|
North Island and South Island have many areas of beauty. New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere and lies in the South-West of the Pacific Ocean.
The country is about 1600km in length and the total land area is 270,000 square kilometres. It is a relatively mountainous area and the Cook Strait which is 20km wide at the narrowest point and seperates the North and South Islands.
Northland -- Auckland -- Coromandel -- Bay of Plenty -- Waikato
Rotorua -- Eastland -- Taupo -- Ruapehu -- Taranaki -- Hawkes Bay
Wanganui -- Manawatu -- Horowhenua -- Wairarapa -- Wellington
North Island |
Northland - Northland and the Bay of Islands is a relatively narrow peninsula which reaches towards Polynesia, the home of New Zealand's first inhabitants. With 144 islands, the Bay of Islands is known for big game fishing, diving, walking, swimming and boating. The Ninety Mile Beach, which is actually only 64 miles, is loved by surfers from around the world.
Auckland - Auckland is bounded by two harbours, the Waitemata and the Manukau and is the main gateway to New Zealand and the centre of commerce and industry. It offers great beaches, great shopping and fantastic nightlife and culture of a metropolitan city.
Coromandel - The best attraction of the Coromandel Peninsula is it's spectacular coastline which provides sandy beaches, coves and harbours which present the opportunities of fishing, boating and swimming. The Coromandel had it's heyday in the mid-1800s after the discovery of gold.
Bay of Plenty - The Bay has a mild, sunny climate with some of the country's most beautiful beaches and plenty of orchards, including citrus and kiwifruit. The main area Tauranga has all of the amenities of a city. Mount Maunganui is popular with surfers and family's, and White Island, an active volcano is on the horizon which can be identified by the trailing plume of smoke.
Waikato - This region has some of the world's most productive farmlands. The main centre is Hamilton which houses a vast range of Maori treasures in the Museum of Art and History. On the coast, Raglan is a well known surf beach and seaside resort.
Top
Rotorua - If you want to experience geysers, mud pools and Maori hospitality you have come to the right place! The geothermal activity attracts many visitors to this area, and the extreme sports like rap jumping, skydiving, jet boating or zorbing also attract a lot of people.
Eastland - This area is best known for its great coastline, country gardens and the high annual sunshine hours. It also has a high Maori population, so it's one of the best places to learnabout the Maori culture. Also it is renowned for its Chardonnay wine. Gisbourne is the main centre and the Te Urewera National Park has fantastic walks and trails centered on the Lake Waikaremoana.
Taupo - This area is south of Rotorua and is centered on the Lake Taupo and the town of Taupo in the heart of the North Island. The lake is actually a volcanic crater and hot springs appear around different parts of the lake due to the thermal belt that extends from the Bay of Plenty down to Taupo. Things to do include rainbow trout fishing, bungy jumping, rafting, walking, horse treks and paying a visit to the Wairakei International Golf Course.
Ruapehu - The main attraction is, of course, Mount Ruapehu which is an active volcano, which occasionally performs a mini eruption. Next to this is Mount Ngauruhoe and Mount Tongariro. Skiing is one of the most popular things to do here especially on the world class fields ofWhakapapa and Turoa. The many attractions include the railway of Raurimu Spiral, ice and rock climbing, abseiling, mountaineering and many more.
Taranaki - New Plymouth, the main area is known for the gorgeous gardens and parks which are always open for public viewing. Altogether there are 21 golf courses in this region, also the Egmont National Park is one of the most beautiful parks in New Zealand with Mount Taranaki dominating the skyline.
Hawkes Bay - Napier which is the main centre of the region was almost destroyed by earthquake and fire in 1931, and was rebuilt in the Art Deco style which was very popular at the time. It has the largest amount of Art Deco buildings in the world. This region has over 30 vineyards which are open to the public for wine tasting, the vineyards produce a lot ofChardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines.
Top
Wanganui - The Whanganui River is popular for tourists as they can jetboat or riverboat right up into the middle of Whanganui National Park. There are lots of historic tribal villages situated in this region where the Maoris welcome visitors to experience their culture.
Manawatu/Rangitikei - Sheep farming and cattle raising are important activities and cropping on the lowlands. Palmerston North is one of the country's largest provincial cities, which has a lot of boutiques, cafes and fantastic restaurants. The Rangitikei River Valley has a lot of bed and breakfasts and farm stays which mostly have magnificent gardens.
Horowhenua - The Horowhenua is only one hour away from Wellington and is bounded by the Tararua Ranges and the Tasman Sea. Horticulture is the main industry sector here because of the rich soil and mild climate. Levin is the main town which services the horticultural andagricultural community. Places to visit include the Tararua National Park, Owlcatraz and the Foxton township.
Wairarapa - This area is rich in sheep farming with more than 100 farm and home stays located in beautiful countryside. Masterton is the main town with a population of 20,000. Martinborough is becoming a known wine centre with the growth of different grapes including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre, Greytown and the forest parks of Rimutaka and Tararua are great places to visit.
Wellington - The region includes Wellington City which has a population of 346,000 which is set on the shores of a deep harbour and surrounded by wooded hills. It is known as a trendy weekend destination and has great entertainment values. The city is home to the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Kapiti Coast is a playground with great beaches and mountains to explore and Te Papa in Wellington is a leading edge museum.
Top |
Nelson -- Marlborough -- West Coast -- Christchurch -- Canterbury
Mt Cook -- Wanaka -- Queenstown -- Otago
Dunedin -- Fiordland -- Southland
South Island |
Nelson - Nelson is known for its artists, boutique wineries, historical streetscapes, cafes, seafood and a relaxed lifestyle. Nelson has a population of 52,000 and is named after Admiral Lord Nelson. The main industries here are forestry, horticulture, fishing and tourism. Tahunanui Beach has the largest and best-equipped holiday park in the country. Places of beauty include Abel Tasman, Kahurangi National Park, The Nelson Lakes National Park, Buller River and Farewell Spit.
Marlborough - Blenheim is the main centre of Marlborough and you can fly direct here. The region is sheltered by hills and mountains and is known for vineyards, great food, boat cruising and forest walks. Places of interest include Malborough Sounds, the Queen Charlotte Walk, Wither Hills Farm Park, Mount Richmond Forest Park and the village of Picton.
West Coast - The West Coast is a narrow strip of land between the Southern Alps and the Tasman Sea. There are three main towns on the West Coast, Westport, Greymouth and Hokitika. You can try gold panning at Shantytown which is not far from Greymouth. Because of the immense beauty of the West Coast, the national parks here have been designated as World Heritage Areas. There are plenty of things to do here as well which includes hiking, angling, glacier trips and scenic flights.
Christchurch - The South Island's largest city with a population of 337,000, Christchurch is a vibrant and exciting place to live with festivals, theatre, art galleries, shopping and lots of attractions. Festivals here include Showtime Canterbury, International Buskers Festival and the Festival of Romance. Places of interest are Christchurch Botanic Gardens, Mount Cavendish, the Avon River and the International Antarctic Centre.
Canterbury - Lyttelton and Timaru are the main towns in Canterbury with plenty of things to see and do. Akaroa is Canterbury's oldest village where you can see Maori, whaling, French and British history. Hanner Springs is a scenic village with lots of thermal activity, Kaikoura is where you can often see the giant sperm whale and in the Hurunui District contains plenty of wineries. The Ashburton District contains lots of adventures like hot air ballooning, skiing and salmon fishing.
Top
Mt Cook - The Maori name for Mount Cook is Aoraki and it is New Zealand's highest mountain. On one side of Mt Cook is the Tasmin Glacier, one of the longest outside of the Himalayas. The main centres here are Fairlie and Mount Cook Village. Places of interest include Church of the Good Shepherd in Lake Tekapo, Hiking in Mount Cook National Park and scenic flights and glacier landings.
Wanaka - Great things you can do here include, trout fishing, hiking, skiing, vineyard visits, mountain biking and visits to the Skyshow Centre. Wanaka is located on the southern shores of Lake Wanaka, west of Otago and north of Queenstown. Lake Wanaka is New Zealand's fourth-largest lake and it reflects the beautiful peaks of Mount Aspiring Park World Heritage Area. Top rated skifields include Cardrona, Treble Cone, the Waiorau Nordic Ski Area and the Harris Mountains Heliskiing.
Queenstown - Queenstown is a year-round alpine destination, where it has been judged as one of the top 25 cities in the world by a leading travel magazine. Queenstown and Arrowtown have over 100 restaurants and cafes. The area has great rainbow trout, brown trout and quinnat salmon fishing where the lake is open all year round. Millbrook Resort, Kelvin Heights, Arrowtown and Frankton have the most beautiful golf courses in the world so if your a keen golfer you can't miss this!
Otago - This semi-arid region has a series of river basins and deep river gorges and this area is often called the golden country because of its associations with goldmining, autumnal colours and the apricot orchards. The main centres are Alexandra and Cromwell. Gabriels Gully and the historic towns of Clyde, Lawrence and St Bethans are some of the places of interests in Otago.
Top
Dunedin - Dunedin is the main centre for Otago and the second-largest South Island city with a population of 112,000. Its name is the Gaelic word for Edinburgh because the city was established by Scottish Presbyterians. The city has great architectural heritage. The wildlife is abundant with wildlife tours runing daily to view fur seals, endangered yellow-eyed penguins, cormorants and albatross. Oamaru is known for the great white stone buildings of the old harbourside precint. Moeraki Beach has the unique attraction of the perfectly rounded Moeraki Boulders which weigh up to four tons each.
Fiordland - Te Anau is the main centre for Fiordland mainly because of the restaurants and accomodation. It is also the gateway to the world famous Fiordland National Park which is a World Heritage Area covered by nearly 1.2 million hectares of land. You can see beautiful waterfalls, glaciers and forested valleys. Attractions include Te Ana-au Caves, Milford Sound, Underwater Observatory in Milford Sound, Lake Manapouri and the Doubtful Sound.
Southland - Southland includes New Zealands third island, Stewart Island, and they contain the most lush, green pastoral lands in all of the country. There are many farmstays here for people looking for a Kiwi experience! The largest urban city here is Invercargill which has a population of 49,000 and has many great Victorian and Edwardian buildings, gardens and landscapes. Scots also settled here like Dunedin in the North. Main attractions here include Caitlins Coastline, Port Craig, Invercargill Musuem, Stewart Island, Sea Kayaking and Kiwi Spotting on Stewart Island. |
|
