North Island

New Zealand's capital is a superbly compact city, set dramatically on the shores of a fine, deep harbour enclosed by a natural amphitheatre of wooded hills. The second largest city, Wellington is the political center of New Zealand. Wellington has a vast range of accommodations ranging from top-class hotels to middle-of-the-range, budget and apartment-style accommodations. Vibrant, exciting, and cultured, it combines the stimulation of a sophisticated big city with the friendliness and warmth New Zealanders are famous for.

Wellington is known as the restaurant capital of New Zealand. Many of its great cafes, funky bars and ethnic-inspired restaurants are within walking distance of each other, and its sidewalks are enlivened by street performers. Look for restaurants and bars in the Courtney Place area, namely Blair and Allen Streets, or try the Queen's Wharf. Wellington's nightlife is a tribute to its passion for the arts. It is home to the national orchestra, ballet and opera companies, four professional theatres and the national schools of dance and drama.

The Kapiti Coast is 20 mi/32 km north of Wellington city. A popular spot for Wellingtonians to spend their holidays, the Kapiti Coast has white-water rafting, swimming, boating, hunting, golf, horseback riding, and bush walking, all to be enjoyed on a New Zealand vacation.

The lakeside city of Rotorua is one of North Island's most famous destinations for overseas visitors and an important center of Maori culture, exposure to which is a must on any New Zealand vacation. Rotorua is also the centre of New Zealand's thermal region, with geysers, steaming lakes and streams, mud pools, multi-coloured silica terraces and hot mineral pools known for their curative properties. Rotorua has some of the best trout fishing in New Zealand and 11 major lakes to choose from.

For centuries the Maori have taken advantage of the hot springs for cooking and bathing, and Rotorua is one of the best places to learn about their culture, both traditional and contemporary. At the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute in the Whakarewarewa Reserve, you can watch highly skilled Maori carvers and weavers at work. A hangi or feast is the traditional method used by the Maori to prepare their food. Food is cooked underground and heated by the thermally heated earth. Many hotels on New Zealand tours offer Maori concerts and the chance to sample this very distinctive type of food. Many maraes or meeting houses also offer a hangi feast and concert.

Palmerston North serves the surrounding sheep and cattle farming region, commonly referred to as Manawatu. Many large and beautiful private gardens are available for viewing, and garden tours are extremely popular here in New Zealand tours.

The main city of the isolated Eastland region, Gisborne is a pleasant resort town situated on a broad bay. The surf beaches and sunny, warm climate here have long attracted New Zealanders on vacation. The area boasts some of the country's best-preserved carved Maori meeting houses and churches. West of Gisborne, the vast, remote, forested wilderness of the Te Urewera National Park is the largest untouched expanse of native forest on the North Island, beautifully endowed with lakes, rivers and waterfalls. The scenic highlight is the sparkling gem of Lake Waikaremoana, and there are excellent hiking trails and short walks here, including the 30-mile Lake Waikaremoana Track. Bird watching, hunting, fishing, canoeing and boating are all spectacular on a New Zealand vacation.

In an area of coastal farmlands and small rural communities, the city of Wanganui lies at the mouth of the historic Whanganui River. Visitors can travel upriver by jet boat or riverboat into the heart of the Whanganui National Park, or canoe downstream over gentle rapids. You can visit villages along the way, where local Maori welcome visitors on a New Zealand vacation.

Napier is the port for the Hawke's Bay region. It is best known for its man-made treasure - its glorious Art Deco buildings. Built following a disastrous earthquake and fire which destroyed the city in 1931, Napier now claims the largest concentration of Art Deco buildings in the world well preserved or beautifully restored. Interesting and informative guided Art Deco walks are provided by the local Art Deco Trust.

Sightseeing must on New Zealand tours is the beautifully landscaped, oceanfront Marine Parade, with its gardens and many attractions. The city's cafes and restaurants add to the ambiance of a charming seaside resort.

Hawke's Bay is famous for its world-class wines and is home to 30 wineries. The region is also New Zealand's largest producer of apples, pears and peaches.

The twin city of Hastings is about 16 miles from Napier and is the seat of the region's orchards and vineyards, many of which have fine cafes serving Mediterranean-style food with their premium wines.

Visit the gannet sanctuary at Cape Kidnappers, the largest mainland colony in the world. For magnificent views of the bay and surrounding countryside, drive up Te Mata Peak, past the town of Havelock North.

The most striking natural feature of Taranaki is the classic, almost symmetrical, the volcanic cone of Mt. Taranaki (also known as Mt. Egmont). A drive, or walk on one of the many forested mountain trails on Mt. Taranaki affords spectacular views of the almost perfectly circular park spread out below. Greener-than-green dairy pastures stretch as far as the eye can see. Not to be missed are the beautiful Dawson Falls.

The main provincial centre is New Plymouth and other smaller towns are Inglewood, Stratford, Eltham and Hawera. Surfing is also popular on this rugged coastline.

The Rangitikei region includes the towns of Taihape, Mangaweka, Hunterville, Marton, and Fielding. There is a huge range of wonderful bed and breakfasts and farmstays that feature glorious gardens such as Rathmoy, Cross Hills, Cairnmuir, Titoki Point and Lavender Farm.

Rafting on the Rangitikei River, horse trekking, jet sprinting and a wide selection of crafts from pottery to ceramics are also on offer. Just over two hours from Wellington and less than an hour to the closest ski field the Rangitikei is perfectly located on State Highway 1.

This region of New Zealand encompasses parts of both the North and South Islands. In the North Island, Wellington, the nation's capital, and the Wairarapa make up part of this region while in the South Island, Marlborough and Nelson complete the union. All four areas complement each other and offer an excellent way to experience a great deal of New Zealand in a short amount of time.

Tauranga, Maori for sheltered waters, is the largest residential and commercial area of the coastal Bay of Plenty. This region enjoys one of the sunniest climates in New Zealand, ideal for growing kiwi and citrus fruit for which the region is famous. A harbour bridge links Tauranga with Mount Maunganui, one of New Zealand's largest ports, and among its most popular beach resorts. The whole Bay of Plenty region offers outstanding surf beaches as well as magnificent waters for big game fishing. Located on the eastern edge of the Central North Island's thermal region, the Bay of Plenty has thermal hot pools as well as one of the world's most accessible active volcanoes, White Island, 30 miles/48 km offshore from Whakatane.

Hamilton is the main center of the Waikato and is located on the Waikato River, the longest in New Zealand at 265 miles. Hamilton is supported by small prosperous towns such as Cambridge, known for its large English trees; Te Awamutu, renowned for its rose gardens, and historic St. John's Anglican Church; Otorohanga, whose zoo boasts the largest walk-through aviary in the Southern Hemisphere; and Matamata, the centre of the country's bloodstock industry. The Waikato region is one of the world's greenest. The volcano-enriched soil supports lush grass for raising cattle and thoroughbred horses.

The major attraction on a New Zealand vacation in the area is the famous Waitomo Caves with its glow worm grotto and limestone caverns. Less than 50 miles to the south of Hamilton, the Waitomo Caves make up a vast underground network of water-sculpted, limestone grottoes. Here you can go tube rafting on an underground stream or slip silently through on a barge to view the magical lighting created by glow-worms overhead. The more adventurous may abseil (rappel) 300 feet down into huge caverns. No previous experience is required to do this.

An hour's drive south of Rotorua, Taupo sits on the northern shore of Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake. "The trout capital of New Zealand," Lake Taupo is justly renowned for its fishing, and plenty of guides and boats are available. Many people just enjoy cruising or simply relaxing in this incredibly beautiful spot. For the more active, on a New Zealand vacation, there are helicopter rides, horse treks, bungee jumping, rafting and golfing. At the southern end of the lake is Turangi, also famous for its trout fishing. This is the base for white-water rafting on the Tongariro River.

In the park, Mount Ruapehu (9,177 feet), the highest peak on the North Island and a live volcano, is the site of Whakapapa and Turoa ski areas which both have world-class facilities. For summer, there are extensive tracks and huts throughout the park, as well as shorter walks, nature trails, and historical Maori sites. The town of National Park services the ski area of Whakapapa. Ohakune is the town at the base of the Turoa Ski field.

The Wairarapa is fast gaining a reputation for its award-winning wines. Most of the wineries are within walking distance of each other, clustered around the colonial village of Martinborough, which also has excellent restaurants and craft shops. About one and a half hours' drive north of Wellington, Masterton is the main centre of a rich, sheep-farming district.