe compete at their hugely prestigious event. Samantha then strolls through town with Grant Smithies, New Zealand's premier music writer, and learns about the happening Nelson scene. Taking to the sky, Samantha helicopters to a Lord of the Rings filming location at the peak of Mount Olympus, where Pilot Bill Reid shares stories of scouting with Director Peter Jackson. In Abel Tasman National Park, Samantha walks along Awaroa Beach and talks with Adam Gardner, who co-led a crowdfunding campaign raising $2+ million NZ dollars to purchase the beach and gifted it back the New Zealanders.

Duration: 26 minutes and 46 seconds

Episode Number: 303

About Samantha Brown's Places to Love:

For more than 17 years, TV host Samantha Brown has been exploring all four corners of the world, visiting more than 260 cities in 62 countries, sharing her adventures and introducing new cultures to viewers.

Now, the two-time Emmy Award-winner embarks on her next journey with her new travel series SAMANTHA BROWN'S PLACES TO LOVE.

Unlike a traditional travelogue show with a formulaic itinerary, PLACES TO LOVE delivers decidedly refreshing and enriching travel experiences by taking viewers on a discovery of the emotional heart of travel and highlighting the people who are changing, challenging and strengthening a destination.

From Brooklyn, New York and Monterey, California to Shanghai, China and Donegal in Ireland, Samantha seeks out the little-known spots and haunts where innovators and disrupters are creating a brand new travel experience.

Whether it's through food and drink, art and design, culture or adventure, at the end of each episode, viewers will have a well-curated list of new experiences that focus on not just how to visit a destination, but how to fully immerse in it.

The 13-part series encourages viewers to experience the passion of people and the soul of a place in a way that only traveling can do.

Samantha's career as a television travel host happened by accident.

A producer spotted her work in a commercial and recommended her to the Travel Channel in 1999 to audition for a new show called Great Vacation Homes.

A decade of various series followed, including Great Hotels, Passport to Europe, Passport to Latin America, Samantha Brown's Asia, The Trip, 50/50, and many others.

Samantha's fun-loving style has made her a beloved and engaging television personality whose approach is less expert and more a person you would want to travel with.

Visit the Samantha Brown's Places t... web site

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