Visiting New Zealand. Review on New Zealand, General

New Zealand is a great place for a holiday. We are a small country with a population around the 4 million mark. The best feature of New Zealand is the range of scenery on offer. You can enjoy the sub-tropical beaches of the far north before heading south and climbing over glaciers. Most people allow 2-3 weeks to visit but to see it all at leisure you should allow at least one month.

If you only have 1-2 weeks you will be able to do a good trip in one of the islands or a flying visit of both.

North Island Highlights

Auckland

Most people arrive in Auckland first; this is New Zealand’s biggest city and is also the most cosmopolitan. Set around a gorgeous harbour with the extinct volcano Rangitoto Island as a backdrop it is a sight to behold. Auckland is known as the City of Sails as it is a popular playground for yachties. With the protected waters of the Hauraki Gulf to sail in you can see why everyone wants to own a yacht.

Rotorua

Want to learn a bit about the Maori Culture? Head to Rotorua.

This city is an extremely popular tourist destination and as such, provides the visitor with a huge array of attractions and activities. You can visit a Maori Village, attend a Maori Concert Performance, and try food cooked the traditional Maori way, in a hangi (earth oven)

The whole area surrounding this city is an extremely active geo-thermal belt. Visit one of the many Thermal Parks where you can see steaming water pools and boiling mud pools. Be prepared for the smell in the air though, the Sulphur content is not a pleasant smell!

The Ski fields

No matter what time of year you visit you can still visit the ski fields. In summer the chairlift still operates to the top of the mountain for a great view and in winter, you can enjoy some top class skiing.

Wellington

New Zealands capital city lies snuggly amongst the hills surrounding a gorgeous harbour. Visit the Parliament Buildings or Te Papa -The National Museum. Every February Wellington celebrates the Festival Of the Arts. This is a great time to visit as you can see some of the best international performers who come for the festival.

Wellinton is the place to come to catch the ferry across to the South Island.

South Island Highlights

Marlborough Sounds

This is a magical part to explore. Take a cruise and weave your way around some of the most beautiful coves and bays, there are walking tracks, hire a bike, hire a kayak or just sit back and take in the views.

Check out some of the small towns like Picton and Nelson, explore the Abel Tasman National Park or head south to Kaikoura and go whale watching.

Christchurch

The Garden City, this is a little slice of England. Take a punt ride on the Avon River with weeping willow trees dripping into the water and white swans swimming around. Visit Cathedral Square in the city and see if The Wizard is around. Most lunchtimes you will find The Wizard on his ladder (no mere soapbox for this Wizard) entertaining the crowds. He has become such a national icon that in1990; the Prime Minister made him ‘The National Wizard of New Zealand.’

Visit the International Antarctic Centre for a great taste of life on the frozen continent. This centre is informative, interactive and educational.

Dunedin

Dunedin has some of the most beautiful buildings in all of New Zealand. The prosperous days of the 19th century goldrush saw a spate of buildings go up. This culminated in the largest collection of Edwardian and Victorian buildings which today are wonderful to behold. Visit the Octagon in the city. This 8 sided, tree lined area is the focus of Dunedin city. Surrounded by all of the cities most impressive buildings and taking pride of place in the centre stands the statue of the Scottish Bard Robert Burns Dunedin was settled by Scots and is predominantly still a Scottish city.

One thing everyone does when visiting Dunedin is to drive or walk the worlds steepest street. You have to see it to believe it!

Milford Sound

The spectacular Milford Sound will leave you breathless. Take a cruise or walk the famous Milford Track just don’t miss this magical part of New Zealand.

Queenstown

Looking for adventure, head out on the highway……and drive straight to Queenstown. There is something here for every adrenalin junky out there from bungy jumping, jet boat rides, rafting, you name it, you can find it here. In winter this place fires on all cylinders as skiers, snowboarders and party goers from all over the world flock here. It is the place to see and be seen for all the trendies out there.

The Glaciers

Heading over the spectacular Southern Alps you find yourself on the West Coast. Here you will find two glaciers. Franz Josef Glacier and Fox GlacierIf you are keen to get up close and personal with a glacier, hire a guide and take a hike over and through some of the ice caves.

This pretty much completes the quick tour of New Zealand but with more time on your hands, there’s a whole lot more to explore.