Post by: Andy Hayes, PlanetEye Traveler
With this year’s Rugby World cup, It’s so exciting to see so many folks planning their holidays to New Zealand. Whenever anyone asks, I am always quick to say that it is my favorite country in the world to visit – in one tiny pair of islands you get local home-grown foods, warm hospitality, and some of the world’s best scenery. You’ll find those views no matter where you are – here are 5 incredible places I suggest you see during your trip this year, perhaps the most memorable spots of anywhere on the island.
Milford Sound
The southwest corner of the south island is home to Fjordland – an area that is difficult to get around in because it’s mostly water and mountains. These fjords are actually sounds – fjords are carved out by glaciers, whereas sounds are made by running water – so the area is misnamed but the individual sounds are named correctly.
Milford Sound is the most popular and on a sunny day can be very busy – but you just can’t be the views. They’re breathtaking! Nearby Doubtful Sound, you can also get the same incredible views but also spend the night.
It can take all day to drive through the winding roads, tunnels, and boat ferries to get to some of the sounds – but the journey can be interesting in and of itself, and the destination, well – you’ll never forget it.
90 Mile Beach
90 mile beach is, as you can guess, a very very long beach. It runs along the west coast of the north island, and continues for only 55 miles, not 90 – it just feels longer. The beach is actually a shoreline set of dunes, and they’re so big they’ve been in the past used as a airstrip for mail service, and as an alternative to the nearby highway. Bodybording is one of the popular sports.
Fox Glacier
If you haven’t been up to / on top of a glacier before, New Zealand is the place to do it – the island has several, and they’re far more accessible than glaciers normally are elsewhere in the world. The country also has very good tour operators who will help you get there and back safely.
Fox Glacier is my personal favorite, for a number of reasons. Firstly, there’s Fox Village, which is a quaint town with just one or two restaurants. From there, it is fairly easy to hike to the summit of the glacier, but also there are helicopter tours that will take you up onto the glacier – I recommend these to highlight the immense size of this block of ice – you really just can’t believe it when you see it. Lastly, there are several other highlights in the area, such as Mirror Lake, that make this a must see stop.
Wellington Harbor
There might be a gorgeous metropolis here now, but this bay has been here far longer than the humans who built the skyscrapers around it. Wellington life is centered around their maritime culture - I highly suggest a boat trip out into the harbor you can visit one of the islands, as well as great a great view of the area and see why this must have looked like just the perfect spot to settle for those early pioneers. And the city has plenty of great restaurants with a view, hiking out onto any of the nearby hills. Or maybe you’d rather just relax in town with a cold beer and enjoy one of the world’s most livable cities. Of course, we have great Wellington accommodation with wonderful hosts!
Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is, as the name implies, is a bay of several islands located in the far northeast part of New Zealand. They may very well be the best fishing spot in the world – the islands are close enough together to create quiet little miniature harbors perfect to just hang out on the boat, do some fishing, or even a swim – though the water isn’t that warm! There are a number of beaches too, so if you can wander around or just sit and relax in the sand.
Photo Credits: Catclay, empty007, John Marcos O’Neil, tony_the-Bald_eagle, Neville10
