Every year, millions of tourists flock to New Zealand. And why wouldn’t they? New Zealand’s the best country in the world. It’s got heaps of amazing places to visit. Too many to choose from, if anything. So how do you choose? Here to help is a list of New Zealand’s most visited places – ’cause, you know, they must be popular for a reason, right?

1) Auckland

Surprise, surprise – New Zealand’s largest city is its most visited place. It makes sense, seeing as it’s where the country’s biggest airport is. Many people must start and end their New Zealand journeys there. But what a place to start and end. Auckland is a fantastic city. Never mind the southern hemisphere’s tallest building; it’s got volcanoes and islands, beaches and forests, cool side streets, exciting food and a harbourfront that, come night-time, shimmers with beauty.

Great places to go around Auckland include:

– The Domain
– Waiheke Island
– Tiritiri Matangi
– Muriwai Beach
– Auckland Zoo

2) Queenstown

New Zealand’s second-most visited place is not only the adventure capital of the world, it’s also gobsmackingly gorgeous. It’s on the edge of a stunning lake crowned by a range of snow-capped mountains called the Remarkables. Much of the sumptuous scenery of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies can be found around Queenstown, as can an abundance of thrilling activities and good wine.

Great places to go around Queenstown include:

– The Kawarau Bridge
– Queenstown Hill
– The Shotover River
– Glenorchy
– Arrowtown

3) Christchurch

New Zealand’s third-most visited place is known as the Garden City, a reputation well-deserved. Its gardens are glorious. Christchurch is charmingly old-fashioned, evocative of England at its most idyllic. You can relax whilst punting upon the Avon River or riding on a vintage tram, but, being in New Zealand, you’re never far from a more exciting adventure. The natural scenery beyond the city is quite breathtaking.

Great places to go around Christchurch include:

– The Botanic Gardens
– The International Antarctic Centre
– Akaroa
– Arthur’s Pass
– Rakaia Gorge

4) Rotorua

Rotorua, New Zealand’s fourth-most visited place, is also known as the Sulphur City. One whiff of its air will tell you why. That eggy smell, however, is part of what makes Rotorua so special. It’s a geothermal wonderland – steam vents, hot pools, geysers, bubbling mud pools and natural spa baths galore! It has a fascinating history, pretty lakes and plenty of fun activities. You can learn about traditional Maori culture in the morning and race down a luge track in the afternoon.

Great places to go around Rotorua include:

– The Government Gardens
– Kuirau Park
– Mount Ngongotaha
– Whakarewarewa
– Waimangu Volcanic Valley

5) Wellington

The capital city of New Zealand is surprisingly only its fifth-most visited place. Wellington is a notoriously windy city, set amongst forested hills overlooking the sea. It’s a spunky city, and it’s supposedly got more restaurants per capita than New York. The waterfront is New Zealand’s best, as is the shopping. Wellington is ‘the middle of Middle-earth’ – the home of The Lord of the Rings – and the Hollywood of New Zealand. It even has its own Hollywood-esque sign, the letters of which are in the process of being ‘blown away’ by the wind.

Great places to go around Wellington include:

– Mount Victoria
– Te Papa
– Wellington Harbour
– The Weta Cave
– Zealandia

6) The West Coast

The West Coast is the very definition of rugged beauty. It’s sparsely populated with vast tracks of native rainforest, arresting rivers, wild beaches and dramatic rock formations. Famous for mining, the West Coast experienced a gold rush in the 1860s. Today, tourists can try panning for gold whilst learning about the area’s rich history, or lose themselves in the splendour of the wilderness. (Not literally, we hope.)

Great places to go around the West Coast include:

– The Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers
– The Gates of Haast
– The Pancake Rocks
– The Great Coast Road
– Shantytown

7) Taupo

The seventh-most visited place in New Zealand lies at the very centre of the North Island, on the shore of a lake the size of Singapore. Consequently, Taupo is well-known for water sports, but also for its volcanic attractions. Lake Taupo was formed when a supervolcano erupted thousands of years ago, and just south of it you’ll find three active volcanoes: Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro. There’s lots of fun to be had in Taupo, and lots of geothermal pools to relax in afterward.

Great places to go around Taupo include:

– Lake Taupo
– Huka Falls
– Craters of the Moon
– Tongariro National Park
– Orakei Korako

8) Southland

Southland is located at the southernmost tip of New Zealand. It’s home to mouth-watering seafood and New Zealand’s largest national park. It’s where you’ll find the country’s most famous tourist attraction – what Rudyard Kipling called the Eighth Wonder of the World – Milford Sound. Other places in Southland are just as beautiful, though. The southern coast of New Zealand teems with wildlife – seals, penguins, whales, dolphins – and if you want to see New Zealand’s national Kiwi bird in the wild, visiting Southland’s Stewart Island is your best chance.

Great places to go around Southland include:

– Fiordland National Park
– Te Anau
– Rakiura National Park
– Ulva Island
– Porpoise Bay

9) Dunedin

The ninth-most visited place in New Zealand is Dunedin, a cool South Island city founded by Scottish settlers. Whether your passion is wildlife, live music, trains, history, chocolate or beer, it has something for everyone. Dunedin is a student city with a fun, Bohemian nightlife. In 2014, it was designated a UNESCO Creative City of Literature. It’s also a city of great beauty, and home to the world’s only mainland royal albatross colony.

Great places to go around Dunedin include:

– The Otago Peninsula
– Taieri Gorge
– Cadbury World
– Speight’s Brewery
– Olveston

10) The Far North

The tenth-most visited place in New Zealand (and as far as this list will go, or we’ll be here all day) lies at the very top of the country. It’s a rural district, known for its warm beaches, kauri forests and important place in the history of New Zealand. You can surf down massive sand dunes, kayak around the Bay of Islands, sample local wines or just stare at the point at which the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. The Far North is very different from the rest of New Zealand. If you’re looking for a slow, subtropical holiday, this is the place.

Great places to go around the Far North include:

– Cape Reinga
– Ninety Mile Beach
– Kerikeri
– Puketi Forest
– Russell

See you in New Zealand soon!

 

Article by Abigail Simpson, author of POMS AWAY! A British Immigrant’s View of New Zealand

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