New Zealand has spectacularly beautiful landscapes, including vast mountain chains, steaming volcanoes, sweeping coastlines, deeply indented fiords and lush rainforests.
Comparable in size and/or shape to Great Britain, Colorado and Japan, New Zealand has a population of only 3.8 million – making it one of the world’s least crowded countries. It is a haven for those seeking peace, rejuvenation and relaxation as well as a playground for thrillseekers and adventurers. A temperate climate with relatively small seasonal variation makes it a year-round holiday destination.
Getting There
New Zealand is a three and a half hour flight from Eastern Australia, a non-stop overnight flight from the United States, and around 12 hours flight from California.
Time Differences
New Zealand is one of the first places in the world to see the new day. It is 12 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). In summer New Zealand has daylight saving, when clocks are put forward one hour to GMT+13. Daylight saving begins on the first Sunday in October and ends on the last Sunday of the following March, when clocks are put back to GMT+12.
North Island
More than 70% of the population lives on the North Island, mostly in & around Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. The North Island has subtropical forests, gesyers and hot springs, plus, there are literally hundreds of islands dotting miles and miles of coastline. Long, sandy beaches, small towns and villages, farmland, national parks, and beautiful clear lakes.
Auckland is a blend of cultures, a very cosmpolitan city; within the downtown area you’ll find a wealth of museums, shopping, and restaurants of every cuisine. Go outside the city limits and you find thermal springs, rugged beaches, natural reserves and bush-clad ranges — you can use Auckland as a base, and explore via day trips, or spend time in the city, and then take off to explore some of these areas in depth – it’s up to you!
Just beyond Auckland is the Coromandel Peninsula, with fabulous beaches, big-game fishing and nature trails. Hamilton is the main center along the Waikato River, home to lovely rose gardens, thoroughbred horses and a zoo for endangered birds. One of the most popular areas is Rotorua, the center of the area’s thermal region, featuring geysers, steaming lakes and mineral pools, which are noted for their healing waters, there are a number of spas located in Rotorua. This is also the place to head to learn about the Maori culture, with a large arts & crafts center featuring carvers and weavers at work. We can even arrange for you to include a Maori concert or the take part in their traditional feast, called "hangi", which bears some resemblance to a Hawaiian luau.
The capital of New Zealand, Wellington, is known as the "restaurant capital" of New Zealand. The locals have a passion for the arts, a night scene that’s always changing, as well as botanical gardens, a zoo, and one of the best interactive museums I’ve ever seen.
South Island
From brilliant glaciers to sparkling lakes and fjords, the South Island has some of the world’s most spectacular alpine scenery, as well as lush rainforests and beautiful beaches. When you travel the South Island, it’s one "postcard" experience after another!
Marlborough Sound meanders along more than 600 miles featuring secluded coves and beautiful beaches. It’s an ideal spot for fishing, diving, sailing, kayaking and cruising. Hot summers and cool winters also make it one of the premier wine growing areas, with 30 over wineries.
The West Coast of NZ, between the Southern Alps and the Tasman Sea is one of the most beautiful areas in the world, with mountains, glaciers, lakes, rugged rivers, rainforest and a gorgeous coastline. Christchurch is known for being "the most English city outside of England". Some premier attractions are the city’s award-winning gardens, historical buildings, and even "punting "on the Avon River. If Christchurch is the most English city, there’s no doubt that Dunedin is the most Scottish – known as the "Edinburgh of the South", it was originally settled by the Free Church of Scotland in the 1840’s.
The Kawarau Bridge, 43 meters above the crystal waters of the Kawarau River. The world’s first bungy bridge established in November 1988. There’s no limit to the fun you can have at the Kawarau – go for a splashdown or jump tandem with a mate.
|
Queenstown is one of the most popular tourist spots, with a high number of "extreme" sports such a heli-skiing, bungy jumping, white water rafting available. It’s a beautiful setting, right on a glacial lake at the foot of The Remarkables mountains, and the town itself it very quaint; I’d compare it to Aspen, Colorado, or Carmel, California.
More than 60 glaciers, with a multitude of fjords, form the South Alps; as you travel south from the Canterbury Plains through Mount Cook National Park, you’ll see some of the world’s most dramatic scenery. The Plains are where you’ll find sheep stations as well as deer farms. Milford Sound is bordered by sheer rock, rising thousands of feet from the sea; it’s a beautiful area, and as you cruise along the Sound, you’re very likely to see dolphins. There are many famous treks offered in New Zealand, the most famous being the Milford Trek, which consists of 34 miles of beautiful scenery in Fiordland National Park.
As you can see, there’s something for everyone in New Zealand, and I’ve only briefly touched on some of the areas of interest.
One important thing that you can’t see in pictures however, is the genuine warmth of the people of New Zealand. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so welcome in any other country I’ve visited. The "Kiwis" may truly be the country’s most valuable resource.
When you add it up — the favorable exchange rate, magnificent scenery, a multitude of things do see and do, lovely people who are happy you’re visiting their country, who go out of their way to make sure you’re having a great time, you KNOW that a vacation to New Zealand is going to be one of the best experiences of your life!