At the End of the World: New Zealand's Top 15 Attractions

Milford Cove

This is one of the most beautiful places on our planet. Rudyard Kipling called this place "the eighth wonder of the world". If you visit this region of New Zealand, you will understand why the English writer liked it so much: the landscape of the bay still preserves the memories of the time when it was formed by glaciers, and cliffs rise from the fjords like peaks. The mountains and waterfalls that surround the flat surface of the water complete the picture.

The best way to properly enjoy the beauty of this place is to go on a small cruise. Thus, on the fjord you can see the magnificent waterfalls and get to know the local fauna - dolphins and penguins. You can explore the waters of the bay on your own during a kayak excursion.

Waitomo Caves

A truly fabulous attraction of New Zealand is located on the North Island of the country. These famous karst caves are a true masterpiece created by nature itself over millions of years.

Once there was an ocean at the place of the caves, at the bottom of which large limestone formations grew, creating entire labyrinths of passages. Later, when the water receded, a system of caves was formed, of which there are about 150. But the most important feature of the caves is that their vaults are inhabited by amazing organisms - small fireflies, creating a delicate blue glow, reminiscent of the vaults of the night sky.

Hobbiton Village

If you've seen at least one movie from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, then you don't need to describe this attraction where the filming took place, you'll be familiar with every corner of this village where the hobbits lived.

But even if you are not a fan of fantasy, it is still worth visiting Hobbiton, because the village was built with great love, attention to detail and a variety of entertainment.

Sky Tower.

This is the tallest building in the entire Southern Hemisphere. The Sky Tower in Auckland is 328 meters high and can be reached by a unique high-speed elevator.

There are three observation decks on the top floors, and the magnificent view is breathtaking. The Sky Tower also has several restaurants, hotels and a casino.

Franz Josef Glacier

Once upon a time there was a girl named Hinehukatere. She loved to climb mountains, and one day she convinced her fiancé Tavi to go with her. The journey turned tragic: the guy died under a landslide, and Hinehukatere cried bitterly and for a long time. Such a legend is firmly entrenched for the Franz Josef Glacier, located in the western part of the South Island of New Zealand.

It is the fastest glacier in the world: due to the melting of the waters feeding it, the glacier moves at a speed of about 2 meters per hour, managing to cover a decent distance in a day. The best view of the glacier is from the mountain peaks, where tourists are taken by helicopter from the nearest town of the same name.

Tongariro National Park

One of the oldest national parks in the world, Tongariro was established in 1887 when the aboriginal Maori people ceded the land to the British Crown to keep it out of the reach of Europeans.

Tongariro covers about 800 square kilometers in the central part of the North Island. The park is essentially a volcanic desert, where the main tourist attractions are active (there are three: Ngauruhoe, Ruapehu and Tongariro) and extinct volcanoes. On the slopes of Ngauruhoe volcano Peter Jackson filmed episodes of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The city of Rotorua

This city, three hours from Auckland, is a unique geothermal area with numerous mud baths. Rotorua is very popular with tourists, who come here not only to improve their health, but also to learn about Maori life in the village of Tamaki, to watch the performance, which is given twice a day, and to taste the author's cuisine.

North Island

To be in New Zealand and not visit the North Island is to see only half of this enigmatic country. One of the most beautiful places on the planet, covered in a mix of snow that wraps the mountain peaks in a soft blanket, lies within Tongariro National Park.

Fiordland National Park

When it comes to unusual travels and natural bounties, the mind involuntarily visits thoughts of fjords - beautiful places where sea bays cut into impregnable rocks, opening to the observer's eye fantastic panoramas and immersing him in a state of serenity and harmony.

Fiordland National Park, located in the south-west of New Zealand, belongs to such places.

You can book a hotel in New Zealand with a discount of up to -65% on the website.

The town of Hokitika

The old gold mining town of Hokitika is the main tourist center of the West Coast. It is surrounded by a wild stretch of beach with magnificent views of the peaks of the Southern Alps.

Lake Cañere is close to town for swimming and boating, and the Hokitika Gorge, with its turquoise water surrounded by dense native forest, makes for great trips south. Booklovers will also want to wander around a bit, as this is the setting for the Booker Prize-winning novel Luminary, which details life here during the gold rush.

White Island Volcano

This volcano forms the country's only active volcanic island called White Island. The entire island, which is over 300 meters high, is made up of volcanic rocks, the appearance of which creates a landscape similar to the surface of the moon.

Here and there, hissing jets of steam rush straight up from the ground - such a restless atmosphere makes the island virtually deserted, with the exception of a small colony of birds of the olewife family. Research is constantly being conducted here, and volcanologists work here. New Zealand guides arrange trips to Bely Volcano together with companies that regularly organize helicopter flights.

Agrodome

Near the city of Rotorua, Agrodome is an unusual theme park that has become home to many animals, mostly domestic species. On a very spacious 160 hectares of land, you can walk or drive an off-road vehicle to see llamas and deer, goats, cows and sheep suited to the grasslands.

One of the favorite local events for visitors is the Sheep Show, which is a fascinating performance during which the audience is shown different breeds of sheep, examples of virtuoso shearing skills, milking cows, and feeding newborn lambs, with each of the acts taking place with audience participation.

Lake Taupo

The largest lake in the country with a depth of up to 160 meters. People come here to go boating, visit a shrimp farm and observatory, and go whitewater rafting.

Taupo is also famous for its fishing - there are trout here. Near the lake there are resort complexes with hot mineral springs.

Transalpine railroad

This place is not without reason called one of the best train rides in the world. The TranzAlpine railroad runs between Christchurch and Greymouth, through the breathtaking scenery of the Southern Alps.

There are scenic stops along the way, and an open-air observation deck allows passengers to take fantastic photos of the scenery as they travel.

Pancake Rocks

The Pancake Rocks are part of Paparoa National Park. These limestone formations have been carved by the erosive action of water and wind over 30 million years, leaving behind bizarre layered stone towers that look like pancake bales. There are various holes among the rocks from which salt spray rises.

In addition to the Mill Rocks Walk, there are also many other trails to explore in the neighborhood. In particular, the Truman Trail leading to the beach is a beautiful and easy trail surrounded by a strip of dense forest of woods.