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New Zealand
New Zealand offers splendor, adventure and amazing diversity. Here you will find everything from sub-tropical beaches and green rolling grasslands to soaring mountains, mysterious fjords and tranquil lakes. |
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North Island
Gazing
over the undulating hills and verdant grassy pastures of the North
Island, you’d never guess its turbulent natural history. This soil owes
its fertility to the eruptions of gargantuan volcanoes over thousands of
years. Geothermal activity still smolders away, most visibly in the
bubbling mud pools, thermal springs and steaming geysers of Rotorua.
Some of volcanoes are still active and lurk in ominous silence.
Auckland and Wellington are the major cities of the North
Island. Auckland is the humming cosmopolitan centre at the north
of island while Wellington is a smaller, but charming city at
the southern tip of the Island.
The North Island enjoys a subtropical climate that lures
visitors to its golden beaches and secluded bays. Coromandel is
an alluring beach resort within easy reach of Auckland. On the
northeast coast is the Bay of Islands. This group of islands is
a haven for sun worshipers and those interested in a little New
Zealand history.
The Central Region of the North Island sits on a volcanic
plateau and is studded with geothermal parks. At its centre is
the immense cobalt-blue Lake Taupo, a submerged volcanic crater
the size of Singapore. Nearby, barges glide through the
underground streams of the Waitomo Caves, ferrying passengers
through the cathedral-like caverns, bejeweled by glow-worms.
Gisborne, on the
easternmost point, is the first place in the world to see the
sunrise each morning and a rich preserve of Maori heritage. On
the east coast lies Napier. Home to stunning art-deco
architecture and gateway to the Classic NZ Wine Trail that takes
you through the wineries of Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa.
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South Island
According to Maori legend, the South Island was formed when Maui’s waka (canoe), was torn to shreds on the coastal reefs during a fishing trip. The tip of the waka was transformed into the towering peaks of Nelson, and the prow into the submerged river valleys of the Marlborough Sounds.
Its biodiversity is the South Island’s best recommendation. The submerged river valleys of the Marlborough Sounds meet towering alpine forests. The rich marine systems off the northern Kaikoura Peninsula are the playground for Sperm whales, Hector’s dolphins, fur seals and royal albatrosses. The snow-capped ridges and low-lying glaciers of the South Alps separate the isolated rainforests and limestone formations of the West Coast from the big-sky pastures, silvery beaches and volcanic soils of Canterbury in the east. Queenstown’s ancient beech-tree forests lead on to the herb fields and golden tussock-covered hills of Central Otago, ending at the jade coloured waters and thundering waterfalls of Fiordland and Milford Sound on the southernmost tip.
But it’s not all about nature. The wineries of Marlborough and Nelson produce the some of the world’s choicest Sauvignon Blancs, including the widely acclaimed Cloudy Bay. Bordering the awe-inspiring Abel Tasman, Kahurangi and Nelson Lakes National Parks, Nelson is a natural muse to its large colony of artists. Adrenaline junkies can riversledge, bungee, paraglide, and abseil their way through Queenstown.
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Stewart Island
Stewart Island is New Zealand's third largest Island, approx. 65 kms long and 45 kms wide - it is separated from the South Island by the Foveaux Straits. The Island is relatively low lying and undulating with the highest point, Mt Anglem/Hananui, rising to 981 mtrs. Largely unihabited and unmodified - it is mainly covered in native bush, with wetlands, sand dunes and a varied coastline from sandy beaches to sheer cliffs. The coastline is fringed with vegetation and boardered by crystal clear waters hosting an abundance of marine life - a real paradise for nature lovers.
Named "Rakiura"by Maori - which means "Glowing Sky", Stewart Island enjoys spectacular sunrises, sunsets and aurora.
As New Zealand's southernmost populated area, Stewart Island has less than 400 residents, most of whom live in and around Halfmoon Bay, in the north east. There is only 28 kms of roads servicing the populated area. Most of the Island (approx. 93%) is actively managed as conservation lands. On 28th February 2002, approx. 83% of Stewart Island became New Zealand's 14th National Park
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