Things to Do in New Zealand

Just 15 minutes from the center of Auckland, Takapuna is Auckland’s trendy, bustling, and boutique beach town. Though the town itself in relatively small in terms of population, Takapuna is considered the center of Auckland’s North Shore suburbs, and is best known for its white sand beach with views of Rangitoto Island. Hire a paddleboard, sailboat, or jet ski to cruise the scenic coastline, where conditions are calmer and waves are much smaller than the beaches of western Auckland. To explore the rolling coastline on foot, take a stroll on the coastal walkway that leads to Milford Beach, where the view looks back at the Auckland skyline and shimmering Lake Pupuke. When you work up an appetite from hiking or swimming, restaurants and shops are within walking distance of Takapuna Beach, where trendy locals sip their coffee on the curb of street side cafés, and savvy shoppers browse the boutiques for the latest selection of styles.

What was once gold-miners territory is now one of New Zealand’s most scenic tour destinations--with breathtaking mountain views and the always beautiful Shotover River, Skipper’s Canyon presents a great opportunity to splurge in fantastic sites of one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

Hop into a 4WD off-road vehicle available via one of the many guided tours and shoot photos to your hearts delight, while you are navigated through Skipper’s Road, being recited the canyons plentiful and rural history.

For a more romantic experience, Skipper’s wine tours are also a popular and fulfilling way to spend your time here. What could be better than enjoying Queenstown’s mouth-watering venison over a glass of locally made wine in the breadth of New Zealand? Feel free to explore the happening local art-scene on your way to gorgeous Gibbston Valley, take a scenic walk along the mountain road, or just spend your time relaxing at the wineries.

Since many visitors who come to Skipper’s Canyon are here for relaxation and the wonderful landscape, amenities for those who are physically limited are well off, with many services offering air-conditioned and quite comfortable minibus tours throughout the area, including picking you up from your accommodation.

When you first catch a glimpse of Pohutu Geyser thundering up from the Earth and crane your neck skywards at a column of water that’s nearly 100 feet high, you begin to understand why this place has drawn visitors for literally hundreds of years. Only five minutes from central Rotorua, Te Puia is a geothermal and cultural attraction in the Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley. When compared to Whakarewarewa Thermal Village, Te Puia is closer to the geysers and also offers an impressive center of Maori arts and crafts. Tour the bubbling, geothermal landscape with a native Maori guide, and then retreat to the national weaving and carving schools to watch Maori students re-create the traditional arts of their ancestors. For a look at furry kiwi birds, there is a small, dark kiwi enclosure that houses the national bird, and for arguably the best evening in Rotorua, return at night to experience Te Po—a traditional ceremony and hangi feast of eating, dancing and lore.

The Tasman Glacier is a geology lesson in action. The largest glacier in the Southern Alps, the massive sheet of ice is slowly flowing south along the eastern edge of Aoraki/Mount Cook.

The top of the glacier is covered in ice and snow, but its long lower stretch extending for kilometers is a jumbled mass of rocks and debris swept down from the melting peak.

It’s estimated that the Tasman Glacier is retreating between 477 to 822 meters (1,564 to 2,696 feet) each year; at that rate its days are numbered. Since the 1970s, the melting waters have collected in Lake Tasman at the foot of the glacier.