When you think about New Zealand you probably think of Rolling Green Hill with Hobbit home tucked neatly beneath with their iconic round doors, but New Zealand is so much more than just home to Hobbiton.
New Zealand offers rolling hills, Alpine Plains with snowy peaks and rugged coastline, plus geothermal lands similar to Yellowstone, bright sunny beaches with sand shores.
The country is roughly the size of California with a North Island and a South Island populated with about a population roughly similar to Missouri.
As a general rule of thumb the majority of attraction throughout New Zealand are open year round; our winter is their summer and visa versa; however, there really is no bad time to visit New Zealand. New Zealand offers four distinct seasons each slightly each offering different opportunities to get out and explore.
Fast Facts
- It is about a 12 hour flight from North America
- Colder in the south
- Jan-Feb warm, July coldest
- Out of the Alpine areas, winter temperatures average 50-59
- They speak English
- USD offers a very favorable exchange rate
- 10 Days is the Recommended Minimum (2-3 weeks is even better).
- They Drive on the Left
New Zealand has 7 distinct areas of diverse terrain: Auckland, Northland, The Central North, and Wellington on the North Island. Marborough & Nelson, Canterbury and the West Coast, Otago and the Southland on the South Island.
Auckland
Auckland is home to the international airport and holds almost one-third of the population spread over almost 400 square miles. Many of its attractions are clustered near the Waterfront highlighting unique architecture, the city’s oldest parks and vibrant entertainment and shopping districts. Panoramic views of the harbor and outer Islands can be enjoyed from locations around this city. Auckland Tower is a must stop on any New Zealand itinerary.
North of Auckland is the Northland, home to the Bay Islands and strong rooted Maori Culture. Visitors to the Northland will be impressed by its natural beauty from gentle rolling hills to white sand beaches. Here you will find opportunities to walk for hours without encountering a single fellow traveler. This region off offers a wide range of activities: fishing, scuba diving, kayaking, sailing, horseback riding, are simple walking a forest to witness 200 year old Kauri trees (Waipoua Forest).
Central North New Zealand
The Central North region is bordered by the Tasmanian Sea on the East Coast, Bay of Plenty on the North Coast and the Pacific Ocean on the far west coast offering a world of water activities.
Hamilton is the Metropolitan hub bordered by lush grasslands and close to the Western surf beaches as well as the famous Waitimo Caves where you can see thousands of glow-worms light up the ceiling above you with their blue-hued light. This popular stop is always filled with lots of visitors, for the adventuresome, we would suggest heading off with The Legendary Black Water Rafting Company – the only tour that takes you through the incomparable Ruakuri Cave. A true adventure and less crowded, you weave, climb, jump, and float through a glowworm-studded subterranean wonderland below Waitomo. With exhilarating caving & rafting tours, namely Black Abyss and Black Labyrinth, to choose from, there is something to suit all adventurous spirits.
From Hamilton you can travel on to the unspoiled Bay of Plenty with more beaches to explore and the East Cape area popular spots for fishing and all manners of water sports.
Rotorua is in the center of New Zealand’s geothermal area, and to the south you will find Lake Taupōwas created by a volcanic eruption over two-thousand years ago. Visit the Craters of the Moon and you’ll see evidence of the lake’s fiery birth in the geysers, steaming craters and boiling mud pools. At some of Taupō’s beaches, swimmers and paddlers can enjoy warm, geothermal water currents. Just north of Taupōyou’ll find New Zealand’s most visited attraction, the magnificent Huka Falls. Taupōis a great lake for water-skiing, sailing and kayaking. The Maori rock carvings at Mine Bay, which can only be seen from the water, make for a great boat trip or kayaking excursion. The forests surrounding the lake offer hiking and mountain biking to suit all levels of experience.
Naiper, the worlds best Art Deco district is located in the Central North Region. Within easy walking distance of Naiper’s Art Deco buildings is the oceanfront fringed by Norfolk pines, lovely gardens and the National Aquarium of New Zealand.
But what Taupōis really known for is fishing. The town of Turangi has the largest natural trout fishery in the world. Turangi also happens to provide a convenient base for exploring Tongariro National Park, whether it be walking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (New Zealand’s most popular day walk).
Wellington
In Wellington, you’ll discover a lively combination of culture, heritage and cuisine. Nestled between the harbour and the hills, the downtown area is ideal for explorations on foot. Delve into museums and galleries, sample local craft beers and experience the culture of New Zealand’s capital city. An International Film Festival held every July attracts large crowds to Wellington which is also home to Sir Peter Jackson. The City to Sea Bridge is a pedestrian only bridge dotted with artworks connecting the public spaces of Civic Square to the Wellington waterfront at Whairepo Lagoon.
From the South Island you can take the Ferry from Wellington to Picton – a highlight of any New Zealand trip, although it is very easy and relatively inexpensive to fly domestically in New Zealand if time allows, Midwest Travel Solutions highly recommends traveling by Ferry.
Marborough & Nelson
The warm climate of Marlborough and Nelson has lead to this region being New Zealand’s largest wine producer. From vineyards to the wild coastal and golden beaches, farmland in lush valleys and rich forest this region of New Zealand should be included on your New Zealand itinerary.
There is a variety of local wine trail operators providing a popular way to see and sample what Marlborough has to offer, be it by car, coach, or bicycle, yes, we said bicycle.
Picton is where you can catch the Marlborough Flyer, a heritage steam train from a majestic bygone era. Love wine and trains – combine the two for a delightful tour aboard this WWI Memorial steam locomotive was built in 1915. The hour-long Steam Train journey takes you up the challenging and steep elevation out of Picton (1-in-37 slope), through the Para Wetlands, across the Wairau River into the Wairau Valley and through a sea of vineyards into Blenheim, where you will do some wine tasting.
This region is home to stunning National Parks: Abel Tasman, Whanganui National Park, Egmont National Park – the region extends South to the Southern Alps and National Park Nelson Lakes. Marlborough Sound region is a massive bay of inlets, hidden coves with numerous walking trails and plenty of wildlife.
Abel Tasman National Park is best known for its Coastal trail that can be walked one-way and your return trip is made by water taxi. It is advisable to book walks and any overnight arrangements in advance. Abel Tasman is also one of New Zealand’s best sea kayaking destinations where is quite you will often see dolphins, penguins, seals as well as many species of birds.
Canterbury and the West Coast
This region is Dominated by New Zealand’s southern Alps with few roads and one impressive rail line, many of its natural wonders can best be viewed buy hiking. Also home to Christchurch the largest city in the South Island and tragically home to several devastating earthquakes that have left the city rebuilding once again. One of its iconic shopping districts, ReStart Mall is built out of shipping containers, originally setup after the earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 devastated Christchurch’s downtown. The streets surrounding Cathedral Square are laid out in a grid pattern, with the Avon river which winding through the inner city and parks dappling its banks. Christchurch is a beautiful city with a pedestrian friendly tram making it best to be explored on foot. Personally it is my favorite city in New Zealand.
Christchurch is also where you can embark on one of the truly great train journeys of the world, the Trans Alpine Railway. From Christchurch you travel west Crossing Canterbury Plains before the train slowly ascends through spectacular scenery, gorgeous river valleys the water an impossible shade of shades of blue as pure as arctic icebergs. You will stop at he alpine village of Arthur’s Pass for a short break before descending through the Otira Tunnel to the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, through lush alpine beech rain forests to Greymouth – a great base for visits to Punakaiki and the always popular glaciers at Franz Josef and Fox Glacier. Or you can spend the afternoon hiking around the pass and catch the train on its way back to Christchurch in the evening.
Canterbury in the west coast region is also home to Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, and New Zealand’s highest mountain. There are several hiking trails in the vicinity of Mount Cook Village that are suitable for people who do not have any climbing experience, however those wishing a true glacier experience are well advised to go with a local expert. Scenic flights, skiing, heliskiing are also popular activities within the park.
Otago and the Southland
Otago and the Southland stretch from coast to coast encompassing the farthest Southern land, on the South Island. Here you will find snow-capped mountains, eons old glacier carved lakes, rugged coastlands, untamed wilderness and forests as well as Queenstown – the adventure sports capital of the world and one of the top destinations on everybody’s New Zealand bucket list.
Dunedin is the gateway to the Otago Peninsula, a 40 Mile round trip route that can take a full day when hitting the highlights along the way: Larnach Castle and Gardens, Glenfalloch Woodland Gardens, and the Royal Albatross Center.
Queenstown sits on the shore of crystal clear Lake Wakatipu among dramatic alpine ranges; with a smorgasbord of outdoor activities, Queenstown is the home of the ultimate adventure bucket list. There’s skiing from winter right through to spring, and activities such as bungy jumping, sky diving, canyon swinging, jet boating, horse trekking and river rafting all year round. It is also a renowned cycling destination, providing everything from easy scenic tracks to backcountry trails, road rides to heli-biking and the Southern Hemisphere’s only gondola accessed downhill mountain biking.
Not to be missed – Milford Sound. Described by Rudyard Kipling as the ‘eighth wonder of the world’, Milford Sound was carved by glaciers during the ice ages. Breathtaking in any weather, the fiord’s cliffs rise vertically from the dark waters, mountain peaks scrape the sky and waterfalls cascade all around you.No matter what your New Zealand dream trip looks like, we can put together an itinerary that caters to your travel desires.
How to explore New Zealand?
- By Cruise Ship
- By Organized Tour
- By Self-Drive Road Trip
- By Flying
- By RV
- By Rail
