New Zealand is a small country that offers a huge selection of adventure tourism and beautiful natural scenery as well as world class cities and relaxed country living. It also has Polynesian and European heritage that makes it a center for history and culture. The best way to tour New Zealand depends on the location.

Visitors can find New Zealand cruise deals and arrive at Auckland. From there, they can take a road trip to Wellington. It spans the length of North Island and is the best way to see the amazing sights. The trip is 460 miles and travels through some of the best Lord of the Rings sites as well as the largest lake in the country, rainforests, rocky peaks, volcanic fields and farmland. 

Wellington New Zealand

Wellington http://www.flickr.com/photos/46921770@N00/

Rent a car or campervan and start in Auckland, the largest city in the country. Visitors can see the Auckland Museum for a Maori cultural performance and get some education on New Zealand’s natural history. On to Huapai for some wine tasting, jazz concerts, and an excellent selection of local artwork from an artist’s cooperative.

Waikato is next, and visitors plan to stop here for a few days and take advantage of the spectacular hiking country. They will climb an ancient volcano, visit Hobbiton and walk the Kauri Loop Track at Hakarimata Scenic Reserve. On to visit the geothermal parks of Rotorua to see the geysers and boiling mud as well as steam venting in the middle of the city.

Drive through Hamilton and get some local wine and cuisine, then on to Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand and have a rest in the geothermal pools. There are boat cruises where visitors can see ancient Maori rock art along the Western Bays as well as the nine meter rock carving in Mine Bay.

The Kaimanawa Forest Park is a good place for an overnight trek and also the place where Frodo and Samwise ended their journey.

Back to city life in Wellington and the end of this fantastic road trip. There is plenty of good shopping, restaurants, museums and art galleries to enjoy.

Some people think that a motorcycle is the best way to tour the South Island. It has fantastic beaches, huge forests, several large glaciers and some of the most majestic mountains in the world. Mitford Sound and the fiords are a good place to start.

The Sound was carved by a glacier and the steep slopes of the mountains rise straight out of the water. It rains a lot in Fiordland and this is good for visitors who are prepared, because the over one thousand waterfalls will be full. Flying over the sound on a sunny day is considered one of the most beautiful scenic flights in the world.

Just north of Fiordland National Park is the UNESCO World Heritage site of Westland National Park in the Southern Alps. There is also Aoraki Mount Cook National Park and Mount Aspiring National Park in the same region. These natural habitats offer world class trekking and walking trails. Visitors can find New Zealand cruise deals and disembark in Dunedin to visit these breathtaking, rugged national parks.