The two major attractions here are the glaciers - Fox and Franz Josef. The mighty cascades of ice, tumbling down the valley into the rainforest, are a sight to behold and are best viewed from the air; we highly recommend a helicopter ride (from app. 230 NZ$/person). Like most other glaciers these days Fox and F.J. are retreating, even though the amount of snow falling on the mountains increases year after year. Global warming brings warmer air across the Tasman Sea, warmer air can hold more moisture, more moisture means more rain and more snow up on the mountains. The feeding ice fields of our two glaciers here receive about 100 ft of snow per year, and the resulting pressure makes the ice advance by around 3 ft per day, but all of that and more melts off.

Often referred to as the Harbor City, Wellington is built around the natural harbour of Port Nicholson. New waterfront developments and a proliferation of new bars, cafes and restaurants are constantly changing the inner city’s skyline. If you are exploring by foot, take a cable car to the viewpoint at the top of the Botanical Gardens for a stunning vista. Mt. Victoria Lookout, on the opposite side of the harbour, is an even better spot for harbour views. Wellington’s ‘must-see’ attraction is Te Papa - New Zealand’s national museum, which boasts an interesting blend of interactive and traditional exhibits. Other key attractions include the Botanical Gardens and the new Museum of Wellington City & Sea, located in the restored Bond Store at Queens Wharf. For an inside look into the country’s political scene, free public tours of the distinctive ’Beehive’ are available. The Old Government Building is the world’s second-largest wooden building.
Those with a literary bent can visit author Katherine Mansfield’s birthplace in Thorndon, which celebrates the life of this famous writer. If you enjoy shopping, Wellington won’t disappoint you. Serious shoppers should check out The Golden Mile – the local nickname for the main downtown shopping area of Lambton Quay. It’s reputed to be one of New Zealand’s best shopping miles and is renowned for its high-fashion stores.

The town sits on the shore of crystal clear Lake Wakatipu among dramatic ranges. The lake and mountain landscape make it suited to all kinds of adventure. There’s skiing in the winter and activities such as bungy jumping, sky diving, canyon swinging, jet boating, horse trekking and river rafting all year round. If hardcore adventure is not your thing, there are plenty of mellow options available. Experience one of the many walking & hiking trails, sightseeing tours or indulge yourself with spa treatments, boutique shopping and excellent food and wine. The T.S.S. Earnslaw cruises the lake every day. Complete with a bright red, 12 meter funnel, white hull and kauri timber decks, this vintage paddle-steamer - built in 1912 - is a New Zealand icon.

The West Coast is a rugged, salt-sprayed stretch of wild rocky beaches and bush-clad hills sweeping up to towering icy peaks. Often the narrow coastal strip is nothing but dried-up swamp, but the contrast on either side between the energetic wash of the ocean and the hilly heights is striking.

There are more than a dozen thermal areas around Rotorua. Wai-o-tapu ("sacred waters") is the most famous and most popular one, while Orakeikorako ("place of adorning") is off the beaten track and more relaxed. Also Rotorua itself often has an intense smell of sulfur, but you get used to it quickly. The city center has been spruced up in the last years, there are many cosy restaurants and you can take a nice walk.

The neighboring lakes Tekapo and Pukaki are of the same striking blue colour, but Pukaki is more than twice the size of Tekapo. Major highlight here is the sterling lookout that on a clear day gives a picture-perfect view of Mt. Cook and its surrounding peaks, with the ultra-blue lake in the foreground.

The two major attractions here are the glaciers - Fox and Franz Josef. The mighty cascades of ice, tumbling down the valley into the rainforest, are a sight to behold and are best viewed from the air; we highly recommend a helicopter ride (from app. 230 NZ$/person). Like most other glaciers these days Fox and F.J. are retreating, even though the amount of snow falling on the mountains increases year after year. Global warming brings warmer air across the Tasman Sea, warmer air can hold more moisture, more moisture means more rain and more snow up on the mountains. The feeding ice fields of our two glaciers here receive about 100 ft of snow per year, and the resulting pressure makes the ice advance by around 3 ft per day, but all of that and more melts off.

Often referred to as the Harbor City, Wellington is built around the natural harbour of Port Nicholson. New waterfront developments and a proliferation of new bars, cafes and restaurants are constantly changing the inner city’s skyline. If you are exploring by foot, take a cable car to the viewpoint at the top of the Botanical Gardens for a stunning vista. Mt. Victoria Lookout, on the opposite side of the harbour, is an even better spot for harbour views. Wellington’s ‘must-see’ attraction is Te Papa - New Zealand’s national museum, which boasts an interesting blend of interactive and traditional exhibits. Other key attractions include the Botanical Gardens and the new Museum of Wellington City & Sea, located in the restored Bond Store at Queens Wharf. For an inside look into the country’s political scene, free public tours of the distinctive ’Beehive’ are available. The Old Government Building is the world’s second-largest wooden building.
Those with a literary bent can visit author Katherine Mansfield’s birthplace in Thorndon, which celebrates the life of this famous writer. If you enjoy shopping, Wellington won’t disappoint you. Serious shoppers should check out The Golden Mile – the local nickname for the main downtown shopping area of Lambton Quay. It’s reputed to be one of New Zealand’s best shopping miles and is renowned for its high-fashion stores.

The town sits on the shore of crystal clear Lake Wakatipu among dramatic ranges. The lake and mountain landscape make it suited to all kinds of adventure. There’s skiing in the winter and activities such as bungy jumping, sky diving, canyon swinging, jet boating, horse trekking and river rafting all year round. If hardcore adventure is not your thing, there are plenty of mellow options available. Experience one of the many walking & hiking trails, sightseeing tours or indulge yourself with spa treatments, boutique shopping and excellent food and wine. The T.S.S. Earnslaw cruises the lake every day. Complete with a bright red, 12 meter funnel, white hull and kauri timber decks, this vintage paddle-steamer - built in 1912 - is a New Zealand icon.

The West Coast is a rugged, salt-sprayed stretch of wild rocky beaches and bush-clad hills sweeping up to towering icy peaks. Often the narrow coastal strip is nothing but dried-up swamp, but the contrast on either side between the energetic wash of the ocean and the hilly heights is striking.

There are more than a dozen thermal areas around Rotorua. Wai-o-tapu ("sacred waters") is the most famous and most popular one, while Orakeikorako ("place of adorning") is off the beaten track and more relaxed. Also Rotorua itself often has an intense smell of sulfur, but you get used to it quickly. The city center has been spruced up in the last years, there are many cosy restaurants and you can take a nice walk.

The neighboring lakes Tekapo and Pukaki are of the same striking blue colour, but Pukaki is more than twice the size of Tekapo. Major highlight here is the sterling lookout that on a clear day gives a picture-perfect view of Mt. Cook and its surrounding peaks, with the ultra-blue lake in the foreground.

Cape Reinga is usually regarded as New Zealand's northernmost point. Despite the fact that this is not the case - Surville Cliffs is about 1.8 miles further north - it is a very special experience to stand here, at the Cape Reinga lighthouse, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman Sea. It feels like the end of the world, and for the Maori it certainly is, because in their mythology this is the place where the spirits of the dying leave Aotearoa and journey back to their homeland, Hawaiki.

Coromandel Peninsula looks like a finger, jutting out into the South Pacific Ocean. It is only 50 miles long, but the coastline is rugged and the road that follows it is curvy. Very curvy!