Is 30 percent huge? The headline was the prediction of a "huge" resurgence in travel once levels get dropped and we can actually start living sort of normally again.

This is survey work suggesting 30 percent of us will take a holiday domestically within a six month period of being able to do so.

The good news is that’s about one million of us. But I'm not sure a third or less than is that huge. That's two thirds going nowhere.

But here's the good part of all this. When I moved to Auckland 25 years ago I was astonished at how many people had never been to the South Island. They'd been to, at that stage of travel, Fiji and Sydney. But never Nelson, Timaru, or Christchurch.

Then, as one stop holidays on planes increased, it was Hawaii, Los Angeles, not to mention Singapore, and bits of Asia. The argument was always that offshore was more glamorous, and to be blunt too much of this country was too expensive to get around. A seven-day package at Denarau was cheaper than seven nights in Queenstown.

But given foreign shores are out, New Zealand is set to be rediscovered. And here's further good news; you won't regret it.

Whether it was my parents or whether we all did it, I don’t know, but holidaying locally was all I knew growing up. Somehow I have managed to see literally every bit of this country. There isn't a region I haven't been to, there isn't a small town I haven't, at least, past through, or had an ice cream in, or gone to the beach.

Through holidays as a kid, travel through work, or holidaying with family we have been everywhere. And it seems remarkable that seemingly not a lot of others have.

So if you haven't and if you're one of the 30 percent, then you're in for a treat. The key I suspect was the fact we never flew, and the downside of planes is you miss large swathes of countryside.

I drove Wellington to Tauranga too many times to count. At 6 hours, it's big miles, but the countryside is superb. I've done Dunedin to Christchurch and back too many times to count. But Timaru, Oamaru are both brilliant. The hinterland around Ashburton is magnificent. Christchurch to Central Otago, the Mackenzie Country is postcard. Christchurch to the West Coast, Hokitika, Reefton and Westport. I've seen them all.

That’s the beauty of the road. Christchurch to Kaiteriteri, how many thousands of Cantabrians have done it?  The Tasman is as sparkling as it gets. Round the roads of Ruby Bay, Golden Bay, remote and brilliant.

And given we had no money it must have been cheap. It's all still there. Only recently more likely to be frequented by an American or German than a New Zealander. So let's change that, given the place is ours again, at least for now.

Don't leave town till you’ve seen the country. Remember that? A 40 year old ad line as applicable today as it ever was, maybe more so.