An outdoor playground for thrill-seekers, nature lovers and cultural connoisseurs, New Zealand sits pretty (yet secluded) in the Pacific Ocean. Here, expansive national parks play host to imposing volcanoes, dinky towns nestle beneath striking mountain peaks and adrenaline-fuelled pursuits can be found around every corner. So, if you’re still on the fence about committing to 24 hours of travel, read on for our top five reasons to visit New Zealand – we promise it's worth the flight time…
The Scenery
New Zealand’s nature must be seen to be believed. With landscapes so epic they served as the backdrop for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, the scenery is certainly one of the most convincing reasons to visit New Zealand. Pick between the North and South Islands (or combine the two), and experience everything from snow-dusted mountains and giant glaciers to thundering waterfalls and mirror-like lakes.
Explore Abel Tasman National Park, perched at the tip of the South Island, for sweeping beaches and unmatched sunsets. Or lace up your hiking boots and tackle the Tongariro Alpine Crossing on the North Island, with its imposing volcanic peaks (which LOTR fans will recognise as Mount Doom). Back on the South Island, visit Franz Josef, where calving glaciers rub shoulders with subtropical forests. Then, cruise through the sought-after Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park, every geographer’s geological dream. While New Zealand asks visitors to put in the effort to get there, this out-of-the-way location has done wonders for preserving its environmental assets. Tucked away from mass tourism, the landscapes remain resplendent, and your dedication to getting there will be richly rewarded with breathtaking nature, abundant fauna and cinematic vistas.
The Culture
New Zealand, or Aotearoa as it’s called in the indigenous Māori language, was first inhabited in the 13th century by Polynesian settlers who paddled powerful ocean-going canoes from French Polynesia (some 2,652 miles away). Māori culture remains an integral part of life in New Zealand through food, language and customs; immersing yourself in the local culture is a must and another of our top reasons to visit New Zealand. Sitting atop a bubbling cauldron of geothermal activity, the spa town of Rotorua is the heart of Māori culture. While you’re there, take part in cultural experiences featuring music, feasting and ceremonial dance (known as the ‘Haka’). Following the performances, tuck into a traditional Hāngī feast, a method of cooking that utilises heat from the underground geothermal geysers. Beats a fan oven any day.
The Activities
Epic landscapes lend themselves to epic adventures, and the creation of the first commercial bungee jump at Kawarau Bridge in 1988 acted as the jumping-off point (pun intended) for New Zealand’s adventure tourism trade. Queenstown has since been crowned the ‘adventure capital of the world’ for the myriad heart-rate-raising activities on offer. Elsewhere across the country, you can Heli-hike on the Franz Josef glacier, skydive above Auckland’s cityscape, whitewater raft down the Kaituna River or abseil into the Waitomo glowworm caves.
If you’re a bit less perilously inclined, New Zealand is heaven for hikers, and traversing the tracks that crisscross its wide-open spaces is one of the best ways to experience the country. The most challenging trails include the Tongariro Crossing (near Lake Taupo), Ben Lomond (above Queenstown) and Roy’s Peak (overlooking Lake Wanaka). Each trek takes around six to eight hours, but you’ll be duly rewarded with postcard-worthy views throughout (and a glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc when you return).
The Wildlife
Given the diversity of terrain on display, it's perhaps unsurprising that New Zealand’s cast of creatures is equally varied. Both the North and South Islands are wildlife-rich, but Dunedin on the South Island’s southeast coast is often referred to as the country’s ‘wildlife capital’. Here, the Otago Peninsula is home to breeding colonies of yellow-eyed and little blue penguins, royal albatrosses and fur seals. New Zealand’s third largest island, Stewart Island, hosts a larger population of kiwi birds than people, making it one of the best places to spot the unusual, endemic species. And if you’re a marine life lover, watching playful pods of dolphins leaping alongside your boat or glimpsing a sperm whale cresting above the waves in Kaikōura are surefire reasons to visit New Zealand.
The Wine
New Zealand’s active pursuits can be perfectly paired with its laidback wine culture and idyllic vineyards for a holiday that has it all. Oenophiles will find plenty of reasons to visit, as the nation’s abundance of sunshine, temperate climate and soil diversity have encouraged a full-bodied viticulture to flourish here. Situated in the northeast corner of the South Island, Marlborough is the country’s most fruitful wine region (although other vineyards can be found dotted across the islands). And despite originating in France, Sauvignon Blanc has become the Southern Hemisphere’s most famous tipple, with the region’s fresh seafood acting as the obvious accessory to a crisp glass of the white.
Written by Luisa Watts
