Adventurers head west from Taupo to explore the eerie limestone caves of Waitomo. Alternatively, take the short drive from Taupo to the Uonganui River to canoe the wide emerald green waterway through dense bushland to Mount Taranaki.
East of Taupo lie the mountain ranges that form the backbone of the North Island. Beyond them, by the bay at Hawkes, is the wonderful wine region and the beautiful Art Deco town of Napier. To the south lies the Martinborough wine region. It is just an hour’s drive from Wellington, New Zealand’s sophisticated capital city with beautiful harbors, glistening bays, steep hills and an incredible array of cafes, restaurants and nightclubs.
The South Island begins with the world famous Marlborough wineries and the charming town of Nelson. It is surrounded by beautiful beaches and is in close proximity to the mountainous terrain around Nelson Lakes National Park, as well as Abel Tasman National Park, where spectacular sea kayaking is practiced. From the top of the South Island you can head to the summits of New Zealand’s mighty Southern Alps (not to be confused with the European Alps), and then continue along the west coast to the fabulous Fox and Franz Josef glaciers. If you prefer the sea to the mountains, aim east to the eco-tourism center of Kaikoura, where you can watch whales and dolphins. Traveling along the east coast will take you to the South Island’s largest city, Christchurch. Although its English architectural heritage was completely destroyed by earthquakes, the rebuilding process is gathering pace and the town is now close to becoming the most interesting in the country.
From here you can cross the island in a cross-country route, enjoying one of the most scenic rail routes, or head southwest past the patchwork of farmland of the Canterbury Plain to the magical foothills of the Southern Alps and New Zealand’s highest point, Mount Cook (3754m).
From the fields of the Canterbury Plain, past the stunning architecture of Oamaru, to the equally luxurious Scottish town of Dunedin, there are opportunities to explore the wildlife of the Otago Peninsula with its albatrosses, seals, sea lions and penguin colonies. In the mid-nineteenth century, gold prospectors came here to explore both the peninsula and the central regions of the South Island, particularly around Queenstown. It is a magnificent resort on the shores of beautiful Lake Huakatipu, where you can go bungee jumping, rafting, jetboating and skiing on the mountain slopes.
One of New Zealand’s most famous hiking trails, the Routeburn, starts from Queenstown. It takes you to the stunning fjords of the Tasman Sea and glaciers in Fiordland National Park, as well as the small town of Te Anau on the shores of its namesake lake. Further south, you’ll feel the prickly Antarctic winds, which will increase in intensity as you approach the isolated and sparsely populated Stewart Island, New Zealand’s third largest island. However, the climate of the island itself is fairly temperate. Much of its territory is covered with dense forests, which give you the chance to see the rare nocturnal kiwi birds in their natural environment. An even more fascinating fact about this island is the chance to see the Northern Lights, which is unusual for its high latitude. Scientists call it a magnetic anomaly, and tourists in love with New Zealand call it natural magic.