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New Zealand
Travel Guide
New Zealand
Travel Guide
Auckland is the largest and most populous city in New Zealand with 1.5 million residents. Its population accounts for about a third of New Zealand's total population.
Auckland is a vibrant cosmopolitan city, considered the economic and commercial center of New Zealand, where a diverse population resides, with highways, skyscrapers, bustling pedestrian malls, and an active harbor, yet it is easy to navigate and full of scenery, beaches, and green vegetation.
Wellington is the southernmost capital city in the entire world. It is located at the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island. It is the third most populous city in New Zealand, with about 200,000 residents in the city itself and 480,000 including all the towns and settlements around it. Wellington is also considered a particularly cultural city with an abundance of museums, galleries, theaters, festivals, and cultural events. It is also a particularly culinary city: it has more cafes, bars, and restaurants per capita than New York!
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A wonderful, recommended, pampering, and surprisingly affordable way to travel in New Zealand is a cruise on one of the large cruise ships.
Rotorua is located in the Bay of Plenty region on the North Island of New Zealand. The city is located on the southern shore of Lake Rotorua, about 230 km southeast of Auckland. Thanks to its many Maori residents, it is considered the "heart of Maori culture."
Rotorua is also considered the thermal phenomena capital of the world.
Lake Taupo is about an hour's drive (80 km) from the city of Rotorua. It is the largest lake in New Zealand. The lake and its surroundings are full of activities of all kinds. From water-related activities: fishing, parasailing, jet boats, water parks, and more, to action and fun activities for the whole family like walking trails, rope parks, climbing walls, horseback riding, cycling, Segway, and more.
Waitomo Caves are known as the "Glowworm Caves," a unique phenomenon that exists in few places in the world, and in this area, it is the most prominent and famous.
The caves are located about 200 km south of Auckland and about 150 km west of Rotorua.
They are considered one of the most popular nature attractions on New Zealand's North Island.
Tongariro National Park, located in the center of the North Island, is the first national park in New Zealand, having been declared a national park back in 1887. In 1990, the park was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its volcanic and geological phenomena and because it is an important spiritual and cultural area for the Maori. The park is active throughout the year – in the summer it is a hub for hiking, and in the winter it is a ski resort.
The Bay of Islands is located at the northernmost tip of New Zealand: in the north of the North Island, about 240 km north of Auckland. This area includes 144 islands and bays and is a popular destination for sailing, fishing, and nature trips, especially for watching dolphins and for water sports and recreation. The area is considered one of the favorite vacation and leisure destinations for New Zealanders.
The Taranaki region is named after the large volcano that occupies most of its territory. The region is located in the western part of the North Island, halfway between Wellington and Auckland. Around the mountain (also called Egmont) and in the national park, there is a variety of walking trails of varying difficulty levels.
A resort town known as the adventure sports capital of New Zealand. It is located in the southwest of New Zealand's South Island, in the Otago region, on the shores of Lake Wakatipu.
This is the most vibrant town on the South Island, especially on its western side, with a center full of nightlife, restaurants, and pubs.
Dunedin is the second largest city on New Zealand's South Island and the capital of the Otago region. The city has nearly 120,000 residents, who, with the residents of the surrounding villages, make up more than half of the region's population. The uniqueness of Dunedin is the Scottish heritage that has been preserved in it, thanks to the many immigrants from Scotland who arrived there in the 19th century.
The highlight of the visit to Dunedin and the main reason that attracts visitors to New Zealand to such a remote destination is watching the yellow-eyed penguins up close.
Christchurch is the largest city on the South Island, with about 390,000 residents. It is the capital of the Canterbury region in New Zealand and is located on the eastern coast of the South Island, north of the Banks Peninsula, and south of Pegasus Bay.
It serves as the main entry point for those arriving to the South Island by flight.
This is a flat and spread-out city full of public parks and manicured gardens, which is why it is nicknamed the Garden City.
About 90 km south of Christchurch is the charming town of Akaroa, located in a picturesque bay. The town sits on a quiet bay, created by a volcanic eruption.
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Cruising in Doubtful Sound is a cruise in the wild nature of New Zealand: in front of you and around you are jagged peaks, high waterfalls, birds, seals, and silence.
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Te Anau is a small town sitting on the shore of a lake of the same name, Lake Te Anau, in the southwest of New Zealand's South Island. It is located in the heart of Fiordland, which is the largest national park in New Zealand, covering an area of more than 12 million dunams, about a third of the area of the State of Israel!
Te Anau serves as the starting point for a trip to the wonderful fjords of New Zealand.
In New Zealand, you will find the most accessible and convenient glaciers for hiking in the world. One of the popular destinations is the glacier region in the west of the island, which includes the two largest and most visited glaciers: "Franz Josef" and "Fox".
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Hokitika is known as the Jade capital of New Zealand. The town is located about two hours (135 km) north of Franz Josef. The center of the town is full of shops and workshops selling jade ornaments, bones, and shells. The larger shops also have demonstrations of the greenstone processing stages, and you can watch the artists designing and creating jewelry, sculptures, and diverse works of art. In its surroundings, there are additional attractions as detailed in the article.
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This is the smallest national park in New Zealand - its area is 225 sq. km, but without a doubt, it is one of the most beautiful, popular, and accessible in the country. The park is located at the northern tip of New Zealand's South Island. The park has a variety of successful hiking trails; the most popular of them all is the Abel Tasman Coast Track.
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The main attraction in the Greymouth area is "Punakaiki", located about 40 minutes (45 km) north of Greymouth. In the reserve, there are limestone rocks placed one on top of the other, creating "layers of pancakes". Along the way, you can also see "Cape Foulwind", where there is a photogenic lighthouse and nearby a large colony of fur seals.
Further along the way, there is a long suspension bridge and a zipline over the river.
Lovers of snowy peaks can have a pleasant time in the summer months on New Zealand's South Island (during the Israeli winter months). One of the popular destinations is Mount Cook.
Mount Cook is called "Aoraki" in the Maori language. The meaning of the name: "Cloud piercer".
This is the highest mountain in New Zealand and rises to a height of 3,754 meters. The mountain is located in the Southern Alps range of New Zealand.
Picton is a small town of about 4,400 residents located in the north of New Zealand's South Island and serves as the starting point for the South Island because the ferries from Wellington, in the south of the North Island, arrive at the port of Picton.
A wonderful way to be impressed by Queen Charlotte Sound is a cruise on The Mail Boat Cruise, which brings mail to isolated settlements and hotels and lodges along the bay that can only be reached by boat.
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Wanaka is a picturesque town in the central Otago region, on the South Island of New Zealand.
The town is known for its plethora of sports and extreme activities. It serves as a popular destination for skydiving, canyoning, rafting, cycling, kayaking, helicopter flights, and more.
It is located at the southern tip of the lovely Lake Wanaka, about which Keren Peles released a beautiful song. It is recommended to rent a boat on the lake (pedal or row) and sail in its clear waters.
Arthur's Pass National Park is located in the center of the South Island of New Zealand. The park is located at the mountain pass, on the historical road between Canterbury and its capital Christchurch in the east, and the remote and wild West Coast of the South Island. The place was declared a national park back in 1929 and was the third national park in all of New Zealand and the first on the South Island.
Sigalit Bar, this site owner, is a travel advisor and licensed travel agent. She has written several travel guide books about various destinations around the world.
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