New Zealand travel guide
Table of contents
New Zealand is a haven for outdoor sports where you can ski and go to the beach on the same day. The islands' great sub-tropical climate, modern culture, and English speaking people make it a great long distance destination.
New Zealand was named God's own country and 'paradise of the pacific' as far back as the early 1800s. Travelers generally agree New Zealand deserves this description.
You need to allow plenty of time to travel New Zealand. Many travelers spend nearly all of their holiday time in neighboring Australia, then wish that they'd spent an equal or longer time in this fascinating archipelago.
Lonely Planet named New Zealand the world's top travel destination for several years in a row, and it was voted best long-haul travel destination in the 2004 Guardian and Observer’s People’s Choice award. It has won that award in 3 out of the past 4 years. At the 2005 Condé Nast Traveller Awards, readers voted New Zealand as the best holiday destination in the world.
New Zealand is also known by the Maori name of Aotearoa, which is usually translated as "(Land of the) long white cloud".
About New Zealand's islands
New Zealand consists of the two main North and South islands and a number of smaller ones:
- North Island - warm, with scenery ranging from sandy beaches, through rolling farmland and forests to active volcanic peaks with bubbling mud pools
- South Island - spectacular mountains and fjords, large beech forests, beautiful beaches, large glaciers
- Stewart Island - heavily forested, a wilderness paradise for trampers with wonderful bird song and the only place to a see a sun-bathing Kiwi bird on Masons Beach
- Chatham Islands
- Sub-Antarctic Islands - very difficult to get to unless you're on a scientific expedition or deep sea fishing vessel
Nearly all visitors to New Zealand stay on the main North and South islands, with some intrepid travelers making it to Stewart Island and its fantastic wildlife and forests.
Major cities in New Zealand
It's the countryside that's the star of the show in New Zealand so we only list the most prominent cities here. Listed in order from north to south:
North Island
- Auckland - Called The City of Sails it's the largest city on New Zealand, with over a million in the metropolitan area, making it the largest in Polynesia by far. This is also where your international flight will arrive
- Hamilton - 128km south of Auckland, capital of the Waikato, home to the Chiefs (super 14 rugby) and the Magic (ANZ cup netball) sports teams. Recently voted the world's fourteenth least cycle-friendly city (above Mexico City but below Jakarta), which for outdoorsy New Zealand is an achievement
- Tauranga - known for its great weather, sun and beach Tauranga is a great holiday spot
- Rotorua - famous for Maori culture, geysers, hot pools and that funny (from the water's sulphur dioxide content) rotten egg smell
- Wellington - the national capital, also known as The Windy City - site of New Zealand's Parliament and the Beehive and the wonderful free Te Papa museum
South Island
- Nelson - safe and friendly, with New Zealand's highest sunshine hours. Nelson is the geographic centre of the country and surrounded by 3 stunning national parks, vineyards and orchards
- Christchurch - The Garden City and the Air Gateway to Antarctica
- Queenstown - adrenalin and adventure capital of the world, where you can skydive, bungy jump, jet-boat, thrill yourself to your hearts content
- Dunedin - a city proud of its Scottish heritage of sometimes called the Edinburgh of the South. Here you'll encounter a chocolate factory, Southern Albatross colony and its wonderful tramping tracks within a short drive from the CBD
- Invercargill - the southernmost city and one of the very few places to see a living Tuatara
Things to do in New Zealand
New Zealand is an outdoor sports paradise. It's perfect for mountain biking, wind surfing, hiking, mountain climbing, fishing, and much else. Kiwis have also come up with some of the more interesting extreme activities the world has seen, such as Zorbing (sometimes called Sphereing) and Fly By Wire, a complete bonkers fun ride where you're essentially strapped to a wingless airplane on a wire and left to navigate a valley like a fun park ride gone amok.
For a more peaceful time sightseeing, a New Zealand driving vacation brings you to some stunning views and interesting locations.