Description
New Zealand is an otherworldly, photogenic and friendly country offering visitors unbeatable changes for adventure and exploration. The rugged islands are home to dense native forests, mountains, beaches, glaciers, thermal regions and fiords that have been well-preserved by the environmentally-conscious government and culture.
- Coromandel Peninsula - This north-eastern peninsula is famous for its white and golden sand beaches that frame magnificent coastal scenery, forests perfect for days of exploration and other natural wonders. Start your visit in Thames, a small but picturesque city with a rich history of gold mining.
- Abel Tasman National Park - Located on the northern tip of the country’s South Island, this vast national park is a hiker’s dream. Closed to vehicles, one must enter by boat, foot or small plane, but the trip is well worth it. While traversing the mountainous terrain, blue penguins, wekas, oyster catchers, wood pigeons and other rare birds can all be seen.
- Sky Tower - The Sky Tower is an observation and telecommunications tower located in New Zealand’s largest city. At a height of 328 meters (1,076 ft) it is the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere and the Sky Tower has become an iconic structure in Auckland’s skyline.
- Napier Art Deco - Napier, a small city in Hawke’s Bay on the North Island’s east coast, is famous for its eye-catching art deco architecture. Most of Napier was leveled by an earthquake in 1931. The rebuilding period coincided with the short-lived Art Deco era and as a result Napier’s architecture is strikingly different from any other city in the world.
- Kaikoura - This small coastal town on the South Island is a haven for seafood lovers. You can spot fur seals, dolphins, sperm whales and albatrosses off the shore, then indulge in a feast of fresh crayfish, mussels, blue cod and more.
- Franz Josef Glacier - This glacier, located within Westland National Park in the southwest, is one of the world’s most accessible. Visitors can walk right up to the foot of the massive glacier or take a helicopter ride over the dazzling Ice Age remnant.
- Wai-o-tapu - Just outside of Rotorua, on the North Island, is the incredible destination of Wai-o-tapu. This park is filled with geothermal activity, and you can hike through volcanic landscapes that look more like outer space than the rest of New Zealand.
- Tongariro Alpine Crossing - n the Tongariro National Park, located in the center of the North Island, is the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. This crossing is a day-long hike that covers Mount Tongariro itself and passes along the base of Mount Ngauruhoe.