New Zealand is a country of stunning and diverse natural beauty: jagged mountains, rolling pasture land, steep fiords, pristine trout-filled lakes, raging rivers, scenic beaches, and active volcanic zones. These islands are one of Earth’s most peculiar bioregions, inhabited by flightless birds seen nowhere else such as a nocturnal, burrowing parrot called the kakapo and kiwi. Kiwi are not only one of the national symbols – the others being the silver fern leaf and koru – but also the name New Zealanders usually call themselves.
Attractions in New Zealand
- Abseiling Waitomo
- Aerial sightseeing (helicopter and fixed-wing)
- Birdwatching
- Black water rafting (cave rafting)
- Boat Tours
- Bungy Jump Queenstown, Auckland, Lake Taupo – the modern bungy jump was invented here by New Zealander A.J. Hackett.
- Canoeing and kayaking on rivers and lakes
- Canyoning
- Caving Waitomo, Nelson, South Island West Coast, Te Anau
- Climbing
- Diving
- Fishing – trout (some of the finest trout-fishing in the world), salmon, marlin, broadbill, sharks and many other salt-water species
- Fly by wire (invented here)
- Four-wheel driving
- Gliding – Omarama is one of the best places in the world for gliding
- Golf – New Zealand has over 400 registered golf courses, from local clubs to internationally renowned resorts, offering un-crowded golfing & superb scenery.
- Hang-gliding
- Heli-hiking at Fox Glacier
- Hiking – New Zealand has a number of national parks and other wilderness and forested areas, much of which is managed by the Department of Conservation [16]. The activity known in other countries as hiking, trekking or bush walking is known as tramping in New Zealand and is a very popular activity for visitors and locals.
- Horse trekking
- Hot-air ballooning
- Hunting – several species of deer, wild pig (wild boar), tahr, chamois, goat, wallabies (they are protected in Australia but a pest here), game birds.
- Ice-climbing
- Jetskiing
- Kite surfing
- Lord of the Rings Tours that show the actual locations used in the filming.
- Luge (on concrete not ice) Auckland, Queenstown, Rotorua.
- Mountaineering – this was the training ground for Sir Edmund Hillary, one of the first two people to climb Mt Everest.
- Mountain biking
- Museums
- Nature tours
- Paragliding/Parapenting
- Quad biking
- Rafting
- Rap jumping
- River jetboating – the Hamilton jet was invented by New Zealander William Hamilton.
- Rockclimbing
- Rugby – the national game. Major tournaments include the ITM Cup, featuring domestic teams; Super Rugby, featuring regional teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa; and The Rugby Championship, in which the national team, the All Blacks, plays the national teams of Australia, South Africa and Argentina. New Zealand hosted and won the most recent Rugby World Cup in 2011.
- Sailing – New Zealand has produced many world-champion yachties and is the only country apart from the US to have won and successfully defended yachting’s ultimate prize, the America’s Cup.
- Scuba diving and snorkelling, especially down to the sunken Rainbow Warrior at Matauri Bay, not far from Kerikeri.
- Sea kayaking Abel Tasman Marine Reserve
- Shark cage diving Kaikoura
- Skiing and snowboarding including heli-skiing Queenstown
- Skydiving
- Surfing
- Swimming with dolphins Kaikoura, Bay of Islands
- Swimming with seals
- Whale watching Kaikoura
- White water rafting Fox Glacier
- White water sledging / dam dropping
- Windsurfing
- Zoos
- Zorbing (invented here) Agrodome in Rotorua
Destinations in New Zealand
- Abel Tasman National Park — golden sand beaches, kayaking and the Abel Tasman Coastal Track
- Aoraki Mount Cook National Park — lots of hiking opportunities and New Zealand’s highest mountain
- Bay of Islands — pretty spot in the North Island with historical significance
- Coromandel Peninsula — rugged coastline with plenty of beaches and hiking opportunities just one and a half hours from Auckland
- Hawke’s Bay — wineries in the hills and art deco architecture in Napier
- Milford Sound — beautiful fiord in Fiordland National Park
- Taupo — trout fishing and adventure activities in the central North Island
- Tongariro National Park — three volcanoes, two skifields and one of the most popular hikes in the country
- Westland National Park — home of the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers
- Wanaka — two beautiful lakes and the gateway to Mt Aspiring National Park, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, canyoning, rock climbing. A small town with a great feel.
