By: Ena Langford, An ALTOUR Specialist and an American Express Travel Insider in the Las Vegas office
The North Islands most popular spots.
The North Island is quite different from the South and mainly made up of volcanoes both active and dormant. This gives the north island its geothermal activity and mysterious aura. It's not as mountainous and you will be amazed by how many crops and fields you will see. Yes, the ever present sheep that outnumber people are everywhere. You will also see quite a few cattle farms. Milk is the largest export for this small country followed by lamb, wool and wine.
Long known as the adventurer’s playground with their Jet Boats, bungee Jumps, trekking over mountain ranges. But there is much more to this small country than meets the eye. The wines produced in New Zealand are world renowned. The North Island has two well-known wine regions, Hawke's Bay and Martinborough. There are some lesser known areas and one that is worth a visit is Waiheke Island just across the bay from Auckland. For The enthusiast and adventurous, rent a car on this little island and stay here for a few days to get the true feeling of Waiheke. Try lunch or dinner at Mudbrick vineyard, 95% of all wine produced here is consumed on site, so you will not find this label in the States for sure. There are day tours to Waiheke if you’re not up to driving.
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Next to geysers in Rotorua
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A trip to New Zealand's North Island is not complete without a stop in Waitomo on your way to Rotorua to visit one of the caves full of glow worms. There are three caves here to explore depending on your comfort level. The most visited is Waitomo Cave which is easily accessible for most, but not wheelchair accessible. There are stairs but once inside it is quite flat and easy to get around. You will see the amazing caverns with stalagmites, stalactites and or course the beautiful glow worms. Another option is Ruakuri cave which is more intimate and when taking the spiral staircase deep into the earth you will understand just how adventurous your decision to visit has been. You will experience one of the most unique caves in the world here. While traversing the narrow corridors and huge caverns you can hear the rumbling of the underground waterfalls in the distance. This is also the cave for the Black Water Rafting experience where you raft down an underground river through caves and see the glow worms above you.
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| Waitomo Statue |
Any Lord of the Rings or Hobbit fans should stop at Hobbiton on your way
from Waitomo to Rotorua. The film set is
very well kept and look just like they did in the movie.
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Hobbiton
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Next stop on the North
Island is Rotorua, where you will
learn the most about the Maori culture in New Zealand. To get hands on experience on day to day life
visit then you must visit Te Puia. You
can easily spend half a day here if not more.
This is much more than a learning experience for travelers about the
Maori people; it is the New Zealand Arts and Crafts Institute as well. So you will see classes going on for
woodworking, weaving and much more.
Another must is a Hangi, which is a Maori feast and celebration. My favorite is Tamaki because you are able to
interact with the Maori people, ask questions, take photos (that's me and the
elder of the tribe!).
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Me with Maori Elder
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This is a great area for hiking and mountain biking. The mountain top lakes are great for boating
and some even have hot springs
to enjoy. If your pocketbook allows,
take a helicopter to the top of Mt.
Tarawera and hike across
the top of a dormant volcano. What an
amazing experience! Don’t forget the
Rotorua history Museum which calls an over 100 year old Original Rotorua Bath
house its home.
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Original Bath
House of Rotorua
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Our last stop of the more well-known areas of the North Island
is the capital city, Wellington. Home to Te Papa, the Museum
of New Zealand and the wonderful
Martinborough wine region, this little city on the tip of the South
Island has so much to offer.
There is Zealandia, a nature preserve just 10 minutes away that offers
night tours to try and catch a glimpse of the elusive Kiwi bird, journeys to the rugged Pacific coast to
witness the scenery, seals and sea lions
in the wild. You also have several
options to tour the beautiful local scenery and visit some the areas used for
filming the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
This city is a food lovers paradise with so many fresh ingredients there
are so many restaurant options to choose form.
Wellington is also the home to the North Islands port for the
Interisland Ferry to Picton on the South Island.
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View overlooking Wellington
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Ena Langford, an ALTOUR Travel
Consultant and an American Express Travel Insider in Las Vegas, NV
Premier Australia and New Zealand Specialist
Premier Australia and New Zealand Specialist
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