In the geological sense, New Zealand has had a colorful past. The ice age carved the exquisite fretwork of Fiordland and the Marlborough Sounds, huge tectonic forces pushed up the Southern Alps and volcanism on a fearsome scale shaped (and continues to shape) much of the North Island. The result of all this action is scenery to die for -- a landscape jam-packed with interest.
Coastal
Positioned like a median strip between the Pacific Ocean and the tumultuous Tasman Sea, New Zealand has coastline on a grand scale. Beaches, bays, harbors and cliff edges add up to a total length of around 18,000 kms. You'll find everything from the tropical prettiness of turquoise water and crystalline sand to the soulful drama of surf exploding against ancient sandstone.
If the beach is your passion, you've found your El Dorado at Mount Maunganui. The pristine sands have long been a Mecca for holidaymakers. As a main center for summertime activities, 'The Mount' hosts everything from surf lifesaving events to beach volleyball, parasailing, sandcastle building and surfing contests. Surf lifesaving guards assist safe swimming in the beautiful Pacific Ocean.
The mountain of Mount Maunganui, also known to the local Maori people as Mauao, is shrouded in legend and history. It's the dominant geological feature of the Tauranga District, with its conical rocky outline rising 232 meters above sea level. It has been of great importance to local Maori for more than six centuries as a place of occupation and later as a refuge for defense. Evidence of this is still visible today.
The gently undulating track around the base winds from the ocean to the harbor. Tracks also lead to the summit for some of the best ocean and city views anywhere.
Hot Water Beach is as good as its name. Hot pools can be dug out of the sand at low tide near the rocks and in places where steam can be seen rising from the open sea at high tide. Volcanic activity is no longer prevalent on the Coromandel Peninsula -- the hot mineral pools are a legacy of an exciting geothermal past. Hot Water Beach is also known as a good surfing spot.
The volcanic peak, Paku, and offshore views of the jagged Aldermen Islands are the natural focal points of the Tairua area. Large areas south of the river, between Pauanui and Wharekawa Harbor (Opoutere), are dominated by exotic forests. North of Tairua is the rugged coastal area of Sailors Grave -- an area for a fine half day coastal walk. Inland, the Tairua River runs to the sea from its source in the Coromandel Range, snaking through historical Broken Hills on its journey.
Blue penguins are found right around the coast of New Zealand and southern Australia, but none closer to human activity than in Oamaru. The birds nest right around the harbor area and the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony offers a unique opportunity for you to observe the world's smallest penguin arriving home from their day at sea and returning to their nests.
Each evening, groups of blue penguins gather offshore and wait for dark. Just after dark, they swim ashore below the viewing stands. They quickly climb the steep bank, before resting a while at the top. When they are ready, they cross the parade area and head towards their nest sites, often to be greeted by mates or hungry chicks.
Scenic views
In one way or another, New Zealand is always suggesting you "go up and see the view." We might be talking about a gentle hill above a rural town or the cloud-piercing enormity of Mount Cook (Aoraki). The land is rarely flat, and where it is there's always a mountain range or volcano close by to provide full-strength panorama.
Take the ferry from downtown Auckland across to the seaside suburb of Devonport and enjoy a light cafe lunch and a spot of shopping. Alternatively, walk to the summits of Mount Victoria or North Head for 360-degree views. Ferries to and from Devonport depart every half hour. Mount Eden, Mount Hobson and Mount St John are dormant volcanic cones offering commanding views of the city - pack a picnic and walk up.
And if you're feeling energetic, do the Coast to Coast Walkway - a unique walk joining the east and west coasts of Auckland and taking in many of the city's scenic icons. Enquire at the Visitor Information Centre in the city for a brochure on the walkway.
Maori and Pakeha (Europeans) together form the history of New Zealand; every city, town and settlement has its stories to tell.
There is one New Zealand town where visitors and residents see their local history every day. Not by visiting a gallery. Not by going to a museum. Just by being in town walking the main street. That town is Katikati, where the stories of their pioneers and their vanished way of life are portrayed by magnificent, finely worked murals on the outside walls of their commercial buildings.
Drive a little closer to Tauranga city to find the Minden Look out for unobstructed views along the Bay of Plenty coast, out to sea, over orchards, farmland, hill country and the Tauranga city sprawl. Romantics adore the lights and shadowy islands that can be seen on a clear night.
Mount Iron (because it resembles an iron) is a local landmark. It rises abruptly from the gentle slopes that lead away from Lake Wanaka. A remnant of past glaciation, Mount Iron now offers a spectacular vantage point from which to view the surrounding valleys, peaks, rivers and lakes. A circular walking-track leads through tussock and manuka shrubland, bathed in sunlight, to the flat-topped summit and drops over the steep southern edge of the 'iron.' Horse-treks are also available in the area.
Mount Roy is just a few minutes' drive from Wanaka, yet rises to over a thousand meters. It offers an exhilarating full-day walk. A zigzagging track leads up through thick golden tussock until the airy ridge to the summit is reached. From the top, there are sweeping views across the inlets and islands of Lake Wanaka and up to the shimmering peak of Mount Aspiring/Tititea.
National Park
Huge portions of New Zealand have been spared the landscape changes that come with people. By forever preserving our most precious places, we can show you the world the way it once was. Deep inside a National Park, you can begin to imagine life without buildings or cars. The loudest sounds are birdsong, the wind in the trees and the crunch of leaves under your feet.
Mount Aspiring National Park, just a short drive from Wanaka, has some of New Zealand's most scenic walks. From Wanaka, the drive up the Matukituki Valley towards the park offers tantalizing glimpses of the high peaks and glaciers. Treble Cone Ski Area is passed on the left and, further up the valley, remnant wetlands on either side of the road are home to a number of New Zealand's wading birds.
The pinnacle of the park is Mount Aspiring/Tititea, rising elegantly from its flanking glaciers to 3027 meters -- a peak much loved by climbers and photographers. You don't have to be a mountaineer to enjoy the delights of the Park (although any one of a dozen world-class local guides can accompany you to the top). A myriad of walking tracks meander through the Park's open valleys, or you can fly overhead and gaze down on its golden river flats and forested ridges.
The Tongariro World Heritage National Park isn't special just because it showcases three magnificent volcanoes. It's also highly treasured because it was New Zealand's first National Park, and the first park in the world to be created by a gift of land by an indigenous people.
In 1887 Te Heuheu Tukino IV (Horonuku), Paramount Chief of the Ngati Tuwharetoa people, gifted 2,630ha of the central volcano area to the New Zealand government, including the summits of Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu. His move secured the mountains for all people, for all time.
Over the last century, adjoining land has been added to the park - its present size is nearly 80,000ha. The park's centerpiece, Mount Ruapehu (2,797m), rises dramatically from the surrounding alpine tussock and volcanic rock plateau. Alongside Mount Ruapehu are the two smaller volcanic mountains of Mount Ngauruhoe (also active) and Mount Tongariro.
Strange and unusual experiences await the traveler who checks out New Zealand's idiosyncrasies. Peer into the bright blue of glacier ice, smell the sulphurous steam from a seething geothermal vent, delve into the limestone underworld or watch a waterfall plunge more than 600 meters into one of the world's deepest fiords. Your explorations will be rewarded with a sense of awe that will never quite go away.
Milford Sound, described by Rudyard Kipling as the "eighth wonder of the world," was carved out during successive ice ages and, at its deepest point off Mitre Peak, plunges to a depth of 265 meters. The grandeur of Milford Sound can be appreciated from the air or water. Bowen Falls, hurtling 165 meters into the sea, and the Stirling Falls further down the sound, set amidst the towering cliffs and dwarfed by Mitre Peak, are truly spectacular after rain.
Bottlenose dolphins, New Zealand fur seals and Fiordland crested penguins are resident in the fiord and can be viewed up close from the launch cruises or kayak trips.
A variety of launch cruises run daily on Milford Sound and overnight packages are also offered. Spectacular kayaking and diving trips are very popular along with the Underwater Observatory and the Submarine adventure.
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