New Zealanders consider their country to be blessed, and the older they get, the more they thank Lady Luck that they were lucky enough to be born here. New Zealand is gaining more and more popularity year after year in the lists of coveted countries for travelers, and you won’t meet anyone who has been here and not fallen in love with these places.
Rocky coasts, wide beaches, dense forests, snow-capped mountains, impressive geysers and volcanoes… New Zealand’s landscapes are majestic and indescribably beautiful. The forests here are home to strange rare birds, the coasts are home to penguins and seals, and the coastal waters are teeming with whales, sharks and other no less interesting wildlife. The indigenous Maori tribes, who settled on the islands 800 years ago, have created a unique culture with customs and traditions that can still be found in remote villages. Maori culture is also present in New Zealand cities, but here it is also enriched by European, Asian and other cultures, which gives city life a special flavor.
New Zealand is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean on two main islands and several hundred small islands. Its closest neighbors are Australia (to the west, across the Tasman Sea), and New Caledonia, Tonga and Fiji (to the north). The western part of the country is washed by the Tasman Sea, the other parts by the Pacific Ocean.
The two main islands, North and South, are separated by the Cook Strait. The South Island is the largest island of New Zealand. It is divided along its length by the Southern Alps, where there are 18 peaks over 3000 meters high, including the highest point of the country – Mount Cook (Aoraki). The southwest coast, with its high mountain ranges and extensive glaciers, is riddled with fjords.
The northern island is less mountainous, but it is a particularly active volcanic zone. It is also home to the country’s largest lake, Lake Taupo, nestled in the basin of a huge volcano of the same name.
With stunning landscapes and endless entertainment options, New Zealand vacations can range from wild, windswept beach walks and multi-day hikes on mountain trails to adrenaline-fueled adventures such as bungee jumping, extreme skiing, sea kayaking or white water rafting. Some travelers see New Zealand as a huge playground for a large-scale quest, where you have to complete as many tasks as possible in the allotted vacation time. The choice of territory is up to you, as it’s impossible to travel the country and see everything it has to offer in a few days. Most likely, you will want to come back to complete this exciting “challenge”.
Attractions
Much of New Zealand’s dramatic landscape has been shaped by tectonic or volcanic forces. The people of the Canterbury region are still cleaning up their streets after the massive earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 that collectively destroyed its administrative center, Christchurch. It is now slowly recovering, and although thousands of residents left during those years, it remains the second most populous city in the country, pushing the beautiful and vibrant capital, Wellington, into third place. Auckland, the country’s largest, noisiest and most business-oriented city, holds the top spot in this trio of urban centers. Nevertheless, each of them deserves attention and detailed research, but people don’t come to New Zealand to gawk at cities!
This country has incredible trails through stunning natural wonders that you can travel for miles and miles without meeting a soul. Some of them really do look as if no human being has ever set foot there.
Auckland, stretching around the sparkling Waitemata Harbor, overlooks the gorgeous Hauraki Gulf with its many interesting islands. Most tourists from here head south, recklessly ignoring the northern tip of the island, which is the cradle of the Maori tribes and Pakeha colonizers, tucked away in a beautiful subtropical forest under the crowns of kauri, New Zealand’s largest and oldest trees.
To the east of Auckland lie the lush green lands and long golden beaches of the Coromandel Peninsula. To the south are the popular beach towns of the Bay of Plenty, and further afield is the city of Rotorua, with its gushing geysers, bubbling mud pools and trout-filled Lake Taupo, surrounded by three snow-capped volcanoes.