New Zealand is a country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean consisting of 2 main islands, both marked by volcanoes and glaciation. Capital Wellington, on the North Island, is home to Te Papa Tongarewa, the expansive national museum. Wellington’s dramatic Mt. Victoria and the South Island’s Fiordland and Southern Lakes stood in for mythical Middle Earth in Peter Jackson’s "Lord of the Rings" films.
23 Top Rated Tourist Attractions in New Zealand
1. Mount Cook
Mount Cook is the highest Mountain in New Zealand and a popular tourist destination. It is located in the Canterbury region and is another National Park that you must see with spectacular views. Mt Cook and its neighboring area is an alpine park that is part of the South Westland World Heritage area. It has the world’s longest ski run, down the Tasman Glacier and Hooker Glacier. The park does not have a lot of trees or plants and is best portrayed as a snow covered rocky setting. You have to be a Mountaineer to really appreciate this place. There are many walks including the alpine walks starting from near the village. Each walk takes about 3 hours to complete. Helicopter tours are available that will take you to the top of Mt Cook and land on one of the Glaciers, giving you the opportunity to get out and enjoy the snow. Boat rides are also available that take you up to the Tasman Glacier.
2. Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman National Park located on the northern tip of the country’s South Island, this vast national park is a hiker’s dream. Closed to vehicles, one must enter by boat, foot or small plane, but the trip is well worth it. While traversing the mountainous terrain, blue penguins, wekas, oyster catchers, wood pigeons and other rare birds can all be seen. Abel Tasman National Park is famous for its white sandy beaches with views across the clear pristine waters of the Tasman Sea. In summer time pre-booking your accommodation and attractions in the park is strongly recommended. You can enjoy the park by sea or land. Guided travel and sea kayaks are available including transportation by water taxis. You can enjoy half or full day activities like swimming with the seals, walking, kayaking or sightseeing. The coastal track is a popular option year round and takes 3-5 days to complete. You can choose to walk it alone or take a Guided walk.
3.Tongariro National Park
Tongariro National Park is a World Heritage Park and one of the oldest National Parks in the world. The park contains three superb volcanoes – Mt Ruapehu, Mt Tongariro and Mt Ngauruhoe. The area gets regular snowfalls in the winter as it is positioned at high height above sea level. Mt Ruapehu is the largest volcano and home to most of the ski-fields in the North Island. See my photos of mt rupehu Hiking the volcanoes of the Tongariro National Park including Mt. Ngauruhoe, Red Crater, the Emerald Lakes, Blue Lake, and Mt. Tongariro summit is the best way to appreciate the unusual beauty of the Tongariro National Park. The walk is 19km long taking between seven and nine hours to complete however, it is worth doing as it you will experience some of the amazing things the park has to offer.
4. Fiordland National Park
Fiordland was founded in 1952, Fiordland National Park now has an area of more than 1.2 million hectares, in Fiordlands Here you will find a place that has many glaciers carved deep fiords, and the most famous of Milford Sound. Fiordland is New Zealand’s largest National Park as well as the largest National Park in the world. The scenery is breathtaking you won’t believe until you see for yourself. You will witness steep mountains, waterfalls and exotic rainforests. Within the Fiordland National Park you will experience New Zealand’s most beautiful landscape – Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound which attracts thousands of visitors every day.
5. Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park
New Zealand's highest peaks rise above the alpine landscapes of Aoraki National Park, also called Mount Cook National Park. More than 40 per cent of the park is covered in glaciers, and the country's tallest mountain Aoraki/Mount Cook and longest glacier, the Tasman Glacier, lie within its borders making this a top destination for mountaineering. Sir Edmund Hillary trained here for his legendary Mount Everest ascent. Nature lovers will appreciate the diversity of flora and fauna with more than 300 species of alpine plants and 40 species of birds. Mount Cook Village is a great base for exploring the park and organizing activities such as scenic flights, ski touring, heli-skiing, hunting, hiking, and stargazing trips.
6. Westland National Park
This national park is part of the South Westland World Heritage area and is famous for its mountains and two dominant glaciers, Fox and Franz Josef. They are the closest glaciers to the coastline of any in the world outside the polar regions. This means they are not only accessible, but the climate is much warmer compared to other glacial sites in the world. Lowland areas in the park are covered in an ancient Beech forest which are backed by steep cliffs and mountains. Its a contradiction to view glaciers from a rain forest, but this phenomenon is explained by the areas steepness and high rainfall. The coastline is a short drive away and onroute there are some great views of the glaciers and mountains reflecting in lakes that are scattered around this area.
7. Coromandel Peninsula
Coromandel Peninsula, a beach is among the many local and foreign tourists because of the hot water with temperatures around 60 degrees Celsius. Underground hot springs filtered up through the sand. When low tide, visitors can dig the sand and make their own hot tubs for bathing. This north-eastern peninsula is famous for its white and golden sand beaches that frame magnificent coastal scenery, forests perfect for days of exploration and other natural wonders. Start your visit in Thames, a small but picturesque city with a rich history of gold mining. Don’t miss a stop at Hot Water Beach, where visitors can dig their own hot pool from the springs under the sands.
8. Franz Josef Glacier
Franz Josef Glacier is a huge draw on the South Island’s West coast. I teamed up with an American girl I met in Punakaiki to tackle a 1300m mountain called Alex Knob to get a higher (and cheaper) vantage point of the glacier than we’d get from a guided tour. The mount was shrouded in mist the whole time, so we didn’t see much of the glacier, but we still got some incredible views of the surrounding rainforest and mountains.
9. Rotorua
Rotorua is one of the most active geothermal regions in the world. This is a land where the earth speaks. Boiling mud pools, hissing geysers, volcanic craters, and steaming thermal springs betray the forces that birthed much of New Zealand's dramatic topography. Visitors can take a walking tour of these geothermal wonders, soak in steaming mineral springs, and learn about the region's rich Maori history and culture. Adventure seekers will also find plenty of things to do. Sky-diving, luging, and mountain biking are some of the activities on offer. Trout fishing is also popular, and Rotorua is the gateway to the ski fields of Mt. Ruapehu. Nearby Wai-O-Tapu is also a popular tourist attraction with colorful hot springs and the famous Champagne Pool and Lady Knox Geyser.
10. Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is one of the most popular holiday destinations in New Zealand. The picturesque area contains 144 islands, many secluded bays and some great sandy beaches. This beautiful bay has an abundance of marine life including whales, penguins, dolphins and the big marlin. Not surprisingly, it is a popular tourist spot for sailing yachts on world cruises and international sport fishermen. Visitors can sea kayak along the coast, hike the many island trails, bask in secluded coves, tour Cape Brett and the famous rock formation called Hole in the Rock, and explore sub-tropical forests where Kauri trees grow. The quaint towns in the area such as Russell, Opua, Paihia, and Kerikeri are great bases for exploring this scenic bay.
11. Queenstown
Snuggled between the shores of shimmering Lake Wakatipu and the snowy peaks of the Remarkables, Queenstown is New Zealand's adventure capital and one of the country's top destinations for international visitors. Bungee jumping, jet boating, white-water rafting, paragliding, rock climbing, mountain biking, and downhill skiing are just some of the adrenaline-fueled sports on offer, and visitors can explore the stunning alpine scenery on the excellent network of hiking trails. In addition to the adventure sports, Queenstown offers all the creature comforts with first-class hotels, spas, restaurants, galleries, and shops. It's also a great base for trips to the Central Otago region, where visitors can explore gold mining towns and the Middle Earth scenery from the popular "Lord of the Rings" movies.
12. Milford Sound
.JPG/640px-Milford_Sound,_New_Zealand_(007).JPG)
Milford Sound is among the most famous tourist attractions in New Zealand. Lying at the most northern and accessible end of Fiordland National Park, Milford sound offers some of the world’s most staggering coastal scenery with its dramatic peaks and dark blue waters. The area’s frequent downpours only enhance this South Island beauty, sending numerous waterfalls cascading down the cliffs
13. Punakaiki coast
South Island’s west coast feels a lot like the edge of the world. The beaches are violent and rocky, and the lush vegetation gives it a primal, wild sort of atmosphere. Punakaiki is a tiny settlement that exists for no purpose other than to service the hordes that come to see the area’s most striking feature: a unique coastal rock formation called Pancake rocks. While the rocks at Punakaiki are something special to see if you are a Geologist or Geophysicist like myself, the blowholes make them extra special for normal tourists.
14. The Waikato River
The Waikato is an unreal blue color. It’s so vivid, it almost looked fake to me, like it was an elaborate, river-shaped swimming pool. I hiked a few kilometers alongside it until I reached the famous Huka falls. Taupo’s Bungee Jump is situated above a picturesque bend in the Waikato. waikato river The exotic blue waters of the Waikato huka falls Huka Falls waikato Taken from the footpath on the return from the falls
15. Cathedral Cove
Just over 2 hours drive from Auckland in the Coromandel is the famous Cathedral Cove. Accessible only on foot, boat or kayak, this stunning rock archway featured in the Prince Caspian movie is well worth the walk. The enormous arched cavern passes through the pristine white headland to join two secluded and private coves. The archway which would not be out of place gracing any cathedral adds an air of hallowed sanctuary to the pristine beach and scenery that it protects. The reserve has many walks and sights such as the pumice outcrop known as ‘Te Hoho’ which has been weathered and sculpted over time by the elements so that it now resembles the prow from an old sailing ship.
16. Stewart Island
30 km’s across the Foveaux Strait from the South of New Zealand’s south Island lies Stewart Island. Accessible by ferry from Bluff the island prides itself on being unspoilt, relaxing and even by New Zealand’s standards ridiculously beautiful. True it is not the warmest of places so wrap up warm as the next stop south is Antarctica, however the rugged beauty combined with the simpler, slower pace of life of the inhabitants makes it a wonderful spot to reconnect with the universe and be at peace in one’s own skin. The island is covered in lush rainforest and is a haven for birdlife which fill the air with their song during spring and summer as well as being one of the few places populated with New Zealand’s national bird, the Kiwi. The island is also home to several colours of beaches including black, red and the truly golden beaches that sparkle in the summer sun. However don’t be tricked it is Fools Gold not the real thing.
17. Waitomo Glowworm Caves
World-renowned the Waitomo Glowworm Caves have to be seen and experienced to be believed. As visitors drift through the cave system in a barge, tens of thousands of Arachnocampa luminosa glow worms that are unique to New Zealand illuminate the structure as experienced guides inform and delight with facts and stories about the caves and its inhabitants. The caves also house an impressive display of stalactites and stalagmites and visitors get to explore various caverns which depending on the company you are touring with can include the Cave of the Spirit and the fossil remains it holds.
18. Arthurs Pass
Nestled in the Southern Alps between Canterbury and the West Coast is the town of Arthurs Pass and the National Park it is located in. The town is over 900 metres above sea level and is the main starting point for a myriad of walking and mountain biking trails. The area is also renowned for its stunning natural beauty and wildlife and is a unique place that mixes the alpine scenery and wildlife of the Canterbury side of the main divide with the lush rainforest environment that the West Coast is famous for. Arthurs Pass is also a spot where one can get up close and personal with the Kea, the uniquely curious and intelligent alpine parrot that is known to cause many an unwary driver a headache, when they attack cars ripping out the rubber seals to gain access to the vehicles.
19. Port Hills
Of all the places in New Zealand’s South Island this is one of the most overlooked. The Port Hills to the east of Christchurch are the remnants of the Lyttelton volcano which erupted millions of years ago creating both the hills and the numerous bays and harbours. Nestled in the lush folds of the hills are numerous towns from the delightfully French Akaroa, to Barry’s Bay and its famous cheese factory and shop. The hills are littered with walking and biking tracks and are one of the best places to simply stop and enjoy the world in peace and tranquillity.
20. Napier Art Deco
Napier, a small city in Hawke’s Bay on the North Island’s east coast, is famous for its eye-catching art deco architecture. Most of Napier was leveled by an earthquake in 1931. The rebuilding period coincided with the short-lived Art Deco era and as a result Napier’s architecture is strikingly different from any other city in the world. Thousands of tourist visit Napier every February for the Art Deco Weekend, an event dedicated to the style, vintage cars, picnics and the soapbox derby.
21. Kaikoura
Kaikoura is situated in the middle between Christchurch and Picton on the East Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. This place is widely known as the whale watching capital of New Zealand. Kaikoura overlooks majestic mountains which are snow capped for many months of the year. Kaikoura offers ultimate marine adventure such as Whale watching, dolphin and seal swimming. Kaikoura is one of the few places in the world where whales can be seen all year round. This small coastal town on the South Island is a haven for seafood lovers. You can spot fur seals, dolphins, sperm whales and albatrosses off the shore, then indulge in a feast of fresh crayfish, mussels, blue cod and more. Land lovers can take a wilderness walk through the untamed and dramatic Kaikoura forest.
22. Sky Tower
The Sky Tower is an observation and telecommunications tower located in New Zealand’s largest city. At a height of 328 meters (1,076 ft) it is the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere and the Sky Tower has become an iconic structure in Auckland’s skyline. The tower offers views of up to 80 km away and fine dining in the Orbit revolving restaurant.
23. Auckland
Auckland, the "City of Sails," is New Zealand's largest city and the most populous Polynesian city in the world. Blond- and black-sand beaches, rainforest hiking trails, picturesque coves, islands, and volcanoes surround the city making it a perfect base for day trips and wilderness adventures. To appreciate Auckland's stunning location, visitors can zoom up the 328-meter Sky Tower for spectacular views across the city and hinterland. Auckland is also home to top-notch dining, a vibrant arts scene, and a revamped waterfront district packed with boutiques and restaurants. This metropolitan city is located in the North Island of New Zealand and is the most populous city with the percentage of 31 percent of the population. The city has beautiful scenery and exciting cities, Auckland is also able to invite the tourists to keep returning to this city. And many interesting tourist attractions in Auckland you can visit.
No comments:
Post a Comment