New Zealand’s North Island travel guide

Several of New Zealand’s more important cities are in the North Island, notably its largest city, Auckland, and Wellington, the capital. This is where the same stunning fjords and snow-dusted mountains that co-starred in the Lord of the Rings are to be found, together with the steaming, bubbling, otherworldly landscapes of the Volcanic Plateau and the spectacular Ninety Mile Beach. See here for more travel information and North Island accommodation…

Sights and places to see in New Zealand’s North Island

Auckland is known as the City of Sails, looking out to the water you’ll see a number of sailboats and yachts bobbing in the marina. Auckland has a wonderful climate and is surrounded by sandy beaches and beautiful islands, whilst also boasting terraced volcanic hills, lush gardens and parks. This is the perfect place for exploring on foot one of many trails, and participating in its many outdoor activities.

Rotorua is one of the most popular tourist destinations due to its active volcanic area. This sulphurous town has one of the largest boiling lakes in the world. In and around the town are natural cauldrons of boiling mud, neon-green mineral pools and mini-geysers akin to those in Yellowstone. Stretching from the vibrant city of Tauranga to Opotiki, there are plenty of superb beaches to visit from where you can view the basking whales. This is a good place to experience the Maori heritage and you could even see one of the friendly Maori villages that Cook discovered here.

Russell is a peaceful and pretty place along the southern edge of the Bay of Islands, Russell’s waterfront is lined with colonial buildings and contains New Zealand’s oldest church, Christ Church.

Taupo could be the skydiving capital of the world and is home to New Zealand’s longest river, which, of course, you can bungee jump over. Daredevil activities abound in this geothermal area and the winter snow on mountains at Turoa and Whakapapa make for some great skiing. Lake Taupo plays host to some of the world’s best trout fishing and is a popular visitor destination with facilities catering to families and independent travellers alike.

Tauranga is the centre of the principal kiwi-fruit region, restaurants and bars line Tauranga’s attractive waterfront, with its two marinas and abundance of water sports.

Wellington is a compact and scenic city and the capital of New Zealand that enjoys a thriving café and entertainment scene. The not-to-be-missed museum in New Zealand is Wellington's Te Papa (Maori for "our place”) pays homage to the vivid quality of the history and colonization of the island. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed on location here and has cemented NZ’s reputation for international filmmaking. Along the Kapiti coast are relaxing beach side resorts and towns, gnarly surfing breaks at Lyall Bay, great restaurants, designer clothes shops, steep hills with spectacular views and a dedication to the arts makes Wellington an immensely enjoyable place to visit.

Weather, flight and travel information in and around New Zealand’s North Island

The weather here is never to miserable that it should deter you from going. The warmer months are November through to April and they are also the busiest.

There are currently seven international airports so you can easily choose the best to suit your travel requirements. New Zealand is quite compact making it easy to get around but some domestic flights offer you some amazing opportunities for a bird’s-eye view over the mountains and volcanoes. There is an extensive bus network by the country’s largest operator, InterCity that serves both of the north and south islands. There are some train routes that are somewhat faster and they are modern and comfortable. Travelling by car or campervan is recommended as the roads are good and well sigh posted. New Zealanders also drive on the left.

Money; £1 = 2.63 New Zealand Dollar (NZD)

Time; GMT/UTC +12

Telephone; 00 or + 64

Last updated; March, 09