New Zealand

Experience the beauty of this majestic landscape from a whole different perspective

New Zealand is an island country in the South Western Pacific made up of two islands; the North Island and the South Island with numerous smaller islands surrounding. Due to its remote location, New Zealand was one of the last places on earth to have human settlers. During New Zealand's 80 million year isolation and island biogeography, it developed distinctive fauna and flora that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

According to Māori mythology, the North and South Islands of New Zealand arose through the actions of the demigod Māui. Māui and his brothers were fishing from their canoe (the South Island) when he caught a great fish and pulled it from the sea. While he was not looking his brothers fought over the fish and chopped it up. This great fish became the North Island and thus a Māori name for the North Island is Te Ika-a-Māui (The Fish of Māui). The mountains and valleys are said to have been formed as a result of Māui's brothers' hacking at the fish. Until the early 20th Century, an alternative Māori name for the North Island was Aotearoa. In present Māori usage, Aotearoa is a collective name for New Zealand as a whole.

The North Island has twelve cities: Auckland, New Plymouth, Tauranga, Gisborne, Napier, Hamilton, Hastings, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Wanganui, Whangarei and Wellington, the capital, located at the southern extremity of the island. Approximately 76% of New Zealand's population lives in the North Island. Full of geothermal pools, the country’s best beaches and in the center towering volcanoes. Wine lovers will find that coastal regions boast some of the world’s best. With most international fights dropping you in Auckland, the ten destinations below are all within a day's drive of the big city.  The photos alone are proof that New Zealand's North Island is unlike any place you've ever been.  

The South Island (Māori: Te Wai Pounamu) is the larger of the two main islands and is sometimes called the “mainland.” This island offers tons of adventure, from whale watching to hot air balloon rides, glaciers and bungee jumping you are guaranteed to not be bored.

Ride the gondolas high above Queenstown and Rotorua for stunning panoramic views over the lakes and towns.

JRR Tolkein's Lord of the Rings theatreical adaptation trilogy used much of the landscape of the South Island, particularly the mountains around Queenstown. By itself this has become an attraction in its own right, but you need not have seen the films to appreciate the beauty of the backdrop.

For more information about New Zealand, please contact one of our travel consultants or email us at info@thetravelstation.com