Places of Interest in New Zealand

One of the most magical places on earth I’ve every been to has to be the tiny islands of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean. And for those of you out there, who have watched any of the “Lord of the Rings” films would agree. Within this page I intend on highlighting places of interest in New Zealand that I found on my trips to this amazing country. So let’s get started…

Abel Tasman National Park

Located at the very north-west tip of the South Island of New Zealand is Abel Tasman National Park, which happens to be the smallest within NZ. The park itself covers only 225.3 square kilometers. Abel Tasman is very popular with kayakers, campers and sightseers due to its beautiful grandeur.

The park itself contains forests, hilly country, valleys, Riwaka river which flows 20 kilometers inland from Tasman Bay and Takaka river which enters from Golden Bay and streams for 70 kilometers untouched. Tracking through this natural wilderness was a definite highlight of my second trip to the South Island and I would recommend Abel Tasman National Park as a place to visit.

Resources

http://www.abeltasman.co.nz
http://www.newzealand.com/travel/destinations/national-parks/abel-tasman/abel-tasman.cfm
http://www.abeltasmannationalpark.co.nz

Auckland

Auckland is a vibrant metropolitan city located at the top of the North Island of New Zealand. With the population reaching 1.4 million citizens they make up for 31.2 percent of NZ entire population. Auckland is nicknamed the “City of Sails” due to the high percentage of the population that own boats located in the harbor, which make for an amazing photograph. Cosmopolitan by nature, this city has the biggest population of Polynesian outside of Polynesia in the world. A must see city if you get a chance to go to the North Island.

Resources

http://www.aucklandnz.com

Bay of Islands

The Bay of Islands can be found at the very tip of New Zealand’s north island. Famous for its sailing and fishing activities this area is very popular with tourists and is roughly 60 kilometers north-west of Whangarei, the northern most city in New Zealand.

The natural harbour is irregular in shape and only covers 16 kilometers in diameter. Dolphin watching is one of the most well known attractions for tourists and lets not leave out the locals.

Historically the Bay of Islands was the first area settled by europeans in the late 18th century and you can see exactly why. Its beautiful landscape makes for an amazing backdrop to enjoy an evening meal with close friends.

Resources

http://www.bayofislands.net
http://www.bayofislands.net/maps/