If you are considering a vacation in New Zealand, naturally you'll want to experience the very best the country has to offer. New Zealand is the world’s best kept secret; it contains six of the seven climatic regions on the planet, boasts a series of unparalleled golden-sand beaches, protected marine parks to explore from on or beneath the surface, safe-but-active volcanic areas, pristine snow-capped Alps to ski and climb, prehistoric forests and unique flora and fauna.
It does all this in one easily accessible package without thousands of miles to travel between each destination and it has an enviable reputation as one of the safest destinations in the world, lacking poisonous animals and boasting a low crime rate.
It is a country where the only stress is that taken on willfully by the adventure-minded tourist (in the form of bungy jumping, parachuting, white-water rafting etc). You can walk for miles in New Zealand without seeing another soul, accompanied by rustling trees, running water and unusual bird song but perhaps the country’s greatest asset is its warm, friendly and hospitable population.
AucklandAuckland is the country’s largest urban and suburban area with a population of over 1.5 million. Even so, it is surrounded by varied and exquisite scenery with attractive harbors and beaches to the east and the rugged Waitakere Ranges, the thundering, undeveloped surf beaches and burgeoning vineyards to the west.
Known as the ‘City of Sails’, with more boats per capita than any other city in the world, these days Auckland’s reputation as a sailor’s Mecca is cemented by repeated successful defenses of the America’s Cup. The city offers excellent shopping, galleries and museums.
There is also the distinctive Sky Tower, a casino with a glorious circular, glass viewing gallery at its bulbous summit. The views of the city, its beaches and the mountains, the coast and sea beyond are stunning. It is also possible for the particularly brave tourist to abseil down the side of the building to the street, a drop of over 100m (328ft).
An exploration of at least one of the stunning golden-sand islands of the Hauraki Gulf, accessible by ferries from Waitamata Harbour and also visible from the Sky Tower, is highly recommended. Most of the city center is walkable but the outlying suburbs of Devonport, Herne Bay, Parnell and Ponsonby (with their attractive eateries and well-reputed fashion industry) are brought within easy reach by a reliable public bus network and taxi system.
As for your accommodation reservation you may want to have a look at Auckland Hotels’ listing (CLICK HERE)
WellingtonIn the south of the North Island, Wellington, New Zealand’s capital, occupies the flat area surrounding the harbor basin and climbs the surrounding steep hillsides overlooking the water. This makes it a compact metropolis with a thriving and lively heart.
The city is a center of culture, arts, restaurants, theater, fashion and nightlife. Shopping facilities are excellent and hotels offer splendid views of the bay. Every two years, Wellington hosts the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts, the country’s main cultural event including street theater, comedy, music and film festivals, all going under the same umbrella. The spectacular Te Papa Museum of New Zealand, on the city’s pretty waterfront, combines cultural and historical exhibitions with education, entertainment and leisure activities, including a virtual bungy jump.
Wellington is also the departure point for ferries across Cook Strait to the South Island.
As for your accommodation reservation you may want to have a look at Wellington Hotels’ listing (CLICK HERE).
ChristchurchTo the south, on the edge of the flat patchwork quilt of the Canterbury Plains, lies the ‘Garden City’ of Christchurch, the South Island’s largest community.
The tree-lined River Avon meanders through the center of the city, which with its public school, old university buildings (now a fantastic arts center) and examples of Neo-Gothic architecture is reminiscent of an old English university town. The central square of the city is occupied by a cathedral which provides a useful landmark for tourists either on foot or using the charming historic trams.
About 500m (1640ft) from the square is the vast expanse of Hagley Park, on the borders of which are the Old Canterbury University/Arts Center, the Canterbury Museum, the Robert McDougall Art Gallery, the botanical gardens and Christ’s College. Just a short walk along the river is St Michael and All Angels Church; an unusually beautiful wooden Neo-Gothic building combining French and English styles and containing a mixture of Maori and Catholic elements.
For excursions from Christchurch, the nearby Banks Peninsula provides a hilly alternative to the flat city, with a cable car, beaches, boat trips, pods of Hector’s dolphins (unique to New Zealand) and a number of accessible walking tracks.
Another alternative is to take a hot air balloon ride and from that vantage point look west across the broad flat plains to the Southern Alps, north to the Kaikoura Ranges and Cook Strait and south down the east coast as far as the historic white-stone city of Oamaru.
As for your accommodation reservation you may want to have a look at Christchurch Hotels’ listing (CLICK HERE)
(All pictures are courtesy of
Tourism New Zealand and photos are copyright protected)
