New Zealand vacations

New Zealand travel information

Lying some 1200 miles southeast of Australia, the islands of New Zealand offer rich and varied landscapes with a climate ranging from subtropical to temperate. Even the cities of Auckland and Wellington, with their cosmopolitan lifestyle, excellent museums, shopping, hotels and restaurants, offer varied and beautiful scenery with nature reserves and coastal wildlife nearby. Many of the National Parks on both islands are listed UNESCO sites, including the extensive native forest of Te Urewera, mountainous Tongariro with its active volcano, Kahurangi popular for long treks, Abel Tasman which is the country's only coastal National Park, and the vast wilderness area of the Te Wahipounamu region with its rainforests, glaciers, lakes and mountains.

Nutrient-rich coastal waters attract migratory humpback whales as well as sperm whales, dolphins, seals and sealions, while abundant birdlife includes albatross and rare species of penguin. Many of New Zealand's place names indicate the rich Maori past, a cultural heritage now proudly presented in traditional events and festivals. Kaikoura village on South Island is one example of a thriving community steeped in Maori history and where the local whale watching enterprise is entirely Maori owned.