An Overview of New Zealand

(CNN) -- A country of dramatically diverse environments, New Zealand offers an array of activities for outdoor enthusiasts and adventure seekers alike.

New Zealand's remarkably varied landscape includes beaches, mountains, fjords, glaciers and rain forests, making it one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth. The small country consists of two main islands, the North Island and the South Island, each boasting a surprising variety of natural wonders as well as urban centers.

If you are planning on visiting New Zealand, be prepared to be mobile in order to experience all the country has to offer. Although the entire size of the island nation is roughly the same as Colorado, there are countless different environments and geographically distinct regions. The best way to truly see the country is to make sure you plan and come ready to explore.

That being said, there are also plenty of options for a more relaxing and peaceful vacation, but after the 12-24 hour plane ride it takes to get there, you should have had plenty of time to rest up.

Much of the country lies close to the coastline, making for an overall temperate climate. However, some areas can experience four seasons in one day, as the climate can shift dramatically due to sharp regional contrasts.

New Zealand was one of the last major land masses on Earth to be populated by humans and is the second-closest land mass to Antarctica, behind Chile. The Polynesian Maori arrived on the islands around 800 A.D. and it wasn't until 1840 that they entered into a compact with Britain; they surrendered sovereignty but maintained territorial rights to the land.

The South Island

Christchurch is known as the gateway to the South Island and is New Zealand's second-largest city. Often referred to as the "Garden City," Christchurch has an impressive park system and features neo-Gothic architecture dating back to the English settlers who founded the city. Here visitors have easy access to sunny beaches and snowy mountaintops within a short drive from the metropolitan center.

Travel south along the eastern coast of the South Island to the small town of Akaroa on Bank's Peninsula. The route offers some breathtaking views of the mountainous countryside. Once there you can relax in the quaint former French settlement and soak up some of the local culture or take a boating tour of the harbor to see the rare Hector's dolphins, seals and other marine life that thrive in the turquoise waters of the flooded volcano crater.

Experience history and learn a little something

Continuing farther down the coast of the South Island through the Southern Alps you will reach the hilly city of Dunedin, New Zealand's largest city in terms of area. During the journey, be sure to stop at Koekohe Beach on the Otago coast to marvel at the Moeraki Boulders, huge almost perfectly spherical rocks that date back 60 million years.

The city of Dunedin is a cultural and environmental hot spot with a rich history. The city boasts a well-preserved historic district with Scottish roots, a vibrant art scene and a thriving university life.


For those interested in ecotourism, The New Zealand Marine Studies Centre, just outside Dunedin, is an attraction for those looking to learn more about southern New Zealand's remarkably diverse marine life. The Royal Albatross Centre, about an hour outside the city, on the tip of the Otago Peninsula, offers a rare chance to see one of the world's largest birds (with a wingspan of up to 11 feet) on the only mainland colony on the planet. Also just outside Dunedin is the Yellow Eyed Penguin Conservation Reserve where visitors can see the rarest penguins on the planet up close and in their native habitat.


At the Waipati Beach Scenic Reserve a scenic walk through the forest opens abruptly onto Waopati Beach, where visitors can explore the Cathedral Caves.

Once you reach the bottom tip of the South Island, be sure to stop at Porpoise Bay along the Catlins coast and explore the abundance of rare wildlife and a Petrified Forest dating back to the Jurassic period. The Catlins coast landscape is sparsely populated and is dominated by lush forests and rocky coastal bays. Another must see site is the Cathedral Caves, located a short walk through a flourishing forest in the Waipati Beach Scenic Reserve. The coastal caverns can only be seen during low tide and connect under the cliffs, reaching heights of 100 feet.

Fiordland: Dramatic natural beauty

The Kepler Track, stretching from Lake Te Anau and through Fiordland National Park, offers some of the most stunning views of New Zealand's South Island.

As you continue to wrap around the southern tip of the South Island and enter into New Zealand's Fiordland, stop in the lakeside town of Te Anau. Known as the "gateway to the fiords," Te Anau has plenty to explore. Take a 30-minute boat ride across Lake Te Anau to visit the otherworldly glowworm caves. Those looking to stretch their legs a bit can check out the Kepler Track, across the shores of Lake Te Anau. The 100-mile trail can be broken up into more manageable portions and traverses a beautiful route from sandy beaches to lush forest to barren mountain tops, offering breathtaking views of Lake Te Anau and the surrounding mountains.

Milford Sound along the west coast of the South Island is one of New Zealand's most beautiful and awe-inspiring natural wonders. Journey a few hours northwest of Te Anau through the steep, lush terrain of the Fiordland. Milford Sound was carved by ancient glaciers and is surrounded by towering cliffs that feature countless waterfalls. There are also several options for hiking on the series of trails that surround the sound and offer stunning views.

A thrill-seeker's dream

Making your way back north up the western side of the South Island, make sure to visit the city of Queenstown. Known as the "adventure capital of the world," Queenstown is a thrill seeker's dream. It's chock full of activities to get your adrenaline pumping, ranging from high speed jet boating, canyon swinging to a variety of alpine activities such as skiing. It also is the birthplace of modern bungee jumping. Skydiving is a major attraction because jumpers can go as high as 15,000 feet, getting a breathtaking view of the county's landscape from above. Queenstown has a lively feel and features a condensed city center with restaurants, bars and many tourist-oriented shops.

There are also several hiking options in and around Queenstown, including the mountain ranges that served as the dramatic backdrop for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

Take a stroll or a sip, and relax

The Rippon Vineyard, located on the shores of Lake Wanaka in the Central Otago, offers beautiful views of snow-capped mountain peaks in the distance.

Traveling farther north, stop off for a day in the serene lakeside town of Wanaka. Here you can explore the town's picturesque parks that line the shore, offering views of the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Stop at the Rippon Vineyard and Winery and sample some wine while you enjoy the view. New Zealand is known for sauvignon blanc, which grows well in the temperate maritime climate. There are a plethora of wineries throughout the country, thanks to the ideal conditions created by coastal regions bordered by mountain ranges.

Where glaciers meet the forest
The Franz Josef Glacier, located on the South Island?s west coast, is one of the most accessible glaciers on Earth.

Continuing up along the west coast of the South Island through the Haast Pass you will reach the Franz Josef Glacier. This portion of the island is perpetually rainy and often cloudy, but offers stunning landscapes and some of the most easily accessible glaciers in the world. Take a guided hike up the Franz Josef Glacier and experience the rare formation up close as the glacier meets temperate forest.

Heading farther north toward the tip of the South Island, visitors can stop by the famous Pancake Rocks near Punakaiki, a series of visually astonishing limestone formations that have been eroded to create unique rock patterns that jet out from the coastline.
The multitude of inlets, islands and coves in Abel Tasman National Park allow visitors to relax on isolated beaches and see rare wildlife up close.

As you make your way farther north, be sure to make time to visit the Abel Tasman National Park, just over an hour north from the city of Nelson. Here, visitors can take a guided kayak tour in the Tasman Sea and take in the clear blue waters and golden sand beaches. Explore the many lagoons and coastal caves and be sure to stop and relax on one of the many deserted island beaches.

The North Island

From here, travel east to the town of Picton and catch the interisland ferry for a three-hour ride across the Cook Strait to the capital city of Wellington on the North Island. Once in Wellington, head up to the Mount Victoria lookout to get you bearings and take in the panoramic view of the city center and harbor. While in Wellington, check out the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa, the country's free national museum, where you can get an overview on Maori history and the diverse natural environment. Wellington is also known for fine dining and nightlife, most of which can be explored on foot.
Mount Tongariro, located in Tongariro National Park on New Zealand?s North Island, offers a variety of hiking trails and skiing in the winter.


From Wellington, venture up toward the center of the North Island to the Tongariro National Park. The small town of Turangi is an ideal base for day trips into the park, where visitors can hike around New Zealand's largest lake, Lake Taupo, experience world famous trout fishing on the Tongariro River and take in the sights of Mount Tongariro and other volcanoes within the park.

Continue around to the top of Lake Taupo and visit the surreal Craters of the Moon Scenic Reserve. This geothermal phenomenon is caused by magma heating up pools of water deep beneath the ground, causing steam to rise up eerily from the large craters and surrounding ground. Also, explore the nearby geothermal pool sites, which contain geysers, waterfalls, sulfur caves and a series of pools that vary widely in color because of the heated elements in the water.

From here continue north to the Bay of Plenty, one of the sunniest regions in the world. This area is a popular vacation destination for locals and features access to countless water activities and some of the country's most pristine beaches. The region's major city is Tauranga and visitors here will find a bounty of fresh seafood and local fruit such as the kiwi.

Discover Maori history and unwind

Travel just under an hour inland and stop off in the town of Rotorua, a place deeply rooted in Maori culture. Treat yourself to a relaxing day at the Polynesian Spas. Here, thermal pools range in temperature from 96 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit and contain minerals that are believed to have a variety of healing properties. Relax in the alkaline pools, surrounded by native flora, while you enjoy the view of Lake Rotorua.

From Rotorua, trek northwest to the city of Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. Auckland is also known as the "City of Sails," because it is said to have more boats per capita than anywhere in the world. Auckland is a progressive, multicultural city with a bustling nightlife and a diverse population. While the sprawling, modern city has plenty of metropolitan delights, its natural beauty is never far away as it sits nestled between the Waitemata and Manuka harbors and atop a series of dormant volcanoes, surrounded by lush forest. Explore all the cultural and recreational activities the city has to offer or escape from it all and jet away to a remote island getaway in the nearby Hauraki Gulf.

Confessions of An Over-Packing Addict

I really loved this article when I saw it, perhaps because it fits me!

July 28 2011 at 08:20am
By LINDA KELSEY

What not to do when packing for a trip...

Like the New Year resolutions we know we’ll never keep, every summer I swear a solemn oath that this will be the last time I’ll overpack.

Never again, I repeat, will the charge for my excess baggage equal the price of my return flight. No more will I have used up my holiday spending budget before I’ve even stepped onto the plane.

In future, I tell myself, I’ll master the art of the capsule wardrobe, with a few well-chosen pieces that mix and match and mark me out as a seasoned, sophisticated traveller. The kind of woman who swans elegantly and unencumbered through airports rather than resembling a beast of burden about to collapse under the weight of its load.

I’ll choose a pared-down palette of, say, navy and white (nicely nautical and suitable for a beach holiday), with accents of pink or red. That way, I can limit my accessories to a couple of pairs of flip-flops, two pairs of shoes for the evening, a beach bag and a stylish clutch for nights on the town.

But that kind of approach to my holiday wardrobe would take a lot of planning. Deciding what I need in advance and working out what I’m going to wear on any given day. And I don’t do planning, or lists, I leave packing until the last possible minute because without an imminent deadline I simply procrastinate ad infinitum.

Midnight is usually when I begin, which - after I’ve finished - gives me about two hours’ sleep before I have to get up at 4am for a 7am flight out of Luton Airport. My method never changes. I just open a large suitcase and lob things at it ferociously, feeling a wave of strength surge through me, like Petra Kvitova must have felt beating Maria Sharapova in the Wimbledon final.

Even if I end up having to trampoline on my case in order to close it, I’m confident of finishing victorious. When I counted up what I’d actually packed for my latest trip, it read as follows.

Sarongs, seven - that should be enough. Bras, ten - three strapless in black, white and neutral; three colourful ones and three comfy white ones, and then one more just in case. In case of what, I have no idea. Knickers, too many to count. Dresses, 13. Yes, I know, but they’re barely more than slips, and they hardly weigh a thing, and they do include cover-ups for lunch by the pool.

Except I don’t eat lunch by the pool, I eat it on the terrace of my apartment, wearing the bikini I’ve been wearing all morning, one of eight, which is, to my credit, three fewer than last year.

Shoes? I refuse to tell you. Though it’s never enough - on day two of my most recent holiday I happened to pass by the Spanish department store El Corte Ingles and it had these huge banners in the window displaying my favourite Spanish word, Rebajas. For those who don’t speak Spanish, Rebajas means Sale. And the two pairs of wedges I bought were exactly what I needed.

According to a recent survey, female holidaymakers pack almost double what they need, leaving half the contents of their suitcase untouched. Seventy two percent admit always to overpacking, while 42 percent still plan to shop for clothes while on their break.

The average woman will pack 19 tops for her holiday but will wear only ten, and will take 16 “bottoms” - such as trousers, shorts and leggings - but will wear just eight.

According to the same survey, women also come home with one pair of shoes which never made it out of the suitcase, a spare bikini and a couple of pieces of underwear. Is that all? It strikes me these women are amateurs when it comes to overpacking.

In an interesting paradox, while a fifth of women admit to having incurred excess baggage costs, another new study suggests that one in five passengers is travelling light and sharing a suitcase with the rest of the family in order to avoid the astronomical baggage costs, such as those charged by Ryanair, of £30 (about R350) per hold bag each way in peak season, plus an exorbitant £20 for each extra kilogram above your luggage allowance.

Suntan lotions are another weighty problem since we’ve become terrified of getting skin cancer and barely dare walk from the bathroom to the bedroom without slavering ourselves first, for fear of catching a dangerous ray through the open window while unprotected.

My spray says each bottle contains enough for six applications for an average body and should be reapplied every 1-2 hours. At that rate, and if I took any notice, it would require a bottle a day, totalling 14 bottles a person for a two-week, sun-lover’s holiday. Don’t those luggage allowances seem more meagre by the minute?

Of the many misunderstandings between the sexes, packing for a holiday has to be one of the biggest. A man sees a holiday as an opportunity to forget about clothes - no suit, no stiff shirts, no ties or proper shoes. Bung in a pair of tatty shorts and a pair of sandals and he’s in holiday heaven. But for a woman, a holiday is the perfect time to indulge in dressing up, and dressing to kill.

At home, I can get ready to go out after a long day’s work in ten minutes flat. On holiday, I might spend two hours exfoliating, creaming, washing and blow-drying my hair, applying make-up and putting on the holiday bling.

I thrill to the thought of trying on different dresses to see which one I’m most in the mood for. And even if we end up having fish and chips at a pavement cafe, I love the feeling of having primped and pampered myself without having to race against the clock. It’s a luxury that only a holiday can afford me.

And so I have decided to ditch my original resolution to travel light and vow to pack as much as I damn well like.

My secret holiday weapon is the new man in my life, who comes almost free of baggage. He once suggested he could fit his holiday gear into a carrier bag.

At first I thought I might encourage him to smarten up and expand his holiday wardrobe, but I’ve discovered that the joy of a dishevelled other half is that you can balance your overweight suitcase with his half-empty one.

The less he packs, the more room for me! Thirty-two whopping, irresistible kilos, mine all mine, and eight feather-light ones for him, make us an almost perfect match. - Daily Mail