Types of Tourism in New Zealand
BEACH HOLIDAYS
The sea swimming season on the North Island lasts from November to April, and on the South Island – only from December to March. The most popular trio of New Zealand beaches is as follows:
1. The beaches of the Karamandel Peninsula are sandy. The popularity of the beach contributes to the relatively high temperature of the water during the season. In addition to the main line of beaches that border this peninsula, located in the northeast of the North Island, the beaches of Waikiki Island are also worth noting. You can get here from Whangarei, New Zealand ‘s largest port.
2. The beaches of the Karikari peninsula covered with fine white sand. Here, in the far north of the country, the warmest climate reigns, which allows you to enjoy sunbathing and warm ocean waters almost the entire length of the coastline. The best way to get here is from Caitaia, a small town located a few tens of kilometers from the peninsula.
3. Hot Water Beach – the most unusual beach in New Zealand, and probably the entire Southern Hemisphere. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that hot mineral springs are located here just some tens of meters from the coast, and here you can take hot mineral springs after oceanic baths, and absolutely free of charge. You can get to this balneological corner from Vitianga, Auckland area. Check top-medical-schools.org for travel information in New Zealand.
DIVING
The most popular dive sites in New Zealand are found in the North Island.
The Three Kings Islands are popular dive sites that are famous for their wild and amazingly unspoiled places. Located on the northwestern edge of the North Island.
The Poor Knights Islands – the islands, named by the famous Jacques-Yves Cousteau, as one of the 10 best dive sites in the world, are rightfully the most popular in New Zealand. The clear and warm water of the subtropics creates ideal conditions for observing the richest underwater world. The islands are located off the northwestern coast of the North Island, 24 km from the coast of Toutukak. You can get here from the town of Whangarei.
Goat Island The main advantage of this dive center is its easy accessibility. Popular with locals, beginners and snorkellers alike, it takes just under an hour from Auckland to make a day trip.
The Mercury Islands and Mercury Bay – a picturesque collection of many small islands and rocks, including both shallow and deep dive sites. Located on the Coromandel Peninsula (Severny Island), the main transport hub on the way here is Whitianga.
Fiordland – fjords of stunning beauty are located in the southwestern part of the South Island; they amaze with their pristine nature. Great diving spots for experienced divers and exotic lovers. It can be reached from Te Anau.
VOLCANOES
The main object of pilgrimage for those who have a special interest in volcanoes and everything connected with them is the Volcanic Plateau. located in the center of the North Island. Active volcanoes, geysers, hot mineral springs are located here, and earthquakes are not rare here. It is here that the resort area of Rotorua is located – the most important tourist center of the country. Visitors arriving here are greeted by a persistent smell of hydrogen sulfide, which oozes from many underground cracks, and the water of hundreds of mineral springs has contributed to the popularity of the resort for more than a hundred years. The height of the jets thrown out by the most powerful geysers reaches 4-5 meters, the mud lakes look like a grandiose palette, showing hundreds of different shades of brown.
Cold, warm and hot lakes, rivers and streams are also found in abundance in the thermal reserve. Puarenga river- this is probably the only place on the globe where you can catch a fish and, without taking it out of the water, immediately boil it. Since the water of hot and cold springs in some places does not have time to mix, it is possible to stand with one foot in boiling water and the other in ice water.
A few tens of kilometers south of Rotorua, there is another thermal area – the valley of geysers Wairakei. Here is the famous steam cave of Karapiti, from which clubs of steam escape with a roar.
Nearby are the three greatest volcanoes in all of New Zealand – Tongariro (1969 m.), Ruapehu (2797 m.) and Ngauruhoe (2291 m.). All of them are active (most often eruptions occur on Ngauruhoe) and are covered with snow caps.
SURFING
The location of New Zealand, however, as well as Australia, favors active surfing, with the only difference being that the water here is a little colder, so in winter the number of people who want to ride the wave decreases.
Surfing near densely populated areas in the North Island can be difficult due to the large number of people who want to “ride the wave”, the same is true for the New Zealand mecca of this sport – the town of Raglan located on the west coast in the Waikato region. In general, the western coast of the North Island is considered wilder and the waves here are sharper than on the calm and picturesque east. However, this is true only in general, therefore, before going to any particular place, it is worth clarifying the nature of the coastline and the wave height for this particular area from local experts.
The South Island is best known among surfers for the cold water off its shores (that’s why they surf here in a wetsuit) and for even greater differences in the nature of the waves on the west and east coasts. Western waves are known for their dangerous and unpredictable temper, so here, more than anywhere else, you should soberly assess your strength. The main places for riding are in the Christchurch and Dunedin area, but you can find good waves in other places. In winter, the water is cold here.
SKIING
The North Island has one main ski center with two snow parks, Whahapapa and Turoa. The season here runs from mid-June to mid-October. In the first park there are 16 lifts of different types, the nature of the slopes (in percentage terms) looks like this: 25 – beginners, 50 – intermediate skiers, 25 – adventurers. The tracks are in very good condition. For venerable skiers, skiing here evokes associations with the Russian Elbrus region – the snow here is hard, inflated, especially from above, when leaving the cable cars. The Turoa sector looks more modest, there are fewer lifts, but the range of slopes is about the same.
Ski resorts in the South Island are much more diverse.
Yes, Mount Hutt. is famous for its stable snow cover, and it is also the very first to open the ski season in the Southern Hemisphere – you can ride on its slopes already in May.
Due to the high quality of the tracks, the stages of the world championship in alpine skiing are held here. Designed for all skill levels.
Wanaka is located just five hours from Christchurch, in the South Lakes Region. This small town itself stands on the shore of a picturesque mountain lake. Known for its scenic beauty and attractiveness, it is the starting point for two famous resorts: Treble Cone – the ski area with the most beautiful scenery in New Zealand, offering the most interesting slopes for advanced skiers. There are also many trails for beginners and amateurs. For snowboarders – a half-pipe equipped with a lift.
Another popular resort, Cardrona, has trails located on the slopes of three mountain valleys at once, which makes it possible to choose entertainment according to your taste and level of training. Cardrona is especially popular with snowboarders. Here you can also stay near the slopes – in hotelslocated right on the slopes.
The most “attraction” on the South Island is the famous resort, which has the corresponding name – Remarkables. According to experts, the most “adrenaline slopes” that you can imagine are located here. And all this surrounded by picturesque alpine landscapes. One of the highest mountain resorts in the country – the highest point is about 2000m.
NATIONAL PARKS
In New Zealand, the problem of nature conservation is given increased attention. Currently, about 8% of the country’s area is occupied by national parks – an indicator that is unattainable for most developed countries. Therefore, there is something to see here for those who come to enjoy exclusively natural beauties – on the North Island it will be mainly volcanic landscapes, and on the South Island – picturesque fjords and majestic glaciers descending from the slopes of the New Zealand Alps.
EXTREME TOURISM
New Zealand is recognized as the world center of extreme sports. It is here that fans from all over the world flock to increase the level of adrenaline in the blood, and it is here that more and more new, dangerous from the point of view of common sense, extreme sports are born. The city of Queenstown is the playground of the nation, the real capital of madmen, where one and a half million extreme people from all over the world come annually, seeking to test their will and their strength.
Due to the natural features of New Zealand, there are many opportunities for the development of such sports in the country: there is bungee jumping (jumping from special high-rise structures, as well as bridges and other objects with an elastic rope that is attached to the feet of the jumper), and rafting on the “black water” at a depth of one hundred meters underground along the rivers of the Waitomo cave, and heliskiing (downhill skiing from the mountainside, on which skiers jump out of the plane), and quite traditional kayaking, rafting and their varieties.
One of the freshest types of extreme entertainment is called Zorb. This is the name of a huge plastic ball with a second sphere inside. The zorbonaut is placed in the inner sphere and the ball descends the mountain at a speed of 50 km per hour. The pilot of the zorb rotates in the inner sphere, and at the same time, the outer sphere also rotates, which leaves an unforgettable experience afterwards.
“FRODO-TOURISM”
After 2002, the number of tourists arriving in New Zealand, increased by an order of magnitude. New tourists flocked to the volcanic mountains of Ngarukhoe and Tongariro, the slopes of the famous volcano Ruapehu, the mountains of Sandy and the fjords of Queenstown. To a large extent, the popularization of this tourist destination was facilitated by the release of Peter Jackson’s film “The Lord of the Rings”, based on the legendary book by Tolkien. Many people who saw the picture decided that they definitely need to see Middle-earth with their own eyes, that is, to visit New Zealand. Local travel agencies immediately took advantage of this – at their invitation, Tolkien fans come to see the place where the hero of the trilogy Frodo Baggins began his dangerous journey to defeat the forces of evil and destroy the Ring of Omnipotence.
