From the glacier rivers to the Southern Alps, the land of New Zealand has much to offer. The lush greenery and waterfalls that cascade from the peaks of rolling hills cannot be missed; luckily, New Zealand has over 240 officially named waterfalls. This small, wondrous nation must be at the top of the list of destinations all must see.
Aotearoa, or the Land of the Long White Cloud, is a perfect place for lovers of nature, challenging hikes and an urge to slow down. With the easy, laid-back atmosphere, staying for a short or long duration is easy as. New Zealand should be at the top of more bucket lists. There are hardly any crowds, more sheep than people and some of the best road trip views in the world.
On the North Island, mostly everyone will fly into Auckland. The airport is about half an hour from the Sky Tower in downtown Auckland, where people can enjoy views of the whole city.
While Auckland holds much of New Zealand’s population, Wellington is the capital. Known for being the windiest city in the world, Wellington has much to offer its tourists. The harbor walks, the Te Papa Tongarewa Museum, the Beehive and Cuba Street are some of the best attractions.
Survive the wind and be rewarded with short trips to Martinborough wine country and some of the best vintage stores in the country.
Near Auckland is Raglan, a surfer’s heaven. A laidback town with black sand beaches just down the road. Don’t skip out on some of the freshest fish and chips around at the Wharf in Raglan. On the way to the beach, stop by Bridal Veil Falls for a quick hike down to a picturesque 55-meter-long waterfall. The walk is a quick 10 minutes down to the bottom, walking through native bush.
The Coromandel is another great location for beaches and relaxing vibes. Hahei is a beach town that holds a filming location for the movie Narnia, Te Whanganui-A-Hei or Cathedral Cove. Hot Water Beach is also close by where volcanic activity creates an effect that provides heat to the sand. People come from all over to dig in the sand to create their own hot pool.
Located Southeast of Auckland is the city of Rotorua, the sulfur city. Rotorua has many activities to enjoy such as bathing in the hot springs, attending a traditional Maori ceremony, checking out the geysers, walking the Red Woods or even mountain biking. Here you can find pumice sand lakes with backdrops of beautiful mountains.
About an hour drive from Rotorua lies Tauranga, a city with the essence of Hawaii and California. Tauranga has a beautiful downtown right on the tan sand beach. Sit at a cafe to watch surfers on one side and hikers climbing Mount Maunganui on the other. At the heart of Mount Maunganui is Mauao, a dormant volcano. The trail up the mountain is about 45 minutes, with an easier loop trail that is 4 km. Fur seals and dolphins are known to be spotted nearby.
New Plymouth, known for the large volcano, Mount Tarnanaki, is one of the furthest cities from most cities on the North Island. This Southwest region harbors wonderful beaches, Paritutu Rock, the extensive coastal walkway and an annual light festival in the park. The Te Rewa Rewa Bridge is also well known. This is a cycle and pedestrian-only bridge that opened in 2010. The bridge’s design resembles a whale’s ribcage.
New Zealand cannot be mentioned without Queenstown being highlighted, located near the bottom of the South Island. This adventure capital has various fun attractions such as skydiving, jet boating and paragliding. Absolutely, the most stunning views are everywhere you look in Queenstown. This is the closest city to Fiordland, where the unofficial eighth natural wonder of the world lies, Milford Sound.
Franz Joseph is a quiet township on the South Island with mostly outdoor activities to accomplish. The hiking is wonderful, rewarding visitors with views of glaciers, mountains and glacier rivers. This area is prone to many days with heavy rainfall, so checking for enjoyable weather is critical before attempting some of the more challenging hikes. On the way over to Franz Joseph lies Arthur’s Path, with stunning waterfalls and common sightings of the endangered kea birds.
Lake Pukaki and Lake Tekapo are two of the more well-known glacier lakes on the South Island of New Zealand. The teal bright water is truly breathtaking and refreshing to swim in. Pukaki rewards its visitors with uninterrupted views of Aoraki, Mount Cook, the country’s highest mountain peak. Tekapo is famous for The Church of the Good Shepherd, a small chapel on the lake’s edge created for farmers to attend Sunday service. Now, the building attracts visitors for its design and aesthetic appeal at night to stargaze.
Getting away from crowds and hurry is one of the biggest highlights of travel to New Zealand. The country itself is safe with friendly people all around, which could be an important deciding factor for a destination. Hitchhiking is common and almost encouraged by locals as a more practical way to get around this laidback country. Almost every spot in New Zealand is worth the stop, there are very few places that do not have extraordinary beauty. A handful of places worth visiting on the South Island are Kurow, Christchurch, Wanaka, Arrowtown and Oamaru.
A lovely quick stop on the North Island is the Putaruru blue springs. This is a beautiful crystal clear natural spring that extends almost 5 km. It is a protected spring, so there is no swimming, but like much of the nature in New Zealand, it is free. Some other great stops to take in on the North Island are the Hamilton Gardens, the forgotten highway and for Hobbit fans, do not skip Hobbiton. About three weeks should give enough time to enjoy a satisfactory amount of settings in beautiful Aotearoa. Since this is The Southern Hemisphere, the off season for tourism consists of May, June, July and August. These will be cooler months in New Zealand, great for skiing or enjoying the snowy mountain views.
Travel to New Zealand during their summer for mild heat on the South Island and sunny beach days on the North Island. Don’t forget good hiking boots, and be prepared to witness the most breathtaking views of the untouched land of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Travel during their summer for mild heat on the South Island and sunny beach
days on the North Island. Don’t forget good hiking boots.