Discover 5 Breathtaking Places In New Zealand

New Zealand is divided into the North Island and the South Island. In the first are the two main cities of the country, Auckland and Wellington; in the South Island is the most touristy, Queenstown. However, although there are cities and towns with enough attractions to be worth a visit, the truth is that the vast majority of travelers who come to these distant lands, try to enjoy the unique landscapes of New Zealand .

New Zealand, immeasurable

Here we are only going to mention five destinations, however, several articles could be written and it should always be said that they are essential places to visit in New Zealand.

1. Milford Sounds, the jewel of the South Island

Whenever a list is made among the most beautiful natural spaces in the world, this New Zealand fjord appears. His name is Milford Sounds or, in the Maori language, Te Anau. It must be said that it is also one of the rainiest places on the planet, so it is very likely to get wet during the visit, but it is still worth it.

It can be traveled on the roads or by navigating the fjord and contemplating impressive waterfalls falling into the sea. All this is the result of the action of ancient glaciers that carved breathtaking cliffs over 1,000 meters high.

And for the most intrepid there is the possibility of walking trails doing really impressive guided trekkings. And returning to the sea it is possible to discover penguins, dolphins, seals or whales.

2. Rotarua and Maori culture

Rotarua and the lake that unfolds before the city is one of the great tourist centers of the North Island of New Zealand. And it is so for two reasons: because of how well the Maori culture has been preserved here and, above all, because of how it is displayed in the many shows or in the restaurants of the city where you can taste the tasty and famous Hangi.

However, the second attraction of Rotarua is that it is one of the main hot springs in New Zealand. It is possible to bathe in numerous sulphurous pools, in fact, the area has been considered the great spa of the South Pacific since The Bath House was inaugurated at the beginning of the last century.

And as a complement to the therapeutic baths there is the contemplation of impressive geysers of volcanic origin.

3. Mount Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand

Mountaineers traveling to New Zealand want to climb 3,724 meters of Mount Cook, the country’s summit. However, without going up there, the landscapes that can be seen in Mount Cook National Park are the best expression of the New Zealand Alps.

In this territory there are about 140 peaks of more than 2,000 meters and about 72 glaciers, the most famous of which are Tasman and Hooker. Although for fame, the one that has given him the filming in this area of ​​scenes from the Lord of the Rings saga that correspond to the fictitious Mount Caradharas.

4. The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit in New Zealand

New Zealand has certainly not had a tourism promotion campaign as successful as the JRR Tolkien plot movies that Peter Jackson shot here, making these landscapes the protagonists of his award-winning films.

In fact, as in other places that exploit their cinematographic past for tourism, here too there are routes through the country that show the different natural spaces that appear in these mega-productions.

One of those territories is the Tongariro National Park, where you can do the Alpine Crossing, a wonderful hiking route that in a single day crosses desert, craters, sulfurous lakes and a thick jungle. I mean, Mordor in the movies.

But if you prefer, you can also go to Hobbiton, where the 42 holes and other charismatic places from the production of The Hobbit are recreated .

5. Queenstown, adventure capital of the world

This city is located on the South Island, on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and is one of the most visited in the whole country, more than the cosmopolitan and fun Wellington and more than the largest and surely the most beautiful of all, Auckland, both on the North Island.

However, a large part of the travelers who come to New Zealand have pointed to Queenstown as a mandatory destination, especially the more adventurous travelers. Be it winter or summer, the offer here is always dizzying and never better said.

The city environment is famous for its rafting descents, its bungee jumping or the speed of jetboating itineraries. All this not to mention the four nearby ski resorts: Cardrona Alpine Resort, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Treble Cone.