A long-time favourite holiday destination for Australians, New Zealand offers awe-inspiring landscapes, incredible wildlife, verdant rainforests, intriguing culture and a year-round pleasant climate, making it the perfect place for active outdoor adventures and a haven for relaxation. You will also be impressed by the friendliness of the local people, affectionately known as 'Kiwis'. One of the best things about New Zealand is that all of this great stuff is so close together! Let us take you there, from north to south.
North Island
The beautiful North Island is rich in Maori (indigenous peoples) culture, sweeping coastlines, volcanic landscapes, unique geothermal activity and cosmopolitan cities. Read on for some highlights.
Bay of Islands
With close to 150 beautiful islands and coves to explore, the beautiful Bay of Islands is the perfect escape for water lovers. Steer your own yacht, paddle a canoe, jet across the harbour in a speedboat or swim with the dolphins in Paihia - the choice is yours. Across the bay you'll find the township of Russell where you can visit the Russell Museum, which features a scaled-down replica of Captain Cook's Endeavour, and Christ Church. Enjoy a cultural experience in the Waitangi National Reserve with a visit to a traditional marae (meeting house) and Treaty House. Or take a day trip out to beautiful Cape Reinga and the spectacular sand dunes of Ninety Mile Beach.
Auckland
Auckland beckons with a myriad of holiday sights and sounds. Here the melding of Maori, Pacific Island, European, African and Asian cultures create a distinctive lifestyle, cuisine and range of attractions. Visit beautiful Mission Bay or take in many of the adrenalin-pumping activities available in the city such as the bridge climb and sky jump. Enjoy world-class shopping, dining and entertainment, and above all else, take to the waters. This maritime city enfolds two spectacular harbours where the waters are regularly dotted with the blowing sails of thousands of sea vessels.
Rotorua
Without doubt one of the North Island's must-see highlights, Rotorua is home to a geothermal wonderland - around 500 boiling mud pools and 65 geyser vents, each with their own name. Seven of the geysers are active, the most well known being Pohutu geyser. Enjoy all of the therapeutic treatments that come with this natural splendour or get active with outdoor adventures, from quad biking to skydiving. The Te Puia Maori cultural expo at Whakarewarewa is perfect for getting acquainted with the Maori culture.
Wellington
New Zealand's capital is diverse and eclectic and offers the country's most interesting %u2018city' scene. If you love to eat out, this is the place for you: Wellington has more cafes per head than New York, with more than 400 dotted around the city! Once you're done eating, visit the city's main attraction, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, for an excellent insight into the Maori culture. Ride the Wellington Cable Car after a great day's shopping at Lambton Quay or gain perspective of the city and beautiful harbour from the top of Mount Victoria. Day trips out of Wellington will take you to some fabulous Lord of the Rings country and boutique wineries such as those around Martinborough.
South Island
Nature lovers read on, for the South Island is a land of vast mountain chains, wild and rugged coastlines, lush rainforests and deeply indented fiords.
Top of the South Island
Get set for a gourmet experience at the food and wine capital of New Zealand. Some of the finest wines of New Zealand come from Marlborough, award-winning drops that are showcased at the annual food and wine festival. You can also fi nd delicious fresh seafood here, with some 900 million mussels growing out in the waters! Visit the drowned valleys of the Marlborough Sounds, a superb marine environment where you can take a slow cruise in a kayak, sail, dive or go dolphin spotting. On land, venture along the beautiful Abel Tasman Coastal Track or take the 58-kilometre Queen Charlotte Track.
Christchurch
The main city in the South Island is the very English Christchurch. Enjoy parks and gardens that earn the city the title of %u2018Garden city', ride a punt along the Avon River and wander tree-lined avenues dotted with heritage buildings. Highlight attractions of the city include the International Antarctic Centre, the historic tram and the Arts Centre. From Christchurch you can take in the beauty of the Canterbury Plains, ski Mount Hutt then soak in the thermal pools of Hanmer Springs. Or visit Kaikoura, renowned for its year-round whale-watching opportunities and fabulous crayfish.
Aoraki/Mount Cook & Wanaka
Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park in the Southern Alps is home to the country's highest peak, Aoraki/ Mount Cook and wonderful hiking opportunities. At the bottom of the mountain you'll come across Lake Tekapo, a lake of startling blue turquoise water and home to the quaint Church of the Good Shepherd. Lovely Wanaka is popular in winter for its superb ski fields, while in summer it offers all the outdoor adventures of Mount Aspiring National Park.
West Coast
One of New Zealand's most nature-rich regions, the West Coast is home to World Heritage Park area in the south - the world's only example of pre-dinosaur forest - and the Franz and Fox glaciers, unique in the world in that their rivers of ice spill into temperate rainforest. Take the Tranzalpine train or do a self-drive across the constantly changing elemental landscape of Arthur's Pass from Greymouth to Christchurch. You'll fi nd the West Coast locals (%u2018coasters') particularly hospitable; stop in at a coast pub and mingle with the locals for a true Kiwi experience.
Queenstown
Stunning alpine scenery and adrenalin-pumping activities: see for yourself why so many people come back here again and again. Start with a bungy jump at Kawarau Bridge (43 metres) or the 102-metre Pipeline jump (the equivalent of a 34-storey building!). Get the blood pumping with skydiving, whitewater rafting, hot-air ballooning, hang gliding and more, or go jet boating through the Dart River valley, the setting for Isengard in the Lord of the Rings. The Fiordland National Park is a must: cruise on Milford Sound or set out on renowned hikes such as the Milford and Hollyford tracks.
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