New Zealand is the largest of the Pacific Islands. Although not fitting into the image of a tropical island destination, it is probably the most beautiful country on the face of the earth and one that you must visit during our lifetime. New Zealand was first colonised by the Maori people from the Cook islands, Tonga and Samoa who came here in ocean going canoes in the period around 1000AD. The Maori Chief Toi is thought to have come to New Zealand in about 1150. The Maori people were the first to colonise New Zealand and were there when Captain James Cook came in 1769 and explored along the east coast. Cook was later followed by European settlers who commenced farming the rich coastal plains an valleys of New Zealand.
New Zealand is in an active volcanic zone and lies on the ring of fire. It has some of the worlds largest geothermal area’s which are a great tourist attraction today. Both the north and south islands have a central spine of high mountain ranges. On the north island, these consist of active volcanos while on the south island, the peaks and ranges are mostly snow covered and provide fantastic action for skiers who come here from around the world. There is a huge variety of scenery and wildlife to be enjoyed. The north island is home to the largest city in New Zealand which is Auckland. It is also the home of the capital, which is Wellington. In the far north is the beautiful Bay of Islands region which is a wonderful yachting venue. The kauri forests of the west coast are home to the second largest tree in the world which is absolutely awesome. The thermal region around Rotorua and Taupo are one of New Zealand’s great tourist attractions and the Tongoriro National Park is a skiers paradise , with ski resorts located on the tops of active volcanos.
The south island of New Zealand is quite magnificent. Mount Cook is the highest mountain and Christchurch is the largest city. Queenstown lies in the south and it is home to four major ski resorts. It lies on the shores of the magnificent Lake Wakatipu whose waters are plied by the beautiful old steamship “Earnslaw” taking tourists out on sight seeing trips. In the south west, the Milford and Doubtful sound regions provide scenery of staggering beauty. In the northern parts of the south island beautiful wines are produced in the Marlboro regions and the Marlboro sounds are a fantastic place for a summer boating holiday.
This quick travelogue to New Zealand is only a taste of the wonderful holiday destination that the nation of New Zealand can be for you.