100 Reasons to Visit New Zealand

Source: www.newzealandnow.govt.nz

With a land area the size of Great Britain yet with just 4.5 million inhabitants, you don't need to go far to find complete solitude.

New Zealand has a temperate climate, without extremes of hot or cold. From the north (warmest) to the south (coldest), average daytime temperatures range from 12 to 25 °C (54 to 76 °F).

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New Zealand is the adventure capital of the world. From bungee jumping to sky diving to white water rafting, most people come visit New Zealand and blow their budget on a wide range of exciting activities.

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1 US Dollar = 1.5 New Zealand Dollar
The New Zealand dollar is edging closer to its lowest point in six-year against United States dollar.

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While the glaciers are heavily touristy, the experience lives up to the hype.

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The cool South Pacific Ocean encircling the islands of New Zealand provides some of the finest whale watching in the world plus an opportunity to view a variety of other marine mammals and birds.

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Its fertile soil and supple fishing waters make New Zealand a prime location for fresh produce, seafood, cattle and lamb. These strengths are reflected both in the grocery store, with plentiful, healthy selections and at restaurants, where chefs create exotic, delicious plates at very reasonable prices.

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A natural phenomenon called the “Pancake Rocks” can be seen at Punakaiki on the South Island’s west coast. These limestone formations create a dazzling display where columns of water shoot skyward during high tide.

The seasons in New Zealand are about as backwards as their use of the English language. Summer takes place from December to February, as if the travel gods arranged for this with the specific intent of making it a winter time haven for westerners.

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The Te Ana-au caves are a culturally and ecologically important system of limestone caves on the western shore of Lake Te Anau, in the southwest of New Zealand.

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Waiheke Island is in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, about 17.7 km from Auckland. It is the second-largest island in the gulf, after Great Barrier Island.

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Lake Wakatipu is an inland lake in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of the Otago Region, near its boundary with Southland. Lake Wakatipu comes from the original Māori word Whakatipu wai-māori.

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The Huka Falls are a set of waterfalls on the Waikato River that drains Lake Taupo. A few hundred metres upstream from the Huka Falls, the Waikato River narrows from approximately 100 metres across into a canyon only 15 metres across.

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Try your hand at climbing Franz Josef Glacier, a roughly 8-mile-long glacier that descends from the Southern Alps through rain forest to almost sea level.

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If you’re a The Lord of the Rings junkie, New Zealand is perfect for you. This is where they did all the filming, and you can take The Lord of the Rings tours throughout the country and visit the spot where Frodo destroys the one ring, where the forests are, and where Gondor lay.

New Zealand has an amazing range of breathtaking scenery, from subtropical forests, beaches and offshore islands in the north to glaciers, lakes, snow-covered mountains and large flat plains in the south.

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Maori culture is a fascinating and important part of New Zealand life and history.

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Explore the beaches and cliffs surrounding this photographic coastal area.

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Try to catch a sunrise over Hooker Lake.

"Kiwis," as the locals are called, are a very friendly bunch and very welcoming to visitors.

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New Zealanders know how to throw a party. It seems that the entire year is full of festivals and events, from sport to art, food and wine to music.

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Glow-Worm Cave In Waitomo

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This one-of-a-kind museum offers a quick education into the diverse culture and heritage of New Zealand.

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Lake Wanaka is located in the Otago region of New Zealand, at an altitude of 300 metres. Covering an area of 192 km², it is New Zealand's fourth largest lake, and estimated to be more than 300 m deep. Its name is Māori, a corruption of Oanaka.

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Abel Tasman National Park is a New Zealand national park located between Golden Bay and Tasman Bay at the north end of the South Island.

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The Milford Track is a widely known tramping route in New Zealand – located amidst mountains and temperate rain forest in Fiordland National Park in the southwest of the South Island.

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Wellington has character. Everyone talks about Auckland (which, contrary to popular belief, is not the capital), but the real magic takes place in Wellington (the capital).

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If you happen to be on the northern edge of the Mackenzie Basin during November and December, you’ll get the opportunity to see and smell the lupines on Lake Tekapo.

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New Zealand split from the large land mass joining Australia and Antarctica about 85 million years ago, resulting in bird and plant species that are found nowhere else.

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With a great road network, there's nothing easier than hopping in a car or RV (known locally as a campervan) and heading off on an adventure.

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The North Island of New Zealand is positioned above a geothermal system, allowing the Earth's crust to be weakened and rocks to be heated up.

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The Bay of Islands is a New Zealand enclave encompassing more than 140 subtropical islands by the country's North Island. It’s known for its undeveloped beaches, big-game fishing and Maori cultural artifacts. It's also home to the 19th-century whaling port of Russell, whose waterfront promenade is lined with remnants from its days as the country’s first colonial capital.

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Lake Taupo is a lake situated in the North Island of New Zealand. It lies in the caldera of the Taupo Volcano.

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The Routeburn Track is a world-renowned tramping 32 km track found in the South Island of New Zealand.

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The TranzAlpine is a passenger train operated by KiwiRail Scenic Journeys in the South Island of New Zealand, often regarded to be one of the world's great train journeys for the scenery through which it passes.

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Hot Water Beach is a beach on Mercury Bay on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, approximately 12 kilometres south east of Whitianga, and approximately 175 kilometres from Auckland by car.

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Lake Rotorua is the second largest lake in the North Island of New Zealand by surface area, and covers 79.8 km². With a mean depth of only 10 metres it is considerably smaller than nearby Lake Tarawera in terms of volume of water.

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The Moeraki Boulders are unusually large and spherical boulders lying along a stretch of Koekohe Beach on the wave-cut Otago coast between Moeraki and Hampden.

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Christchurch Casino is a casino located in Christchurch, New Zealand offering casino games. The 43,998 sq ft casino was New Zealand's first when it opened in 1994. The casino operates five hundred slot machines and thirty-four table games.

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The Kepler Track is a 60 km circular tramping track which travels through some spectacular scenery of the South Island of New Zealand and is situated near the town of Te Anau.

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Fiordland National Park occupies the southwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest of the 14 national parks in New Zealand, with an area of 12,500 km², and a major part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site.

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Hamilton Gardens is a public garden park in the south of Hamilton owned and managed by Hamilton City Council.

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Picton is a small town in the Macarthur Region of New South Wales, Australia, in the Wollondilly Shire. The town is located 80 kilometres south-west of Sydney, close to Camden and Campbelltown.

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The Waitomo Caves is a village and solutional cave system forming a major tourist attraction in the northern King Country region of the North Island of New Zealand, 12 kilometres northwest of Te Kuiti.

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Sperm whales have the largest brain of any animal, they live in pods and protect the young, sick and injured.

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Sail on the tranquil waters and stop for a picnic break on one of its many sandy shores.

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Spend a day on Waiheke Island, just a 35-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland, and you'll probably end up planning a permanent move there.

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It's the tallest man-made structure in the country, at 328 metres, and the best place to take in 360-degree views of one of the world's great harbour cities. The only better view is from the ground, watching thrill seekers leap from the tower's 192-metre SkyJump, the highest tethered jump in the country, or inch their way around the observation decks on the SkyWalk.

New Zealand is known to be a safe environment for travelers. The police are even trained to operate without guns! The people of New Zealand are very friendly and offer a warm welcome for everyone. Even for solo women travellers, safety is not an issue.

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Waiotapu is an active geothermal area at the southern end of the Okataina Volcanic Centre, just north of the Reporoa caldera, in New Zealand's Taupo Volcanic Zone. It is 27 kilometres south of Rotorua.

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Coronet Peak is a commercial skifield in Queenstown located seven kilometres west of Arrowtown, on the southern slopes of the 1,649 metre peak which shares its name.

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Stuart Landsborough's Puzzling World is a tourist attraction near Wanaka. It started out as just a single level maze in 1973, but over the years expanded to add overbridges to the maze

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Doubtful Sound is a very large and naturally imposing fiord in Fiordland, in the far south west of New Zealand. It is located in the same region as the smaller but more famous and accessible Milford Sound.

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The International Antarctic Centre is located in the suburb of Harewood, Christchurch, close to Christchurch International Airport. It is one of the major tourist attractions of the city.

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Pukekura Park is a Garden of National Significance, covering 52ha near the heart of New Plymouth, Taranaki. The park contains a diverse range of native and exotic plants.

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Lake Te Anau is in the southwestern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. The lake covers an area of 344 km², making it the second-largest lake by surface area in New Zealand and the largest in the South Island.

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The Otago Peninsula is a long, hilly indented finger of land that forms the easternmost part of Dunedin. Volcanic in origin, it forms one wall of the eroded valley that now forms Otago Harbour.

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Arrowtown is located approximately 21km from Queenstown, towards Cromwell and offers a place of relaxation and walking trails. Arrowtown started in the gold rush, with Chinese immigrants.

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The rest of the west might guzzle Coke in an insatiable fashion but New Zealand begs to differ. In fact, New Zealand has its very own national soft drink called L&P (Lemon and Paeroa). L&P was invented in 1904 after its maker tasted some mineral water near the town of Paeroa, and mixed it with lemon. It's been a national sensation ever since.

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For New Zealanders, Zorbing has become something of a national sport. It involves climbing inside a large, transparent ball which is then rolled along the ground and bounced down hills. The locals do it wet