New Zealand, ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’, is a small, sparsely populated country consisting of two major islands, North and South Island, and a scattering of smaller ones. Despite its size it is crammed with magnificent natural beauty and has an incredible amount to offer; the only complaint travellers have is that they hadn’t allowed enough time in the country. Fresh air, breathtaking scenery and outdoor activities are the main attractions of New Zealand, with a tremendously friendly, honest and helpful population, colloquially nicknamed after their country's distinct symbol, the unusual but amiable flightless kiwi bird.
New
Zealand offers a huge variety of action-packed and laid back activities, from
bungy jumping to skiing, swimming with dolphins, scenic flights and boat cruises
on the fjords, as well as several world famous walking trails with unrivalled
scenery. Alternatively visitors can immerse themselves in culture at the museums
and galleries of the country’s main cities - Auckland and the capital
Wellington in the North, and Christ Church in the south.
New Zealand is an easy and compact place in which to travel and its spectacularly
dramatic landscape alone, famous for its setting for the ‘The Lord of
the Rings’ film trilogy, makes the long trip to these southern islands
more than worthwhile.
The North Island has many superb physical features as well as New Zealand’s two major cities, Auckland, the ‘City of Sails’ and the capital, Wellington. From island-studded bays and sailing, to volcanic activity and geothermal wonders, wild rugged coastlines and fascinating Maori culture and history, the North Island of New Zealand has much to offer visitors.
The beautiful region in the far north is known as Northland and includes the picturesque Coromandel Peninsula, reaching into the sea between Auckland and the Bay of Plenty, with magnificent kauri forests of enormous 3,000-year-old trees, stunning coastal scenery, beaches and scenic bays, quaint seaside townships and mountain ranges. The Bay of Islands is the most popular destination with opportunities for sailing, diving, snorkelling and kayaking on the clear blue waters around the islands. The top of the island tails off into a rugged desolate finger of land with sand dunes and the long white sandy stretch of Ninety Mile Beach along its west coast.
At the heart of the North Island is the Central Plateau, the centre of the
country’s volcanic activity. Volcanoes, bubbling mud pools, hot springs,
spouting geysers, steaming lakes and rivers are strewn across the landscape.
Rotorua, the Maori cultural heartland, sits at the edge of the most concentrated
area of activity and is characterised by the unmistakable smell of sulphur.
Lake Taupo, formed by one of the greatest eruptions ever recorded, has beautiful
views across to the volcanic peaks of Tongariro National Park, with excellent
hiking, and is regarded as the trout fishing capital of the world.
At the southern tip of the island lies the capital in a striking setting
around a harbour and surrounded by mountains. It is the centre of the country
and a major travel crossroads between North and South Island.
The South Island is less populated than the North and appears to have a slower pace of life, with rural scenes of sheep-filled pastures and remote farm settlements backed by rugged snow-covered mountains. The scenery is magnificent, and with its alpine mountains, fjords, glaciers, lakes and forests it is possibly even more spectacular than the North Island. Often arrogantly referred to as ‘the mainland’ by South Islanders, the South is the main destination of New Zealand tourism.
Canterbury is the hub of the South Island containing the largest city, Christchurch, an English epitome, with punting on the River Avon and a grand Anglican cathedral dominating the central square. The Queenstown region is the capital for adrenalin-inducing activities and the home of the bungy jump, with a history of gold in the hills and rivers and set on a beautiful lake at the foot of the Remarkables Mountains.
The southwest holds some of New Zealand’s finest scenery and natural
wonders, including its highest mountain, Mt Cook or Aoraki, ‘cloud
piercer’; the Frans Josef and Fox Glaciers stretching down to within
a few kilometres of the coast, the magnificent Fjordland National Park with
beautiful fjords, waterfalls and forests, and several world-famous walking
tracks.
The South offers an abundance of activities and attractions set in wondrous
surroundings, with a huge diversity of things to see and do.
