NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand is an island country located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses ‒ that of the North and South Islands ‒ as well as numerous smaller islands. New Zealand is situated east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans.

The majority of New Zealand's population is of European descent; the indigenous Māori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and non-Māori Polynesians. Māori and New Zealand Sign Language are the official languages, with English predominant. Much of New Zealand's culture is derived from Māori and early British settlers.  

Geography

New Zealand is made up of two main islands and a number of smaller islands, located near the centre of the water hemisphere. The main North and South Islands are separated by the Cook Strait, 22 kilometres.  The South Island is the largest land mass of New Zealand, and is divided along its length by the Southern Alps.  The country owes its varied topography.

Tourism in New Zealand

Tourism is an important industry in New Zealand, contributing NZ$15 billion (or 9%) of the country's gross domestic product in 2010. It is also New Zealand's largest export industry, with about 2.4 million international tourists visiting per year (as of September 2009), providing 18% of the country's export earnings in 2010. New Zealand is marketed abroad as a "clean, green" adventure playground, with typical destinations being nature areas such as Milford Sound, Abel Tasman National Park or the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, while activities such as bungee jumping or whale watching exemplify typical tourist attractions, often marketed primarily to individual- and small-group travellers.

The vast majority of tourist arrivals to New Zealand come through Auckland Airport which handled over eleven million passengers in 2004. Many international tourists also spend time in Christchurch, Queenstown, Rotorua, and Wellington. Other high-profile destinations include the Bay of Islands, Waitomo Caves, Aoraki / Mount Cook, and Milford Sound. Many tourists travel large distances through the country during their stays, typically using coach lines or hire cars.

Domestic tourism is also important, with domestic tourism expenditure of $13 billion outweighing international tourist expenditure of $9 billion in 2010. Overall, tourism supports some 180,000 full-time equivalent jobs (10% of the New Zealand workforce), with half directly related to tourism. 

Auckland

Auckland, known as the 'City of Sails' for its many boating enthusiasts and weekend waters filled with yachts, has many great attractions the main one being the Hauraki Gulf where there are numerous islands and good deep-sea fishing waters. A number of the islands in Hauraki Gulf are used in efforts to re-establish rare or endangered species of birds and insects. There is an extensive range of shops and complexes, cafes and restaurants but you are never far away from the many beaches in Auckland. View our Auckland regional listings. 

 Queen Street  - The city's busy main artery and show street is Queen Street, along which numerous high-rise office blocks occupied by banks, insurance companies and commercial firms have mushroomed. Between the Ferry Building and K' Road are department stores, shops and restaurants. There is a variety architecture in this area, with imposing colonial-period buildings rubbing shoulders with art-nouveau, art-deco and modern buildings. 

 Sky Tower  - West of Queen Street is the 328m Sky Tower, which is the new symbol of the city. From the viewing platform and revolving restaurant there is a magnificent panorama. Around the tower are grouped the buildings of Sky City, a postmodern complex with a luxury hotel and several restaurants. 

Great Barrier Island  - Great Barrier Island is situated 90 kilometres northeast of Auckland and is easily accessible by air or sea. The island's untouched beauty and isolation make it an attractive destination for adventurous travelers. Its scenery is rugged, with rough seas pounding the eastern coast and creating excellent surf beaches at Awana and Medlands. In contrast, the waters of the western coastline are calm and well suited to the anchorage of yachts. The island's name comes from its role as a barrier, protecting the Hauraki Gulf from the stormy seas of the Pacific Ocean.

People come to this island for its natural and rugged appeal, whether catching a wave on the island's surf beaches; tramping through bush to Kauri dams and natural hot springs; getting close to wildlife, including rare lizards and birds; or fishing, kayaking and diving in the surrounding waters. While experiencing the untouched side of New Zealand's outdoors, visitors can stay in backpacker, holiday home or luxury lodge accommodation on the island.

Devonport  - Devonport is a picturesque seaside suburb on Auckland's North Shore, with a population of about 10,000. A ferry service runs regularly across the Waitemata Harbour between Devonport and Auckland City. The area was first settled in 1840, making it one of the earliest established settlements on the North Shore. A deep water anchorage made Devonport an ideal base for naval vessels; today, it remains the base for the Royal New Zealand Navy. Tourists, locals and visitors from Auckland City enjoy the suburb's boutique gift and antique shops, as well as its cafe and restaurant dining. The suburb celebrates its cuisine and wine at the annual Devonport Food & Wine Festival.

Wellington

Wellington, New Zealand's capital city, lies at the southwestern tip of the North Island in a supremely beautiful situation, surrounded by water and steep hills, with its picturesque natural harbor, Port Nicholson. Another characteristic of the city is the strong and sometimes stormy westerly wind that blows in almost constantly from the Cook Strait, giving Wellington its name of the 'windy city'. One disadvantage of the magnificent situation, however, is a shortage of level ground, so that the city has been compelled to spread into widely scattered areas of land between the hills and inlets of the sea, which are linked by a network of winding roads, sometimes running high above sea level. 

Some land was gained by earth movements during a severe earthquake in 1855, when the harbor area rose about 1.5 m, and more recently land reclamation schemes have created more room in the city center and for the airport; but it has still been necessary to resort to high-rise building in the central area to meet the city's needs. Wellington has the most modern skyline in New Zealand but at the cost of losing much of its Victorian architectural heritage. Many old shops and offices were demolished on the grounds that they were not earthquake-proof, to be replaced by steel-frame tower blocks that have turned many streets in the city center into channels for the wind. The residential areas have now moved far out into suburbs and satellite towns - northeast to Hutt Valley (Petone, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt), north to the Kapiti Coast (Porirua, Paekakariki, Paraparaumu). Access to the city center is provided by urban expressways and suburban rail lines, tunneling through the hills and destroying more of the city's older buildings.

Wellington is the seat of New Zealand's Parliament and government, and thanks to its situation on the north side of the Cook Strait is an important traffic hub for communications with the South Island. As a metropolis, however, Wellington has now been overtaken by Auckland - a reversal of past history, when Wellington fought for years to supersede Auckland as capital. 

Mount Victoria - 

Mount Victoria (196m), immediately east of the city center, is the best-known and also the windiest of Wellington's viewpoints. A narrow winding road, signposted 'Lookout', runs up from Oriental Bay to the Byrd Memorial below the viewing platform. From the terrace on the summit there is a magnificent panorama of the broad city, the harbor, Cook Strait, Hutt Valley and Kelburn Park with the university buildings. The Byrd Memorial commemorates the American aviator Richard Byrd, who in 1929 made the first flight over the South Pole from his base in New Zealand. 

Kapiti Island - This long narrow island (17.6 sq.km) lies off the west coast at Waikanae, 70km north of Wellington. It is now a nature reserve but can be visited only with the permission of the Department of Conservation. There is no overnight accommodation on the island. The east side, facing the mainland, has gentle wooded slopes, but the west coast has cliffs or falls sharply to the Tasman Sea.

Waterfront.

The waterfront of Wellington is very attractive. Queen's Wharf and Frank Kitts Park are surrounded by fine buildings, including the Civic Centre, the modern City of Sea Bridge and the recent National Museum (1998). From Frank Kitts Park there is a good view of the nearby harbor. Features include a mast from the ferry Wahine that went down with 51 passengers in a storm in the harbor in 1968, and a bronze representation of the two ships in which Abel Tasman discovered New Zealand in 1642. 

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

The city's latest attraction is the new Te Papa (Maori expression for 'our country') National Museum opened on the south side of the harbor in 1998 and showing multimedia and interactive displays of the country's history. Mountains to Sea explains how New Zealand was created; Awesome Forces features a multimedia presentation on earthquakes; On the Sheep's Back highlights the economic significance of sheep farming; The Time Warp gives a thrilling high-tech trip through time and space. The heart of the museum is formed by Te Marae, a modern Maori shrine, the Maori meeting place Te Wharenui and a giant canoe used as a Maori warship. The new museum complex also includes collections from the National Art Gallery and 19th C and 20th C works by artists from New Zealand, Australia and Europe. It also has some works by Rembrandt. 

Queenstown

Queenstown is an old gold-miners' settlement on the east side of Lake Wakatipu, unchallenged as the leading tourist center on the South Island. It is well supplied with hotels and other accommodations and offers a varied program of entertainment and leisure activities throughout the year. For the more energetic tourist there is a choice of activities, including bungee jumping, jet-boat trips, white-water rafting, paragliding and rock climbing. 

Lake Wakatipu  

This Z-shape lake, hemmed in by high hills, has an area of 293 sq.km. It is some 80km long, barely 5km across at its widest point, and up to 378m deep.According to a Maori legend the lake came into being when a sleeping giant was burned to death. His heart still beats, however, at the bottom of the lake, causing variations in the level of the lake, which can rise or fall by several centimeters within 5 minutes.The first Europeans reached Lake Wakatipu in 1853, and some years later the whole lake was surveyed. The Otago gold rush of the 1860s brought thousands of prospectors into the area. In those days there were 30 or 40 passenger ships, including four steamers, plying on the lake. One old steamer, the Earnshaw (1912), is now one of the lake's tourist attractions

  Town Center 

The town center is charmingly situated beside a promontory that reaches far out into Lake Wakatipu, now beautifully laid out as Queenstown Gardens. The best starting point for a tour of the sights is the Old Stone Library (1877), which is built on to the courthouse. From here the route runs under magnificent old trees into Camp Street. St Peter's Church (1932; Anglican) looks much older than it really is. Church Street leads down to the shores of the lake. Passing the Lake Lodge of St Ophir (1873), you come to the place where William Rees established his sheep farm, the Camp, in the early 19th C.

Coronet Peak 

Queenstown is the most popular winter-sports center in New Zealand, the season lasting from June to September or October. Coronet Peak (1650m), 15km north of the town, has excellent skiing facilities. 

Christchurch 

Christchurch, the largest town on the South Island and its economic and cultural center, lies on the east coast, not far from the Banks Peninsula, in whose natural harbor of Lyttleton the first settlers landed in the 19th C. The city extends over an almost treeless plain that is bounded on the southeast by the hills, rising to some 400 m, between the city and Lyttleton Harbour.  In summer an unpleasant hot, dry wind from the northwest often blows for days at a time. With its spacious parks, its numerous sports grounds and well-tended gardens - amounting altogether to more than 30 sq.km of green space - Christchurch has become known as the Garden City. The city's architecture and atmosphere lead many visitors to declare that it is the most British of New Zealand's towns. Its situation in an extensive plain has allowed its planners to lay it out on a rectangular grid with broad main streets. Only the winding course of the Avon River and the diagonal line of the High Street and Victoria Street disturb the regularity of its plan.

Cathedral Square 

The large open square in front of the Christchurch Cathedral is the hub of the city's life and for long the pride of its citizens. There was great indignation when George Bernard Shaw, visiting Christchurch in 1935, admired Petre's neoclassical Roman Catholic cathedral and dismissed the Anglican cathedral as 'too academic'. 

Christchurch Cathedral 

The Christchurch Cathedral was severly damaged on February 22, 2011 by an earthquake. The top of the famous spire crumbled to the ground. The city's principal sight is the cathedral, a prominent landmark with its 65m spire. It was designed by the famous London architect Sir George Gilbert Scott. The foundation stone was laid in 1864, but only a year later the work was halted because of shortage of money and only resumed in 1873. The direction of the work was entrusted to Benjamin Mountfort, who modified Scott's plan by adding turrets, pinnacles and small balconies. The building was completed in 1904, 6 years after Mountfort's death and 40 years after the start of work - though the first services were held in the nave in 1881. In the interior of this monumental church are a series of pictures illustrating the history of the Anglican church and its bishops in New Zealand. There is also fine stained glass. 

 Hagley Park 

Beyond the Arts Centre and the Museum is Hagley Park (180ha). It is planted with trees brought from Europe. Within the park are various sports grounds, including the Harley Cricket Oval, a golf course and a riding track. 

Air Force Museum 

To the southwest of Christchurch, on the old Wigram airfield (9km west of the city center), is the Museum of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, with a number of old military aircraft, aeronautical apparatus and flying equipment. There are also showings of war films.

Nelson

The port town of Nelson lies on the southeast side of Tasman Bay, in an area famed for its mild climate. In its fertile hinterland various fruits (particularly apples and pears) for export are grown, as well as grapes, hops and tobacco.  In the surrounding hills there is lucrative forestry, the timber from which is processed in the Nelson area and shipped from the port. The population of the area is increasing markedly, growing within a decade by over 5 per cent. The town's harbor, Nelson Haven, is sheltered by a long breakwater. The town itself has many old wooden houses, both mansions and cottages. Modern amenities include seafront promenades and many parks and gardens. In recent years Nelson's beautiful situation has attracted many artists and craftsmen. South of the town on the road to Richmond is the Craft Habitat, an arts and crafts center. 

Cable Bay 

The lovely landscape is ample reward for the difficult drive from Nelson northwards to Cable Bay, with its fine beach, and on via Rai Valley to the idyllic Croisilles Harbour. The more adventurous may drive on to Admiralty Bay and the strongpoint at French Pass. 

Founders Park

2km north of Nelson town center is Founders Park, an open-air museum in which various buildings of the Victorian period (some of them reconstructions) are displayed. Of particular note are a windmill and an exhibition on the history of Nelson Haven.

Mount Richmond Forest Park 

The densely wooded and beautiful Mount Richmond Forest Park extends to the south and east of Nelson, over the hills of the Richmond Range and down into the valley of the Wairau River. A popular trail is the Wakamarina-Onamalutu Track, which follows in the footsteps of the gold prospectors. The walk, which begins 20km south of Canvastown, takes 2 days. 

Suter Art Gallery 

The Suter Art Gallery, was founded by Bishop Suter in 1889. It has an excellent collection of paintings, with works by Woollaston, Gully, Lindauer, Van der Velden, Hodgkins and Richmond.

Abel Tasman National Park  

The Abel Tasman National Park is an accessible and extremely popular area for tramping, recognised as one of the most beautiful in New Zealand. It is the smallest National Park in New Zealand, with an area of 22,500 hectares. The inland area is rough and mountainous; the park is better known for its coastal areas which feature crescent bays, clear waters, golden beaches and granite headlands.

Maori have inhabited the Abel Tasman region for over 500 years, living along the coastline and gathering food from the sea and the forest. Abel Tasman, the first European to discover New Zealand, arrived in 1642, but settlement did not begin until 1855. At this time, newly arrived residents began logging and quarrying. In 1942, 300 years after Abel Tasman's visit, 15,000 hectares of land was assigned as a National Park and named in honour of the Dutch explorer.

Today, the most notable walking track in the area is the coastal walkway, a 51 kilometre walk taking between three and five days to complete. The walkway passes through native bush and offers stunning views of sandy beaches and sparkling ocean waters. Along the way, there are many bays to explore, either on foot or by kayak. Many people combine walking with kayaking, or complete the entire length of the track by kayak, as the waters in the region are relatively safe and sheltered. Due to the popularity of this track, the walkways are crowded in the summer months.

The coastal cliffs and rocky outcrops have been formed from granite, which extends inland into the Park. Further west, however, the landforms are made from marble, limestone and other rocks, similar to those in the Kahurangi National Park. The marble in this area has been eroded by water to create landforms such as caves, sink-holes and disappearing streams, including some of the deepest caves in New Zealand. Harwood's Hole has a vertical drop of 176 metres, making it the country's deepest cave shaft. Waikoropupu Springs, New Zealand's largest freshwater springs, discharge an average of 14,000 litres of water each second.

As a protected area, the National Park is a safe haven for a wide variety of birds, inhabiting sea, coast and forest habitats. In the area, there are populations of Kaka, Parakeet, Falcon and Kea. Little Blue Penguins, once common in the bays, have been destroyed by introduced stoats and are now confined to offshore islands.