Exploring New Zealand’s Wonders

Auckland is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and is the largest and most populous area in the country. Roughly one third of New Zealand’s population resides here. Dating back to the year 1350 when the Maori people founded the land, known for being rich and fertile. It is now known for its parks, nature, and volcanic fields as well as rich culture, many festivals and a good quality of living.

Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, on New Zealand’s North Island, and is in the heart of the North Island located 140 miles southeast of Auckland. The area is known for its geothermic activity and features geysers and hot mud pools as the town lies on the Rotorua caldera which is where the thermal activity is from. The tourism industry is by far the largest industry in Rotorua and is popular with both domestic and international tourists.

Rotorua is known as the Maori capital in New Zealand, and while in this great city, you will visit Te Puia, New Zealand's premire Maori cultural center. Be treated as family, as hospitality and respect are two pillars of Maori society. See examples of traditional Maori architecture, symbols of Maori stories and heritage. And visit the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, which fosters all aspects of Maori culture. So welcome to Te Puia, and be prepared for an all-encompassing Maori cultural experience.

Wellington is located on the southwestern tip of the North Island. It is the world's southernmost capital city as well as being the most populous and remote as it is the furthest away from any other capital. Being built on the foreshore of a harbor and ringed by mountains, this gives the city the nickname Windy Wellington.

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the county’s third most populous urban area. It is located on the South Island’s eastern coast. Christchurch officially became a city on July 31st, 1856, making it the oldest established city in New Zealand. Christchurch is known as the Garden City due the large number of public parks and residential gardens.

Milford Sound is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand’s South Island. The sound runs inland for over 490 feet from the Tasman Sea and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 3,900 feet on either side. Among the peaks are The Elephant at 4,977 feet (1,517 meters), said to resemble an elephant's head, and The Lion, at 4,272 feet (1,302 meters), in the shape of a crouching lion. Milford Sound is acclaimed as New Zealand’s most famous tourist destination.

Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island. The city is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu and has spectacular views of nearby mountains and the Southern Alps. The town was founded in the 1860s and is now known for commerce-based tourism, especially adventure and ski tourism, boasting over 200 adventure tourism activities to take part in.